The camera I recommend to most new photographers is not a Nikon or Sony

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera is simply a large starter for aspiring photographers.
It features a 24-megapixel sensor for large representation prime and colour and tin seizure 4K (UHD) video astatine 24 frames per second.
Unfortunately, it doesn't person a flip-out preview screen.

It's a large clip to beryllium a lensman these days, arsenic it's easier than ever to entree large cameras. Specifically, mirrorless cameras similar Canon's EOS R100. Sure, our smartphones are susceptible of capturing beauteous bully photos, but if you're a existent lensman astatine heart, you're yet going to privation much from your camera.

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You'll privation much flexibility successful post-processing and, rather frankly, amended representation quality. Luckily, Canon has respective camera bodies successful its mirrorless merchandise line, including the R100: a compact mirrorless camera aimed astatine the beginner lensman who's caller disconnected their smartphone.

The Canon R100 is 1 of the lightest camera bodies connected the market, but don't fto its value fool you into assuming it can't make prime images oregon video. It has an APS-C sensor that tin seizure 24 megapixels and 1080p video astatine 60 frames per second. It tin besides seizure 4K (UHD) video astatine 24 frames per second.

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When you're conscionable starting retired successful photography, the past happening you privation to bash is conflict with flipping done menus, buttons, and dials. You privation to commencement shooting arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to get utilized to the consciousness of the camera and its capabilities. Canon's intuitive paper plan on with its dial-and-button layout makes the R100 an casual merchantability for caller photographers.

Canon EOS R100 camera assemblage for beginners

Yes, it's compact, but the shutter fastener and rear buttons are close wherever they request to beryllium for your scale digit and thumb, respectively. I person truly ample hands, truthful I conflict with holding smaller cameras. With the R100, however, it lone took a fewer minutes for maine to get utilized to however it feels.

I'm a steadfast believer that a camera has to consciousness bully successful your hands; I don't attraction astir its elaborate database of bells and whistles. It should conscionable "feel right" if you're going to sprout with it regularly. Canon does a bully occupation with this.

Image quality

The representation prime is connected par with what I expected from a budget-friendly camera with a cropped sensor (APS-C). You'll perceive smartphone manufacturers specified arsenic Apple and Samsung boast having implicit 40 megapixels successful their smartphone cameras, truthful if you're unsure if a camera with lone fractional that tin basal up to them successful quality, the reply is simply a resounding yes. Here's why.

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The representation sensor connected this camera is much larger than those connected immoderate smartphone, truthful the representation prime volition astir ever beryllium better. Here are 2 illustration images captured with the R100 successful 2 somewhat antithetic scenarios. Image 1 utilized the kit lens (18mm-45mm) that came with the R100.

In this archetypal image, you'll announcement the representation prime is beauteous solid. I didn't bash immoderate post-processing different than adjusting the achromatic balance. My canine Kylo looks beauteous bully here. Even erstwhile I zoomed into the image, I noticed the sound wasn't bad, considering I changeable this successful a shaded country connected a sensor smaller than what I usually usage (full frame).

The ISO was cranked up to 3,200, truthful getting representation sound is astir guaranteed. Look astatine the archetypal representation and comparison it to the zoomed-in mentation of the representation below. The sound isn't overmuch of an issue.

Sample of representation sound from Canon R100

I captured 1 much image, but I'll admit, I cheated conscionable a little. In the 2nd image, I attached an 85mm premier lens, which has a wider aperture for much light. Also, it's conscionable a amended lens, acknowledgment to the prime of the glass.

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I should besides enactment that I attached this lens onto the R100 via an RF to EF lens adapter. Most of my Canon lenses are EF mount, which isn't compatible with the mirrorless bodies unless you usage an adapter. With that said, the R100 did a stellar job.

This 24-megapixel APS-C sensor did a large occupation capturing good details. Yes, I person a amended lens connected the body, but this besides proves that a lensman tin commencement with this camera and upgrade to amended lenses implicit the years until they're acceptable to determination connected to an upgraded mirrorless assemblage from Canon. As successful the archetypal image, I lone corrected the achromatic balance. No different post-processing was done.

How the Canon handles video

Shooting video connected the R100 is straightforward, with afloat HD astatine 60 frames per second. This is large for unrecorded action, but if you're attempting to sprout thing successful a "cinematic flare," backmost the framework complaint down to astatine slightest 30 frames per second, preferably 24 frames per second.

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If you're funny to sprout successful 4K (UHD), enactment that your representation volition beryllium presented astatine a tighter focal magnitude due to the fact that the video mode utilizes the halfway of the APS-C sensor and not the afloat moving area. This could beryllium an inconvenience, but it's not a dealbreaker for a camera successful this terms range.

If you're wondering whether the R100 tin beryllium utilized for vlogging and unrecorded streaming, the reply is yes and no. If you privation to vlog, you can, but you won't beryllium capable to spot yourself arsenic there's nary flip-out surface recovered connected astir vlogging cameras. Regarding unrecorded streaming, you tin usage the micro HDMI to link the R100 to your machine via a seizure paper oregon an HDMI switcher specified arsenic an ATEM Mini.

My concerns with the R100

I don't person galore concerns. First, the deficiency of a flip-out surface is alternatively inconvenient. Flip-out screens are utile beyond conscionable vlogging purposes. For example, if you're photographing thing from a precocious oregon debased angle, rotating the surface is ace adjuvant successful composing and framing your shot.

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Secondly, the APS-C sensor is not a dealbreaker, but shooting video should beryllium done successful the highest solution available. Shooting successful 4K (UHD) is an option, but cropping successful connected the sensor doesn't springiness your 4K footage the look of a cleanable 4K video, conscionable a 4K record size. On a affirmative note, the APS-C sensor is large for shooting satellite photography, and it has a full-frame telephoto lens attached. You'll summation a small much scope successful focal magnitude by astir 1.4x.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you're an aspiring lensman looking to scratch the itch that your smartphone camera can't look to satisfy, the Canon EOS R100 is simply a coagulated camera astatine a budget-friendly $479 for the assemblage only. It comes with a 45mm starter lens, which lens isn't the best, but you'll decidedly spot an betterment implicit your trusty smartphone.

Another large happening astir the R100 is that it has the imaginable to turn with you arsenic you bargain somewhat amended lenses, specified arsenic the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. This 1 offers a wider aperture, amended glass, and large portraits close retired of the box. So, adjacent with the summation of the 50mm lens, you're inactive good nether $1,000 spent for a large enactment to get started with photography.

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