forum threaddas1984 posted Today 02:12 PM
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forum threaddas1984 posted Today 02:12 PM
Canon - EOS R100 4K Video Mirrorless Camera with RF-S18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens - Black $499.99
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Bottom Line: Avoid, with prejudice.
Why? Simple. It's a really poor camera, in an ocean of very acceptable and excellent options.
You shouldn't feel the need to compromise this much in 2025. There's no articulating screen. There's no touch screen. And the lack of adequate physical controls (only 1 wheel) means changing basic settings is hidden inside menus. These aren't extraordinary features to ask for in 2025 -- they're basics. This camera cuts corners.
For an entry-level camera, you have to ask, who are the general target audiences? Those upgrading from using a mobile phone and those who want to learn the basics of photography. And when it feels so clunky and awful....with worse usability than a mobile...with settings hidden in menus instead of being openly exposed, it fundamentally fails both of these primary audiences.
Anyone coming from a mobile is going to instantly say "oh, I miss such-and-such from my mobile"...and summarily go back to their mobile, since it's pocketable, familiar, and easier to use. Anyone learning photography is going to get annoyed at how tedious it is to change an exposure setting like aperture or shutter speed or ISO....and just leave it on full automatic mode. You're not learning anything there.
It's a camera solely created to hit a price point. I've witnessed this personally in camera shops: the R100's lapses are used to encourage prospective buyers to skip it and upgrade to the next model.
The quality of the camera and lenses are pedestrian...and I'm being kind. It's entry-level consumer gear, so keep your expectations low. (Which being fully honest, it HAS IMPROVED over the last few decades...but entry level gear is still nothing to write home about).
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Those who acknowledge this with both eyes wide open...but still might have a use case for it, proceed knowingly full well of what you're getting.
Pros: I'll be fair and give it praise where it's due: it's tiny and light. Not the smallest or lightest Canon camera ever, but it's the best you'll find on their RF-mount. Granted, that weight comes from being nearly all plastic...so durability is out the window. But you know what's even smaller? A cell phone.
I own other RF-mount bodies and lenses...and I would not even buy this as an "emergency spare", at any price ...including free. (it's under-performing junk that would only take up valuable weight and space in my bag - I'd get the R50 as the lowest-performing option). I think that speaks volumes.
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Alternatives for Mirrorless: For a little bit more, you'll blow this piece of junk out of the water.
I'd argue that a $450 R50 + $350 18-150mm would fly circles around this, but you're doubling the cost. Same with Canon's R10.
In an entirely different tier-class for photography, you have the R7 and the full-frame R8 -- these options will run you over a grand apiece. But they are the top-end APS-C....and surprisingly excellent hits-way-above-its-weight-class full-frame R8.
I'd argue that an older Olympus E-M1 Mark II for $400 + Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens $400 (24-80mm full-frame equivalent) would be DASHINGLY amazing....giving you pro-tier quality on a flagship device (albeit on an older piece of hardware). The argument is you may not have as much room to "grow" in the Olympus/OM-System ecosystem as you would in Canon....but let's be honest, you're not growing with this R100 "deal". When you quickly outgrow it, you'll be disposing of it.
If you can double your lens budget to $800, consider the Olympus 12-100 f/4 IS PRO...which is a full-frame equivalent of 24-200mm. A great superzoom. Giving you both lens and body stabilization at a very reasonable constant f/4. A "one body, one lens" mindset.
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For those just starting out who want to solely learn the basics of photography -- you have a LOT of options to choose from.
Canon 5D classic (<$150). Nikon D300 (<$100). Even Canon's ancient yet still really dang good pro-tier 1Ds Mark III (<$450....used to be $8,000 new in 2007. It has 21mp, sensor cleaning, and lens profiles...all modern features in a bullet-proof yet hefty body).
Get any one of those, slap on a nifty fifty for sub-$100, and you'll have a splendid time learning the basics.
And you'll come in far under that arbitrary $400 budget (even factoring in other mandatory things like neckstrap/wriststrap, memory card, card reader, etc). Play it smart, and you might be able to toss in an older decent tripod (Manfrotto 3000 series) or an older zoom (EF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 II goes for roughly $100) and still come in under $400.
It might not have all the modern frills, but it's also no compromise. You'll be using excellent professional grade gear...not flimsy plastic consumer made-as-cheaply-as-possible junk. All at prices that strongly compete with this so-called "deal".
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If you're in the market for video...
Consider a Canon R50v for roughly $650 + any number of different manual lenses + a free copy of DaVinci Resolve + youtube videos on how to use it. Yes, it's more money than this "deal", but this "deal" was a very poor excuse for video. You'd get better results from your mobile. Seriously.
Also a hidden video gem -- the aforementioned Olympus E-M1 Mark II. Although nothing to write home about on the surface, it provides some amazingly good In-Body-Image-Stabilization (IBIS). You can get walking shots that are entirely usable -- a feat that even modern cameras like the R50v (and R7 and R8 and even the R5) fail to deliver.
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