How many ways can you make a DSLR?
For Canon, the latest gimmick is going small with one of its latest cameras, the 100D.
The 100D is a decidedly entry-level camera. It has the same 18-megapixel sensor as the existing 650D and the new 700D, and in burst mode shoots only 4 frames per second.
It does pack in some new stuff, including the company’s new Digic 5 image processor, and has a new autofocus system which promises to snap on to your subjects faster.
But the most notable spec is its size and weight: the 100D is 25 percent smaller than the 650D, and weighs only 407g. This is including the weight of the battery and the memory card!
On the surface it doesn’t look that much tinier, but you’ll be able to feel the difference once you pick it up.
I swapped my Nikon D90 with the 100D and immediately felt the remarkable difference in weight and size.
Pair the 100D with Canon’s 40mm pancake lens and you could have a potentially great travel-friendly camera.
The 100D will land in Singapore from mid- to end-April and much of its success will hinge on its price. Local pricing is not yet available, but in the US it costs US$800 with an 18-55mm kit lens.
However, I can’t really figure out who the 100D is for.
Aspiring photographers looking for an affordable entry point into Canon’s ecosystem may as well fork out US$100 more and go for the new 700D.
Casual users should just go snap up the numerous entry-level DSLRs on the market right now, most of which have very similar specs and are already going at sub-S$1000 prices.
The size of the 100D isn’t much of a selling point either, as there are dozens of good micro four-thirds cameras on the market that have even smaller bodies.
Plus, Sony has been doing the whole “small body big sensor” shtick since its first NEX cameras.
Would you buy a 100D? Tell us why in the comments below!
Update (19 April 2013, 5:42pm): The 100D has been priced at S$799 for the body only, and S$999 with an 18-55mm kit lens.
I’ve got a couple of higher-up Canon DSLRs and this would make an excellent ‘reserve’ body in case the better ones fail in the field. It’s super small and takes all my existing Canon-fit glass. Basically, I think it’s a way to get people looking for compact system cameras into the Canon lens infrastructure, as in terms of ‘handbag space’ the body isn’t too dissimilar to the more feature-rich CSCs. I still have an old 30D as my backup camera at the moment – I think this will make a nice ‘upgrade’.
Hi Alex, yes that’s a very good point. Then again, there aren’t many photographers who even need reserve cameras, and if Canon counts on people like you to get the 100D, then it’ll never see mass market success.
Even then, I have pro photographer friends who are perfectly happy with the Lumix LX5 as their reserve so it really depends on individual preference! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Just curious: if you’re looking for a small back-up, what do you think of the EOS M? In terms of specs, it’s very, very similar to the 100D, even superior in some areas such as having more AF points.
I might buy this as a starter DSLR. So if I do get into photography much more and look to buy a 5d etc this will still serve its purpose as a more portable camera. The only mirrorless cameras I have been interested in are the MFT cameras as the lenses are compatible with the likes of the black magic camera. I’ve found the Olympus OMD too uncomfortable to hold and the panasonics a bit gimmicky/plasticky (exc the Gh3). Plus, by the time a mirrorless has been put in a case, it’ll work out similar volume to 100d with a pancake in a case.
I’ve held the 700d, and although its quite cheaply made, it still feels like a nicely designed camera, with the menu very easy to navigate 🙂 so if there’s the 100D which Canon claims has identical image quality yet it’s smaller, lighter and cheaper, I’m certainly going to consider this one.
Although all the reviews and comments around the net seem to be mainly negative?
I’m currently looking to buy a decent starter camera, for around this price around this size. Perhaps there’s something else out there that beats this in terms of image quality and build quality? I’ve heard the Pentax is worth a look?