Canon EOS 100D/Rebel SL1 Hands-on Preview

March 2013 | By Amadou Diallo

Preview based on a pre-production Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1

Last year Canon made its long-anticipated entry into the mirrorless camera market with the EOS M, taking aim at compact-camera upgraders who desire better image quality but don't want the bulk or intimidating controls of a DSLR. Yet the company has long hinted that another path to competing with mirrorless entries from Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic lay in the miniaturization of its familiar SLR design. With the announcement of the EOS 100D / Rebel SL1, Canon has laid its cards on the table. Billed as 'the world's smallest, lightest APS-C DSLR', the EOS 100D unabashedly merges the Rebel-series' DSLR operational hallmarks with an impressively small body.

Thanks to a downsizing of internal components that has resulted in a smaller shutter mechanism, thinner sensor module and smaller-footprint circuit board, the EOS 100D is significantly smaller and lighter than the co-announced EOS 700D, while offering the same 18MP pixel count, DIGIC 5 processor and, presumably image quality. The EOS 100D is, in fact, comfortably the smallest DSLR we've yet seen, and not so far off 'SLR-style' mirrorless models such as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5.

As attention-grabbing as the EOS 100D's small footprint undoubtedly is, what's equally impressive is that Canon has been able to retain most of the controls and features typically found on a Rebel-series camera. A front dial and dedicated ISO, exposure compensation and AF/AE lock buttons are among the controls that will be familiar to any Canon DSLR user. Its touchscreen is identical in resolution to that on the EOS 650D and 700D, but is fixed, rather than articulated.

The EOS 100D introduces version two of Canon's Hybrid CMOS AF system, originally seen in the EOS 650D. While Canon is making no claims about focus speed improvements of its hybrid phase/contrast detect system, the new version covers a significantly greater portion of the live view area (80% of the area). This should make it a significantly more useful option than the version found on the EOS M and 650D.

Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 key specifications

Small form factor DSLR weighing 400g/14oz.
18MP APS-C sensor with 14-bit DIGIC 5 processor
'Hybrid CMOS AF II' system with 80% frame coverage
Continuous autofocus in movie mode with subject tracking
ISO 100-12800 (expandable to ISO 25600)
4 fps continuous shooting
1080p30 video recording, monaural microphone (stereo input jack)
3-inch fixed capacitive touch-screen (same as EOS M)
9 point AF (central sensor is cross-type)
'Creative Filters' image-processing controls, previewed live on-screen

Compared to the Canon EOS Rebel 700D / T5i

This front view shows that the EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 is substantially smaller than the co-announced EOS 700D / Rebel T5i - itself not exactly a giant.


However, the 100D retains the majority of the external controls found on the larger camera. Although both cameras feature the same rear touchscreen, the 100D's screen is fixed, not articulated.

The top-plate controls are essentially the same too, but the 100D only has space for a mono microphone on the top left shoulder. The offset shutter button may look odd, but works well.

The EOS 100D achieves its notable size reduction without sacrificing much in the way of external control compared to the EOS 650D. On the 100D the button at the center of the 4-way controller does double-duty as both the Q menu and Set button, and the surrounding buttons have lost their dedicated functions. The 100D has a lower capacity flash, with a guide number of 9m (versus 13mm on the 650D) and houses a mono versus stereo microphone, though it does retain a stereo mic input. And while the handgrip is not as deep as the one on its larger sibling, the 100D still provides a distinctly DSLR handling experience.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens

Introduced alongside the EOS 100D is the EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM lens. This is the standard kit zoom for the 100D and brings the total number of EF-S STM lenses to three, with a 40mm pancake and 18-135mm (both shown below) also on offer. Canon's STM lenses are designed to take full advantage of the Hybrid AF system found in the EOS 650D, 700D and 100D. They offer quiet autofocus, helpful when shooting video, and full time manual focus. The 18-55mm lens has a close focusing distance of 0.25m and a circular seven-bladed aperture. An internal focusing motor means the lens does not extend while turning the focus ring.

The EOS 100D's Hybrid AF II system is designed to work optimally with Canon's three-lens STM lineup which consists of an 18-55mm, 18-135mm and fixed 40mm pancake lens.


Compared to the previous EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens, the STM version is slightly longer to accommodate the internal focus system, and has a 'proper' manual focus ring at the front of the barrel that drive the focus group electronically. As with the older design it's physically shortest in the middle of its zoom range, and extends on zooming either to 18mm or 55mm (click here for a comparison at 55mm).

The STM focus motor is extremely quiet and, when using the optical viewfinder, impressively fast, offering a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. But switch the camera to live view and, just like the 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, it slows down significantly. This is a unfortunate - Canon's live view AF system still distinctly lags behind the competition.

The filter thread on the STM lens remains 58mm. The inner-focus design means it doesn't rotate on autofocus, and allows the use of an optional petal-type lens hood rather (than the relatively ineffective bowl-type hood of its predecessor).	As we'd expect at this level, the lens mount is plastic. This is an EF-S, lens so only fits on Canon's APS-C cameras.

Hands-on preview video

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window.

To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top.

DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.

Comments

Total comments: 311

Really Right Stuff ( info@reallyrightstuff.com ) thinks there may not be enough demand to make an L-bracket for the 100D/SL1. If you are interested, please email them and let your voice be heard!

0 upvotes

It may have the same dimensions to other cameras but it has the picture quality of a DSLR. It is also perfect for those who are always going to different places. There's a great review at http://www.squidoo.com/canon-eos-rebel-sl1-review

0 upvotes

I agree, its a small and light dslr camera that takes quality photos just like any other dslrs.

0 upvotes

This is roughly the same size as my 3 year old Pentax K-x with a 40 year old K mount.
I don't see an engineering achievement here.

0 upvotes

I'm always bugged by mono microphones.. We're living in 2013 for god's sake, this shouldn't be even a question... We developed this psychoacoustic effect called "stereo' in the 19th century, and popularized it in 30's..

It's a shame... There's simply no excuse.. By the early 90's, there wasn't a single device that recorded sound in mono (except for dictaphones). And yet, here we are in the "future" with stereo so standardized that most people don't even know what it is, yet we have devices that can't record simple directional cues.

1 upvote

Audio recorded off camera by a Zoom H4N or the like is far better quality and easy to sync.

0 upvotes

Is it a 100D on my pants? Or I just glad to see you ?? (Sorry can't help to throw a bit of ole Flash in here :) )

0 upvotes

Now, where is a FF version of this camera to make proper use of the 40mm pancake?

Please, enlighten me why it's so hard for manufacturers today to reproduce the form and size factor of the film cameras from the 80's and 90's?? Kudos to Oly for OM-5 but it's not FF.

Why don't we see more FF small primes like Pentax Limiteds?

Why don't we see on FF the super fast and accurate AF of the m4/3 system?

Today's mainstream cameras are ugly, bulky and ineffcient.

0 upvotes

Please mr canon how about some more decent 'pancake' primes?

0 upvotes

It will probably happen due to the 100D. They want to erase the mistake that was the EOS-M. They willk definately make more money on the 100D and faster than with the EOS-M. Hell, even I want one!
If they had been more innovative, if they had really studied the market and the competition and not come out with a me-too kind of product, the EOS-M would have made sense and probably be more successful. But it didn't bring anything special to the table and what they brought was late too. I would have expected better from Canon but hey that's what happens when you rest on your laurels for way too long.

1 upvote

Question for Canon users. I'm interested in this camera, but in the picture of the model @ ISO 400 with the 40mm pancake, her hair has that smeared, compact-camera type look. Her face looks great, and I liked the picture of the fish shot with the pancacke lens.

Is the smeared hair a result of heavy-handed noise reduction? Can these sensors do better in raw?

0 upvotes

The photo was shot with the aperature wide open, and it is apparent with close inspection of the photo that only at a few select points is the picture in sharp focus. Before identifying processing factors such as noise reduction, compression, and anti-aliasing filters as the cause of picture softness, it is necessary to first rule out focusing issues, and in this case it is not difficult to see that the focus is soft for almost all of the picture. If you look closely at the white shirt in the area just above the large V formed by the red garment, you can easily make out the detail in the weave of the fabric. Much more often than not, picture softness is directly attributable to focusing issues. If the picture had been shot at f 5.6 or f8, it would look very different.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

1 upvote

Kaiser,

You may be right, but I'm pretty sure we're talking about two different things. The out-of-focus areas from this camera are pleasing. I'm talking about what looks like artifacts from noise reduction. Again, I may be wrong.

If the noise reduction on the camera smears detail, it's not a deal-breaker for me. A lot of good cameras, including the ones I shoot, do that. I was just curious.

0 upvotes

I studied the picture very closely and the soft look of the model's hair is fully consistent with soft focus. Moreover, as i attempted to explain, if you examine how the focus sharpness is different at different parts of the picture, the evidence is strongly compelling that the softness of the hair is due purely to focus softness. If noise reduction were the cause of softness there, you would not see the sharpness in the area that i identified. You have not given a meaningful definition of the effect that you are talking about, and have not identifed the evidence of that effect. The lack of detail in the hair is enitrely attributable to focus softness, narrow depth of field, wide open aperture. It is not my intent to be intentionally rude, but this is plainly apparent, and when someone starts by talking about an ill-defined effect (compact camera look), it annoys to start with.

1 upvote

"It is not my intent to be intentionally rude"

If you feel the need to state that maybe you're not trying hard enough. Especially when Bob asked very politely.

Only reason I comment is it detracts from such a good resource. I've been reluctant to ask some questions on this site in case it's hit with snarky self-righteous replies.

0 upvotes

Lovely camera, but I can't stop but seeing it as Canon's admission that the EOS-M was a mistake.

0 upvotes

In my opinion (subjective as it can get) - all models with no some kind of FV , is a mistake

0 upvotes

I can't think of any reason why this camera suggests anything of the sort that you think it suggests. Not a single one.

0 upvotes

Simple, if you do step outside with your camera and look around what others are using, how many EOS-Ms do you see? If you go to photographic retailers, how many do you see pushing the EOS-M? What has the EOS-M bring to the CSC table? Nothing.Which the reviews have clearly indicated that. They were underwhelming and Canon just brought out a CSC because everyone else was doing it. Then Canon comes out with an SLR with virtually the same specs and virtually the same size ase their CSC. I don't think you need to use more than 2 brain cells to see it.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Regarding the EOS-M, I'm pretty sure a personal letter of apology from Canon's designers is on its way to you, hopefully giving some closure. For everybody else, buying or not buying an EOS-M will have to suffice.

1 upvote

I kind of agree but I don't think this is the solution to the mirrorless and m4/3 market. Canon is appearing unsure and is innovating slowly. First thing they need to do is to redesign their aging APSC sensor and catch up to Nikon. Not with Mp but with controlling (or rather not having) noise.

0 upvotes

Lovely camera , fits well with 40mm 2.8f , good (for it's class) high ISO .
Lets wait for RAW samples , AF and DR capabilities .
Good move by Canon

0 upvotes

ISO 200 looks slightly mottled already (see borders in lighthouse sample).
Mid-ISO shots of low contrast subjects are missing again.
Canon fail. DPR fail.

0 upvotes

Thank you for passing judgment on something you have never seen or used and is apparently a pre-production unit. Of course it's pointless to show examples from anything that isn't "finished" but this has become commonplace for DPR.

1 upvote

I think it is unacceptable, if not downright ridiculous, to release a DSLR in 2013, in the midst of super-fast dead-on accurate CDAF DSLM camera era, without AF micro adjustment. So, what, every time a 100D owner buys a lens should pray to 'match' with the body in terms of AF accuracy? Even Pentax K-r has this essential feature. Canon's marketing dept monolithic heads, wake up!

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 1 minute after posting

2 upvotes

I shot 3 rushy jpgs with it at 800iso yesterday at Photovision show, in Athens. It had a EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens on, as I see in Photoshop now. This camera is a joy to use, snappy, lovely lcd, great white balance (seemed much better than the new Nikons I tried before it). The images look fine for 800iso but not excellent since they are on the soft side, the striking sharpness I go for, is not there. They have the typical Canon look but honestly, too many pixels on a sensor don't help either in this regard. This is a camera to fall in love, if it had 6 or 10 mpix I'd buy it without any hesitation for an even higher price to be honest.

0 upvotes

This is an interesting twist on small interchangeable lens cameras. It gives most of the benefits of the compact 4/3 systems, with the availability of real lenses.

I'm a little bias because I have never really understood the fascination of the 4/3 system. Its image quality is more compromised than APC, it uses a completely different lens mount, and the lenses for 4/3 seem to be limited in availability and expensive. From what I can tell, the 4/3 system is there simply for people to say "That superzoom is expensive because I can buy a Nikon 1 for five bucks more," because they have not bothered to check the price of a 24-600 zoom for that camera.

0 upvotes

Your comment is like many others that i see here, that just does not make any sense so far as i can tell. You say that this camera gives all the benefits of the compact 4/3 system, but you made no genuine effort to indentify those benefits and explain why they are obviated by this camera. Those benefits are several, and among them, only the compact size is rendered partially moot by this camera, but not even this advantage is rendered fully moot, or even close. This is a nice camera to be sure, but comments such as yours are not putting anything into a truthful perspective.

0 upvotes

m43s have this: small bodies (much smaller than this Canon btw) AND much smaller lenses. to those who will buy some lenses, especially zooms or telefoto, the difference is huge. The body is only a part of the story, but the combo is what atracts most.
Another point is that people prefer the 4/3 ratio to 3/2. Not all, but it is a point. Then there are quite a few who prefer EVF, because of all the info you can directly see in the EVF. Zooming in movie is superior to anything DSLR can give. Especially GH3.
So that is about it. A combination of things. Not for you, but for me after using a Canon DSLR, it is a most welcome change. Currently, the topline m43 sensors have somwhat better performance too. With Canons new fab this will hopefully change. Competition is good and I wish Canon users all the best.

0 upvotes

All lens families use different lens mounts (nothing unique to m43's). And you've just disqualified yourself by stating: "I have never really understood the fascination of the 4/3 system"; if you don't understand it, why you are you talking smack about it?

0 upvotes

Pentax K-x is better than this... and at the same dimension... K-x has better image quality & color tone capture... better hand grip...

1 upvote

lol,, 'cos you've used one of these extensively. lol

Comment edited 28 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

fanboys? fanbaby maybe...

Yeah used one of these extensively ^_^

1 upvote

Except the K-x is 40% heavier.

Comment edited 7 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

What is the news here? The older Canon Rebel XT was about the same size. The XT is still a great camera and you can buy a good one used for around $100. Sure, the XT has 8 mega pixels and the 100D has 18 but more is not always better. Higher MP sensors = more noise, camera shake issues, and show faults in lower quality lenses. Folks are selling this new EOS 100D in kits that include the non IS 75-300 lens, which is a sad joke. The XT is tried and true, trusted and reliable. Anything over 6 MP is going to deliver very good image quality for consumer photos. If a person wants a camera that will take video they might not be too pleased with the video quality of a DSLR not to mention how cumbersome it is to haul around a big camera and lens to shoot video with. I would rather use real dedicated video camer to shoot movies! With the money I save buying a good XT I can buy a super lens and a compact video recorder and still have money left over to go on a trip and actually use them.

0 upvotes

One thing you didn't mention is that the XT only goes to ISO 1600, where as the 100D goes past that. It can do ISO 3200, 6400 and 12800 (apparently native) and be pushed to ISO 25600.

Personally, I find that expands what you can do with a camera. Especially if you like shooting without the flash all the time. Yes. The pictures will show some noise, but I'll take that if I can preserve some of the ambient light.

Don't get me wrong. I like the XT (and XTi). My buddies had the XT and XTi cameras and I always thought they were a nice size and potent.

But the 100D is a nice size and extra potent with higher ISO (for me at least.)

0 upvotes

XT,, that's awesome. Thanks. lol,, rofl

0 upvotes

The XT may be old, but still a fun camera. Besides . . . its not just about the camera . . . its about what you do with it that counts. Happy Shooting! :)

0 upvotes

Plus the XT has a 600-shot battery life. Not that ridiculous 380 shots for the 100D. But my prefered one is the 1100D with 700 shots, the best of all Canon entry-level DSLRs in terms of battery life and far ahead of many other DSLRs and ALL the MILC.

0 upvotes

Thanks grandpa for your camera advice... 6mp is all we'll ever need.. and video should be recorded with another device... got it...

0 upvotes

This product would be much more appealing if Canon had shown more dedication to EF-S glass over the past decade or so. Why buy a super small DSLR and then slap on FF glass which wastes weight and volume for image area you can't use? The selection of EF-S only lenses in the f1.4-f2.8 aperture range is depressingly short. Even with those, we're supposed to be sold on the new hybrid AF system which further limits us... to three lenses. This is the company with the greatest selection of glass on the market? That's supposed to want to sell me on it's system rather than just its' camera?

1 upvote

Sigma and others are supporters of EF-S.

i only have 1 lens from canon out of my 8 lens collection

0 upvotes

Sigma and others are supporters of EF-S.

i only have 1 lens from canon out of my 8 lens collection

0 upvotes

Sigma and others are supporters of EF-S.

i only have 1 lens from canon out of my 8 lens collection

0 upvotes

Sigma and others are supporters of EF-S.

i only have 1 lens from canon out of my 8 lens collection

0 upvotes

STM 18-135, STM 18-55 and 40mm STM would suit this.

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

СПОРЮ, ЧТО ЭТОТ МАЛЫШ БУДЕТ ИМЕТЬ ХОРОШИЕ ПРОДАЖИ!!!

2 upvotes

So... we have one more option, why are there sooooo many complaints already? Just don't buy it if it's not for you.

3 upvotes

With a fast pancake prime lens, say eq. 35/1.8, I can see how it could appeal to streetshooters. Or hang it around your neck on a strap and you are all set to painlessly explore tourist sights. There are many people out there who insist on small, but do not care for the usual limitations of "lesser" products, shutter lag or slow AF being the most notorious...

2 upvotes

After EOS M just further proof that Canon has totally missed the train... they don't realize that in order to compete in the small scale csc market they need to concentrate first and foremost on new lens designs. Small body cameras that force the cutomer to use large body lenses make no sense at all!

3 upvotes

This will be one of Canon's best selling DSLR's over the next year or two,, so they haven't 'missed' Jack. Canon is in this to make money,, not to make a few hundred anally-retentive, pixel-peping hobbits like you happy.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

4 upvotes

Juck, not sure what you're going on about here, I think frodo is bang on the money here

0 upvotes

Frodo made a valid point. A smaller DSLR that still uses the same lens as the other, larger DSLR cameras is inherently less able to shrink the size of the photographer's bag, or even the bulk and mass of the camera held in hand, as compared to a compact format. Whether this justifies saying that Canon "missed the train" could be debated, but the reponse by Juck is entirely inappropriate. It is patently rude, and not the least bit warranted.

0 upvotes

I agree re. big lenses on small bodies. However, Canon did produce the 40mm pancake a little while ago. A couple more such lenses and they'll be in the game. A 100D with 22m and 40mm pancakes sounds interesting.

Juck - that remark is not acceptable, it's an insult.

0 upvotes

A joke camera

Nothing more than a 550D. Smaller will be only nice in kids hands.

Or go to a compact or, if ever you need a serious DSLR, look (and try before in hands) an old 550d and maybe the 650D now deprecated so cheaper but which will enjoy you much more.

1 upvote

Is this a new sensor?

0 upvotes

From what little I have been able to read this is similar to what is in the 650/700d, but resized to be more compact, still time will deliver more detail...

0 upvotes

what is in te 650D/700D is the same than in the 550D, same sensor and this 100D doesn't have the Digic V+ no more has the 700D

A kid joke camera

1 upvote

Hey Oussouye,
Yeah this camera is a kid joke, because it's not designed for professional. Maybe canon built 100D for newbies, and people who wants lightweight DSLR when travelling, with easy to use features. Please look at the body type, it's compact :D

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Perhaps a more interesting comparison, from a dimensional point of view, is with the Powershot SX50HS. This body is almost identical in size (within a few mm) of this bridge camera. It opens up some interesting questions about who might be interested in this unit. Admittedly the lens on the bridge camera offers a far wider focal length range, but some people just want as small camera that behaves like a DSLR... and this unit has the larger sensor of the two...

0 upvotes

The things this camera has going for it, in spite of competition with smaller bodies that have equal or better IQ and smaller lenses, are the Canon brand name and the Canon marketing department.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Yes, just like Apple.

0 upvotes

Why would I wanna buy this over the T5i or similar camera?
- It's compact

Yeah, but why would I buy it over a mirrorless camera like the Panasonic G5 or a Sony NEX-5R?
- It's an SLR

Yeah, but why would I wanna buy this over the T5i or similar camera?
- Uh, huh-huh. I am Cornholio!

Conclusion: It will flop. Yeah, sure, suckers will buy it but it will flop.

1 upvote

ПОСПОРИМ С ТОБОЙ, ДЯТЕЛ, ЧТО ЭТО БУДЕТ ХИТ!!! УЖ ЕСЛИ НЕ ХИТ, ТО ПО КРАЙНЕЙ МЕРЕ ПРОДАВАТЬСЯ БУДЕТ ПОЛУЧШЕ ЧЕМ ВСЯКИЕ ТУПЫЕ НИКОНОВСКИЕ ПОДЕЛКИ!!! А ПРОВАЛ - ЭТО D600 И ОСТАЛЬНОЙ ОТСТОЙ КОТОРЫЙ ВЫКАТИЛ ТВОЙ СРАНЫЙ НИКОН В ПОСЛЕДНЕЕ ВРЕМЯ...)))

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Small size body -- but what about lenses, these are still the APC size it seems

Niels

1 upvote

It's always nice to have a decrease in size and weight anywhere in the camera set-up. For example, over the years Canon has slimmed down the size and weight of their hotshoe flashes. I still have a Canon 550EX flash, which is noticeably larger and heavier than the newer 580EX that replaced it:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-580EX-E-TTL-2-Speedlite-Flash-Review.aspx

But I didn't hear people complain, "What's the point of reducing the size and weight of the hotshoe flash if you still have to attach it to a big DSLR!?!" A reduction in size and weight is still a reduction in size and weight, regardless of whether other components of your camera system remain the same.

2 upvotes

Can we anticipate a price drop of the T4i or D6 when this hits store shelves?

0 upvotes

Made In Taiwan ?

0 upvotes

My Digital Rebel/300D purchased in January 2005 was made in Taiwan and is still plugging along just fine.

0 upvotes

For me, small size is not an advantage, as long as this is not a pocketable compact. Even for my medium-sized man hands, I would prefer rather 5D over 700D (price aside:). A second camera for a miniature woman-pro? Non-pros, I guess, would prefer a mirrorless system or a compact.

I think that Canon do not expect high sales, but the cost of redesign is very small, and they simply want to sell a little more old chips. Just the same as with 700D.

1 upvote

I think small size is an advantage for most people and I'm sure we can have a 35mm format sensor in 100D's body. the only issue is fast frame rate because the mirror is much bigger.

0 upvotes

I shoot with a 5D and 60D. I'd gladly add an SL1. There are plenty of times where having a smaller, less-conspicuous camera is advantageous. That's why I use Canon EF lenses on a tiny Oly E-PM1 mirrorless body, using an EF-to-m4/3 adapter. The overall rig draws less attention, looks less intimidating, and is lighter. But, of course, there's no AF, and there's a 2x multiplier. Now, I can replace that with an SL1 and get full lens functionality.

Also, these days I think people look like idiots walking around with big DSLRs for casual shooting. I have no problem carrying around my big, heavy gear for when I'm working, but I don't want to do that for casual around-town shooting, and I think non-pros lugging around a big DSLR to the mall or at a restaurant to shoot family and friends look rather silly. More compact is definitely the way to go. That's why I think this camera will be a big seller for Canon.

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

2 upvotes

What actually draws attentiion is the lens if it is not too small against the body. Sure, if you are going to use the 3x kit lens...

0 upvotes

I don't see why a person using an SLR looks like an idiot. Conspicuous, maybe, but an idiot???

0 upvotes

This camera might be really good in lowlight, awaiting to see review :)

0 upvotes

why is that?

0 upvotes

As good/bad as the 550D, 600D, 650D, 60D, 7D or Eos M.

0 upvotes

Canon sensors do not perform as good as Sony at low ISOs because they have totally different readout. at high ISOs they are about the same so currentlly the sensor/camera does not affect lowlight performance, not much.

it's the lens that decides the lowlight output, and even sensor size is irrelevant you can get better result (lower noise) if the lens' aperture is larger (area in sqm or equiv. f-number).

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Actually DXOmark Lab tests claim Sony's sensor is a stop better in Signal to noise ratios (Canon's 3200 noise levels being slightly worse than Sony's 6400 noise levels) but then again neither will be "good" after ISO 1600.

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cameras/Compare-Camera-Sensors/Compare-cameras-side-by-side/(appareil1)/813%7C0/(brand)/Canon/(appareil2)/808%7C0/(brand2)/Sony

1 upvote

all the makers cook the raw a bit or bite off some noise. it's about ISO1600-6400 for full-frame and 800-1600 for APS-C, about at the same place that analog ISO stops and digital ISO starts.

Nikon have been doing simple NR of color noise for long time and Sony and Nikon have been openly cooking raw since 2007 (when they got better sensors than Canon, why they had to do it?). Pentax and Olympus do it to extreme while it's part of m4/3" design from Pana.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Panny G5 = 120 x 83 x 71 mm
Articulated LCD
Good

Canon SL-1 = 117 x 91 x 69 mm
No Articulated LCD
Bad

2 upvotes

G5 articulated LCD does add value to a camera with low image quality.

I'm not saying 100D's image quality is high. but at least it's better than m4/3" and it got many good lenses to use.

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

LOL!

Yabokkie, the G5 has better image quality than the 100D if its the same canon 18mp sensor...

4 upvotes

Hey sgoldswo,
I think bigger sensor can adsorb more light in low-light condition than smaller one. So, the bigger sensor can be used in high iso s mode

0 upvotes

the 40/2.8 was for the 6d, may be this camera need a 28 or 35mm fast and compact prime.

Comment edited 39 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

this is a major shortcoming of an SLR, especially with small sensors that if's very difficult to make fast wide angles. 28/2.8 is merely 45/4.5 on APS-C.

one of the reasons why the SLR type of 4/3" gone to toilet. it was a totally failure design.

1 upvote

Laws of physics, laws of economics... To many legilastion to deal with.

0 upvotes

this camera would make sense if they launch a 28mm pancake prime or a collapsible zoom. Otherwise, the size advantages will not be so evident in use. But, this thing will sell well, cos for people this is still "world's smallest aps.c Dslr".

1 upvote

A little, plastic, light duty SLR that's fractionally smaller than dozens of other choices? No, thanks. But they'll sell to people with a bunch of Canon lenses and to the uninformed masses who think it's a cute little camera. I think the extended warranty might be a good option on this camera.

1 upvote

it looks that the new Canon mini is guaranteed to have not as good image quality as new Sony or Nikon sensors. but do those who bought m4/3" cared about image quality? Canon 100D is significantly smaller than GH3 and is comparable to G5, while using a shame old sensor from the stone age, the image quality is still half stops better than Olympus E-M5 and not like m4/3" cameras, 100D can use all the EF lenses. while loosing ground to Nikkor EF lenses are still the strongest army on the Earth.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

1 upvote

You'll have to explain that part about it having better image quality than the E-M5.

Because I don't think it even keeps up with the G5 and that's a last gen M43s sensor... ;-)

2 upvotes

"the image quality is still half stops better than Olympus E-M5", that's where you lost all credibility.

2 upvotes

> You'll have to explain that part about it having better image quality than the E-M5.

sorry I don't know E-M5's image quality is good. may be you do.

but I do know that E-M5 reports ISO values one stop higher. that when some compare at the same advertised ISO, they compare E-M5 with images taken at about 2/3+ stops higher ISOs (average Canon or Nikon cameras inflate ISO values up to +0.2-0.3 stops).

adding to that, Olympus followed Pentax to heavily cook images which is not punished by DxOMark test. that explains why they can get so better SNR using the same Pana or Sony sensor as others. this may be handy for some casual shooters but by doing this, E-M5 disqualifies itself for serious photographers.

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

First, even with the overly optimistic iso rating of the OMD, the sensor has lower noise at a measured iso number. Check DxO.
Then you say the the jpegs are overcooked...ok that's your opinion, but how would it disqualify the OMD for serious photographers? Those shoot Raw anyway. And again, serious photographers are probably not interested in a camera like this 100D, with only one mode dial, plastic construction, and poor burst mode.

0 upvotes

did I say JPEG?
there is no raw output from OMD.
they are "well done."

> at a measured iso number

you don't have to measure ISO and don't have to read it. all you need is to get the same exposure. and if different ISO settings give you different image qualities at a certain exposure, just use the best one you can have.

Comment edited 10 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"no raw output from OMD." What are you talking about?

But beyond that, you know there's a reason why this little camera from the little camera company has so many fanboys; and no, it has little to do with its retro looks. This is a crucial point for Canon to realize here. m4/3 has evolved beyond being the great "in-your-pocket" cameras which they started out as--they have become serious photographic tools, capable of producing professional grade images in all but the most trying situations, just like the best APS-C DSLRs. If Canon wants to launch a beach head in the compact semi-pro war, it needs to offer something significantly better than its rivals already have out in the market. This camera falls short of that meager goal.

What Canon does have is a strong branding and distribution presence--that counts for a lot. But even Nikon's forays into CSC's have failed to produce impressive sales figures in this emerging market segment. Canon needs to do better than this model.

0 upvotes

What is all the fuss about with this camera body- without small primes what is the point? Pentax is a better small camera option, surely?

I would take any K 5 and Ltds. over this plastic fantastic wonder, and have indeed done so over a year ago!

I admire the 5D3 and the 6D but this latest Canon offering is not quite right for me - small yes, but specs no.
I would prefer something like the K 5 with a Canon mount plus the APSC primes to match. Never gonna happen, so I am happy with Pentax for cropped sensor and Canon for full frame.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Pentax have some good primes in the standard of half a century ago and they are over priced (well much cheaper than Zeiss or Leica, and better, but not as good many other Japanese).

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

canon releases an 18MP APS-C sensor, w00t and the crowd goes wild in this world's first event!

3 upvotes

Can the camera be mounted on tripod if most lenses without tripod ring are heavier than this camera?

0 upvotes

Of course it can. Even the largest, heaviest lenses without a tripod collar would never be large or heavy enough to create any problems with mounting this camera to a tripod. Besides, the tripod mounting thread socket mounts directly to the central core of the camera, typically made of stiff high strength engineering plastic and tough stainless steel, and it's this central core that is responsible for the tripod-mounting stability of any camera. Even the lens mounting ring is mounted directly to this central core structure (not to the outer body shell, as many people falsely believe). Whether the rest of the body surrounding this central core substructure is bigger or heavier, smaller or lighter, is irrelevant.

0 upvotes

Just to add on... if you don't eat your own lunch... others will eat it for you...

Canon better be prepare to cannibalize their own business and kill off the noncompetitive lines or very soon, there's not much of a lunch for them to eat.

The whole thing about Canon 6D shows that they lack the business gumption to suck it in and take it like a man. And now they come up with something like a 100D!?!

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Meh...I still have my money on Canon, rather than self-delusional armchair CEO's on photo forums who act like they know more about how to run a camera company better than a long-successful, time-tested, still-market-dominating company like Canon.

0 upvotes

Argh... Canon missed the point of a mirrorless camera... What is needed is a camera that can be packed into a jacket pocket with a pancake lens while still retaining all the possibilities of a full range of more capable lens.

The 100D sits either here nor there. And the hearsay I have on the pricing makes it totally noncompetitive.

3 upvotes

It will appeal to soccer moms, who already carry big purses, but would appreciate weight and size reduction.

1 upvote

It's you who is missing the point. This ain't a mirrorless camera! It's an ultra compact DSLR. Last time I checked, the DSLR market is still significantly larger than the mirrorless market. Meanwhile, Canon continues to develop future mirrorless cameras on the side.

If you look on Amazon's "Best Sellers in Digital SLR Cameras" list (Amazon puts mirrorless ILC cameras on this list along with mirrored ILC cameras), the first mirrorless camera to appear on the list is the Panny GH3 at number 39! Yep, there are 38 DSLR cameras or DSLR camera kits or combos that outsell the best-selling mirrorless camera at Amazon. Unfortunately, mirrorless camera users still primarily exist in an echo chamber, thinking that mirrorless is a lot more popular than it really is. But the reality is that DSLRs still outsell mirrorless cameras in most parts of the world.

0 upvotes

LP-E10 for EOS 1100D,
LP-E8 for EOS 650D

and now, LP-E12 for tiny EOS 100D

too many battery type on market !!!

4 upvotes

I would like to have seen side by side size comparisons to say an Olympus OMD, Panasonic GH3, Gx cameras, and even against the smallest Canon, Nikon and Sony DSLR cameras.

Otherwise saying it's the world's smallest DSLR really does not give any real feel of how small it is (or not).

0 upvotes

Take a look at http://camerasize.com

0 upvotes

http://camerasize.com/compare/#448,289

Wider, but almost same size. Pretty big step forward.

0 upvotes

Canon Rebel SL1 is 7% (8.2 mm) narrower and 6% (5.3 mm) shorter than Nikon D3200.
Canon Rebel SL1 is 9% (7.1 mm) thinner than Nikon D3200.
Canon Rebel SL1 [407 g] weights 19% (98 grams) less than Nikon D3200 [505 g] (*inc. batteries and memory card).

Canon Rebel SL1 is 3% (4.2 mm) narrower and 1% (1.1 mm) taller than Olympus OM-D E-M5.
Canon Rebel SL1 is 66% (27.5 mm) thicker than Olympus OM-D E-M5.
Canon Rebel SL1 [407 g] weights 2% (7 grams) more than Olympus OM-D E-M5 [400 g] (*inc. batteries and memory card).

Canon Rebel SL1 is 12% (16.1 mm) narrower and 3% (2.7 mm) shorter than Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3.
Canon Rebel SL1 is 15% (12.6 mm) thinner than Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3.
Canon Rebel SL1 [407 g] weights 26% (143 grams) less than Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 [550 g] (*inc. batteries and memory card).
camerasize.com

0 upvotes

As others have pointed out, the 100D has already been preceded by several other DSLRs which are about the same size/marginally bigger. This is just a preview, but I find it interesting that DPR has uncritically repeated the Canon PR on size as the headline "feature." I think we could say that as the 800lb gorilla, Canon can pretty much dictate a certain amount of its own market, and part of what it does is to sell crippled models and segment that market with an excess of somewhat underwhelming entry level cameras. The preview concludes with a bit of breathlessness about how many features were packed into a smaller model compared to the bigger models. It seems like DPR is only looking at the 100D inside the Canon bubble. It could be looked at from point of view that Canon made a smaller and even more crippled DSLR. Perhaps I'm a bit too critical of this preview. I guess this camera IS mostly meant to appeal to existing Canon users who want a smaller, lighter unit.

2 upvotes

Are they going to bring out more STM lenses to match this? The size difference doesn't really interest me, my old Nikon D60 is only a few mm bigger all around. But if they're following with more pancake lenses and smaller zooms, it could prove tempting.

2 upvotes

I just want to say this is a much better effort against EVIL/mirrorless/CSC encroachment than Pentax K-01.

2 upvotes

Err, why exactly? Keeping the same lenses was the problem with the K-01...

1 upvote

@sgoldswo - no that wasn't the problem with the K-01. LOL! The K-01's problem was that A) it had no viewfinder, and B) it had a weird, boxy, non-ergonomic design! The lack of a viewfinder was a big turn off for many people, and the avant garde Marc Newson design was a turn off for everyone else. Two fatal strikes against the K-01! It was the body that killed the K-01, not the lenses.

0 upvotes

I was with Canon for 40 years and left them because they don't "grandfather" their lenses and I'm left with thousands of $$$ in expensive glass.
I still have a Canon now but it's an S5 IS, which I mostly use when I want stereo movies (and it's absolutely great for a $300+ camera).

So, I moved to Nikon and I run a D90, which I find extremely well adapted to my small hands. In good parlance, it isn't clunky.

I mostly use my Nikon in manual mode, as a volunteer photographer in a museum, documenting their artifacts either on a copy stand or hand held with a SB-700 flash. Great combination but, as with all photography, it's a matter of technique, not of camera.

In my lifetime, I've operated everything from a Minox to a 5x7 Burke & James monorail, with extensive use of Speed Graphic and Hassleblad, as a military photographer. I owned 3 Rolleis.

Granted that this was not yet the digital age but anyone who has operated a standard camera with f stops etc, fully understands digitals.

Comment edited 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

uh,, your point?

2 upvotes

Nikon can now make same good or even better lenses as 10-20 yo Canon ones. my advice is do not buy any Canon before 1990 or Nikon before 2007 unless you are really sure what you are buying.

however the gap between Nikon and Canon is much less than 17 years because Nikon makes new lenses at very fast paces like mad (very good I mean).

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

In the end, I most likely will buy it, as I am heavily invested in Canon glass, and I want a small backup body.

However, what I love about Sony, is they say "let's see how much I can shove into a camera", and Canon says "let's hold back so we don't compete with ourselves."

There is no reason why this camera can not have faster shooting speed, or 9 cross type focusing points. It was not a technical limitation. It's a marketing one, and I can't stand that.

1 upvote

bleh....Nikon D3100 came out what 3 years ago and it just a few millimeter bigger....

1 upvote

Actually the "flexizone-multi" af area (in live view) on the eos 100d has exactly the same coverage as on the eos m - it's not bigger as stated in the 100d preview...bw

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Total comments: 311