Operation and controls
Top of camera controls

On the top of the EOS 100D all controls are located on the right side of the camera. Immediately behind the shutter button is the main control dial that's used directly to change the primary exposure setting (program shift, shutter speed, or aperture), or other settings in concert with the various buttons. Next there's the ISO button, which is extremely well-placed for operation with the camera to your eye; you simply press it then spin the dial to change the value, which is displayed in the optical viewfinder.
The main power switch surrounds the mode dial. Flicking it beyond the ON position to the movie camera icon puts the camera into movie mode. The mode dial is the same as that on the EOS 700D, but the SCN icon covers six modes rather than three (Kids, Food, Candlelight, Night Portrait, Handheld Night Scene, and HDR Backlight Control). The dial rotates 360 degrees with no hard stop, a welcome feature we saw earlier from Canon on the EOS 6D.
Rear Controls

The rest of the 100D's major shooting controls are on the back, arranged for operation by your thumb. Next to the viewfinder is a dual purpose button that initiates live view in stills shooting mode and video recording when the camera is set to movie mode.
In a break from their traditional horizontal layout, the AF point and AF/AE lock buttons are arranged vertically along the right edge of the camera body. While we understand that such a significant size reduction necessitates changes in the control layout, we do find the location of the AF/AE lock button a bit awkward to reach with your thumb when holding the camera in the shooting position. Fortunately, you can swap the functionality of these two buttons, setting the top button to AF lock, if you prefer. These buttons also do double duty as magnification controls during playback.
The dual purpose Q/SET button brings up an interactive control screen while shooting, allowing you to change camera parameters that can't necessarily be accessed directly through external buttons. It also brings overlaid option menus in Live View and Playback modes and is used to confirm settings and options in the menu system. Surrounding the Q/SET button is a 4-way controller that's used for such things as changing the focus point, navigating menus and scrolling around images in playback. Gone are the dedicated Drive mode, WB, and Picture Style buttons, but these features can be accessed very quickly via the Q menu.
Front of camera controls
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The front of the camera has just two controls, both on one side of the lens throat. The flash button is used to pop-up the built-in unit, and below the lens release is the depth of field preview button that stops down the lens to show the effect of the aperture on the final image. This is particularly useful in live view, with its bright clear image. |
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