Cameras & Drones
Canon EOS R100 Review: Cheap Entry Into Full Mirrorless, With Real Compromises
- Brand:
- Canon
- Ages:
- 13+ years
- Updated:
- 2026-07-14
The verdict
The EOS R100 gets you real Canon mirrorless image quality and lens compatibility at a genuinely low price, but the fixed non-touch screen and cropped, capped 4K video make it a stills-first camera you should buy with clear eyes about what it can't do.
Pros
- Genuinely affordable way into Canon's RF-mount system at around $480 body-only
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF is dependable for a budget body, tracking faces and eyes reasonably well
- Compact, light body that's easy to carry daily compared to a DSLR
- Opens access to Canon's growing RF-S and full RF lens lineup, including future upgrades
Cons
- Fixed LCD screen with no touchscreen and no articulation is a real step backward, even for the price
- No in-body image stabilization, so shake correction depends entirely on the lens
- 4K video is heavily cropped and effectively capped near 24fps, limiting its use for serious video work
- Single UHS-I card slot and no headphone jack for monitoring audio
This review is based on Canon's published specifications for the EOS R100, released in 2023 and still sold today as Canon's entry point into the RF mirrorless system, along with the consistent pattern of reviewer and owner feedback since launch.
Where Canon kept the cost down
To hit its price point, Canon made real cuts: the rear screen is fixed and non-touch, unlike almost every other current mirrorless camera at any price, and there's no in-body stabilization. These aren't minor omissions — the fixed screen in particular makes low or high-angle shooting genuinely awkward.
What you still get
Despite the cuts, the core imaging pipeline is real Canon: the 24.1MP APS-C sensor and Dual Pixel autofocus deliver dependable, well-exposed stills, and you're buying into a lens system with a real upgrade path rather than a dead-end budget mount.
Who it's for
Best for a first interchangeable-lens camera for stills-focused beginners on a tight budget who plan to upgrade lenses over time. Skip it if video is a priority — the cropped, capped 4K and fixed screen make it a poor vlogging choice; look at the ZV-E10 II or EOS R50 instead.
Frequently asked
- Does the EOS R100 have a touchscreen?
- No — it's one of the few current mirrorless cameras with a fixed, non-touch LCD, which is one of the main cost-cutting trade-offs Canon made to hit this price point.
- Is the EOS R100 good for video?
- It's a weak choice for video specifically — 4K is heavily cropped and effectively limited to around 24fps, and there's no in-body stabilization to smooth handheld footage.
- What lenses work with the EOS R100?
- It uses Canon's RF mount, so it's compatible with RF-S crop-sensor lenses and full-frame RF lenses (with a further crop applied), giving a real upgrade path as your needs grow.
- Is the Canon EOS R100 worth buying?
- Yes, for stills-focused beginners who want genuine Canon image quality and lens compatibility at a low price. It's not worth buying if video quality or screen flexibility matter to you — those are its clearest weak points.
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