The Canon EOS 100D breaks new ground in that it’s the smallest and lightest DSLR ever made. Find out how it performs in the full Canon EOS 100D review

Product Overview

Overall rating:

90%

Canon EOS 100D

Overall score:90%
Value:85%
Performance:90%
Image Quality:90%
Features:90%
Design:95%

Pros:

  • Highly responsive touchscreen; Petite and lightweight design; Rubberised handgrip; Effective Auto Lighting Optimizer; Image Quality at high ISO; Smooth and silent AF performance; Live preview for creative filters

Cons:

  • Only one cross-type AF point; Limited amount of AF points compared with its closest rivals; No cheaper than the Canon EOS 700D; Small battery

Product:

Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 Review

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:

£649.00

Verdict

Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 review – Verdict

Canon EOS 100D front view

With four DSLRs to choose from at the entry level of Canon’s range, the Canon EOS 100D sits below the Canon EOS 600D despite it being £170 more expensive. For the extra outlay you’ll have the option to push the sensitivity higher in low light, take advantage of the 100D’s small and lightweight design, plus have a superb touch screen at your control.

Canon EOS 100D / 1100D comparison

At the time of writing (11/5/2013), the Canon EOS 100D costs £291 more than Canon’s entry-level DSLR, the EOS 1100D. If you’re considering one over the other, there’s no option but to choose the EOS 100D provided your budget can stretch. It’s a far superior DSLR, not only in terms of performance and image quality, but also its build quality. The overall finish of the 100D is much more what we’ve come to expect from Canon and when you compare the two, the plastic finish of Canon EOS 1100D leaves much to be desired.

Canon EOS 100D / 700D comparison

Costing £569 body only, or £649 with the 18-55mm IS STM kit lens, the price of the Canon EOS 100D is identical to that of the Canon EOS 700D. The guts of the two cameras are virtually identical, but the 700D does offer an extra few benefits in that it has a full set of nine cross-type AF points, a flip out touch screen and offers up to 40% more shots per charge thanks to its larger body swallowing a bigger battery.

Canon EOS 100D / 700D comparison 2

Given that the EOS 700D is the better-specified camera of the two and costs no more, the main reasons to choose the Canon EOS 100D over the 700D would be for its size and weight. To keep the camera and lens combination as small as possible, the super-slim 40mm STM pancake lens would make a good choice – a pairing that costs £733. Alternatively, the pancake lens can be purchased with the 18-55mm kit lens for £819.

If you’re looking to buy the Canon EOS 100D and pair it with the 18-55mm kit lens or bulkier telephoto lenses, the reasoning for opting for a smaller body is questionable and you could end up asking yourself why you didn’t opt for the 700D instead, which wouldn’t have cost any more and offers the better specification.

  1. 1. Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 review - Features
  2. 2. Design
  3. 3. Performance
  4. 4. Image Quality
  5. 5. Verdict
  6. 6. Comparison with the Canon EOS 700D
  7. 7. Sample Image Gallery
  8. 8. First Look
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