Before detailing my experience with these cameras, I want to talk about computational and AI photography. Most smartphones incorporate these tricks, like taking multiple photos in quick succession to get the best one or improve low-light shots. They often deliver better-exposed shots with superior white balance, too. There is a price to be paid though in terms of over-sharpening and other artifacts that can give photos an artificial look.<\/p>\n

The 24-megapixel APS-C EOS R100 seems like it should offer a lot for travelers. It\u2019s small and light at 356 grams, so with a compact lens, it\u2019s not a huge burden compared to a smartphone. At the same time, the larger sensor potentially offers superior quality and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.<\/p>\n

The small size comes with big compromises, though. Handling is mediocre and the settings aren\u2019t super intuitive. I\u2019d love to tell you could just control it on the screen instead, but the display isn\u2019t touch sensitive and is nearly useless for vlogging as it\u2019s fixed in place too. The electronic viewfinder has low magnification and is relatively dim, so it\u2019s hard to use in the sun \u2014 especially with glasses on \u2014 unfortunate if you\u2019re on the beach, for example.<\/p>\n

It has just a single UHS-I card slot, so storage is relatively cheap but you won\u2019t have a backup if the card glitches. You get a microHDMI jack to output to a TV, along with a mic input, but no headphone jack. The USB-C 2.0 port can only transfer files, not charge the camera or let you use it as a webcam.<\/p>\n

It supports Canon\u2019s smaller LP-E17 battery, but is rated for a decent 430 shots on a charge and many more in real life. One big benefit is a built-in flash with exposure compensation to dim it down \u2013 though settings are limited in the fully automatic mode most beginners will use.<\/p>\n

EOS R100 performance and video<\/h2>\n

The R100 has anemic performance, to put it mildly. It shoots and focuses at just 3.5 fps max, the slowest in its category. It feels sluggish when shooting RAW photos, even in single shot mode. Luckily, it\u2019s much more reactive when shooting JPEGs.<\/p>\n

The sensor has some of the worst rolling shutter I\u2019ve seen in silent mode. Luckily, it does have a first-curtain mechanical shutter that eliminates that, and the silent mode setting is hidden away where many folks will never find it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s eye-detection AF for people only, and it works well if your subject is close to the camera. That\u2019s OK for family photos and the like, but not ideal for candid or street shots on your trip. The autofocus isn\u2019t great in low light either, but is otherwise fairly reliable.<\/p>\n

The R100 is OK for grabbing the odd travel video, but not suitable for content creators. Max resolution is 4K 24p, but that comes with a 1.5 times crop, or 2.2 times with electronic stabilization, killing the bokeh advantage of a large sensor. And there\u2019s no option for log, 10-bit, or any other high-end video features. That said, 4K video is relatively sharp and colors are nice and accurate.<\/p>\n