Introduction The EOS M100 is Canon's newest entry-level mirrorless ILC model. Despite being appreciably smaller (and cheaper) than its higher-end M5 and M6 siblings, it comes with the same 24MP APS-C sensor equipped with excellent Dual Pixel autofocus.
It also has Canon's latest DIGIC 7 processor, as well as Wi-Fi with NFC and Bluetooth for connectivity.
The M100 is aimed squarely at smartphone photographers looking to get their first 'real' camera, and its polished touch-centric control scheme reflects this. It's small, it's light, and because of the large APS-C sensor, is almost always capable of better photos than any smartphone.
Appropriately given the target audience, there's even a dedicated 'Wireless' button to make it as easy as possible to get your images from the M100 to the wilds of Facebook and Instagram.
Key Features:
24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
Dual Pixel autofocus for stills and video
DIGIC 7 processor
3" tilting LCD
6fps burst shooting (4fps with continuous AF)
1080/60p video with digital IS
Wi-Fi and NFC with Bluetooth
295 shot-per-charge battery live (via CIPA)
Although smartphones have largely decimated the compact camera segment, the EOS M100 is not without competition from other interchangeable lens cameras, all of which offer image quality above and beyond the typical smartphone camera. Users shopping based on price are likely to also consider the Panasonic Lumix GX850, Olympus PEN E-PL8, Fujifilm X-A3 and even the venerable Sony a6000.
Canon's color output is a perennial crowd pleaser at the DPR offices. Out-of-camera JPEG. Canon EF 50mm F1. 8 STM.
ISO 200 | F5. 6 | 1/800 sec
The EOS M100 is among the least intimidating cameras in this group, for new users. It's got the fewest physical controls, and tapping to focus and manipulate settings on-screen in Auto mode is likely to come naturally to just about anyone who hasn't been under a rock since the first iPhone came out.
Compared to. . .
Canon M100
Panasonic GX850
Olympus
E-PL8
Sony a6000
Fujifilm X-A3
Resolution
24MP
16MP
16MP
24MP
24MP
Sensor size
APS-C
Four Thirds
Four Thirds
APS-C
APS-C
Image stab.
Lens-based
Lens-based
In-camera
Lens-based
Lens-based
AF system (live view)
Dual Pixel
Contrast-detect
Contrast-detect
Hybrid
Contrast-detect
LCD
3" tilting
3" tilting
3" tilting
3" tilting
3" tilting
Touchscreen
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Burst speed (AF locked)
6. 1 fps
10 fps
8 fps
11 fps
6 fps
Video
1080/60p
4K/30p
1080/30p
1080/60p
1080/60p
Wireless
Wi-Fi + NFC + BT
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi + NFC
Wi-Fi
Battery life
295 shots
210 shots
350 shots
360 shots
410 shots
Dimensions (mm)
108x67x35
107x65x33
115x67x38
120x67x45
117x67x40
Weight
302 g
269 g
357 g
344 g
339g
Typical price w/lens
(11/2017)
$599
$549
$649
$548
$549
Based on the above table, it's clear that in the mirrorless interchangeable lens market, this price bracket is getting pretty crowded. There are several different philosophies represented in here. The Sony a6000 has been around for a while but it continues to be a great value proposition. The GX850 is the only camera here to shoot 4K, and is slightly smaller than the M100, but comes with a smaller M43 sensor, which has an impact on still image quality at medium and high ISO sensitivity settings.
Overall, then, is the image quality and user experience of Canon's most compact ILC enough to make it stand out in this crowd? Let's find out.
. dpreview.com2017-11-7 18:04
