Two weeks ago, I was thinking about how to test Canon’s entry-level EOS R8 and EOS R100 cameras in the miserable French weather. That’s when I thought, “Why not take a vacation and go somewhere warm to test these models?” I Googled the nearest place with temperatures above 75 degrees and found that I was in the balmy Canary Islands. It was also a great spot for photos so everything came together perfectly.
Both cameras have very different price points, currently around $450 and $1,300, respectively. However, these are still the cheapest new full-frame and crop sensor mirrorless cameras from the company, and Canon markets both as ideal for tourism and adventure, so this is an excellent way to test both features. I thought this was a good way to do it.
Like other potential buyers, I wanted to know if it would be better than a smartphone for travel, especially if the larger sensor could compete with a smartphone’s AI computational photography. We also considered ease of use and automated operation, flexibility for sunny beaches and dark bars, video blogging, and more. After trying them out in some of Gran Canaria’s most beautiful locations, I found one of them to be a camera worth buying, and the other not so much. Ta.
Smartphone computational photography
Before I dive into my experience with these cameras, I want to talk about computational photography and AI photography. Most smartphones have these tricks built in, such as taking multiple photos in a row to get the best photo or improve low-light shots. It often also provides well-exposed shots with good white balance. However, you do have to pay a price when it comes to over-sharpening and other artifacts that give your photos an artificial look.
I tested this, as many travel photographers do, by taking a few photos with both the Pixel 7a and the camera on auto settings. As I thought, smartphone photos seem better at first glance, but if you look closer, you’ll notice that the camera’s You can see that the photo is better. I think it’s important that buyers understand this and have a basic idea of how to adjust images in post. Otherwise, your new purchases may end up buried in a drawer.
Canon EOS R100
The 24-megapixel APS-C EOS R100 should have a lot to offer travelers. It’s small and light at 356 grams, so it’s a compact lens that won’t weigh you down compared to a smartphone. At the same time, a larger sensor could offer superior quality and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.
However, the small size comes with big compromises. Usability is mediocre, and settings aren’t all that intuitive. I’d like to say you can control it on the screen instead, but the display isn’t touch-sensitive and is fixed in place, making it nearly useless for vlogging. The electronic viewfinder has low magnification and is relatively dark, which makes it difficult to use in the sun, which is a shame, especially if you wear glasses, for example, if you are at the beach.
With only one UHS-I card slot, storage is relatively cheap, but there’s no backup if something goes wrong with your card. There’s a microHDMI jack and microphone input for outputting to a TV, but no headphone jack. The USB-C 2.0 port can only transfer files and cannot be used to charge the camera or use it as a webcam.
It supports Canon’s small LP-E17 battery, which can take a decent 430 shots on a single charge, and can actually take more than that. One big advantage is the built-in flash, which is dimmable and has limited settings in the fully automatic mode that most beginners use.
performance and video
The R100 has anemic performance to say the least. Shooting and focusing speeds max out at just 3.5 fps, the slowest in this category. When shooting RAW photos, the camera feels sluggish even in single-shot mode. Fortunately, it’s more responsive when shooting JPEGs.
This sensor has the worst rolling shutter I’ve seen in silent mode. Fortunately, it has a front-curtain mechanical shutter that eliminates that, and the silent mode setting is hidden in a place that many people will never find.
There is Eye AF for people only, which is effective when the subject is close to the camera. It’s fine for things like family photos, but not ideal for candid photos or street shots while traveling. Autofocus isn’t very good in low light either, but otherwise it’s pretty reliable.
The R100 is fine for shooting the odd travel video, but it’s not suitable for content creators. Maximum resolution is 4K 24p, but this comes with a 1.5x crop, or 2.2x with electronic image stabilization, which negates the bokeh benefits of the larger sensor. Also, there are no options for logging, 10-bit, or other high-end video features. That said, 4K video is relatively sharp and the colors are nice and accurate.
image quality
The bright spot of the EOS R100 is the photo quality. As you’d expect from Canon, image quality is excellent, with warm skin tones and accurate color reproduction straight from the camera. Thanks to its large sensor, it also handles low-light shooting well with little noise up to ISO 6400. All this will help you take great photos in mountains, beaches, nightlife, and other typical vacation scenes. His ability to shoot RAW in addition to the mechanical shutter is also one of the reasons why this model is better than most smartphones. Finally, the built-in flash allows you to capture great-looking images even in low-light environments.
Summary of EOS 100
So, would you recommend the EOS R100 for travel, especially over a smartphone? Sorry, Canon, but we don’t. It’s too stripped down to the bare essentials to replace a high-end smartphone, and while it certainly improves image quality, it’s too complex. Instead, I recommend Canon’s older EOS M50 Mark II. The image quality is the same, but it has a touchscreen, is smaller, and offers better lens options. Sony’s A6100 has better autofocus and video options, and if you can afford a little more, Canon’s R50 is much more capable for the same size.
EOS R8
Like the EOS R100, Canon’s R8 is the company’s leanest and cheapest new full-frame camera. At $2,000 he offers the same sensor and image quality as the EOS R6 II for $700 less, but you lose some things like speed and video capabilities.
The main thing the R8 lacks is in-body image stabilization, so I rely on the lens and electronic image stabilization, which actually worked pretty well for me. Although it does not have a full mechanical shutter, it does have a front-curtain shutter that eliminates the rolling shutter. The EVF is much more basic and has lower resolution and magnification.
On the plus side, it has the same flip-out display as the R6 II, so it can function as a capable vlogger and selfie camera. It also has a good range of manual controls, with dual dials for the main settings, all kinds of manual and automatic settings, and dedicated photo and video switches. It’s also smaller and significantly lighter than the R6 II, making it a great travel option.
It has both microphone and headphone jacks and a microHDMI port. At high speed he captures photos to a UHS-II card, but there is only one slot. The biggest compromise is that it uses the same battery as the R100. Considering the extra power demand of the large sensor, you can only take up to 290 shots on a single charge and video recording for less than an hour.
performance and video
For an affordable camera, the R8 is fast. The electronic curtain shutter only supports 6 fps, but can handle bursts of 40 fps in electronic mode. However, there is quite a rolling shutter, so be careful for action shots.
The R8 uses Canon’s latest AI subjective recognition technology, allowing it to accurately track both animals and humans. There is also an automatic setting where the camera determines the subject and follows it accordingly.
I think autofocus is one of the most important features for travel photography, and the R8 delivers. You can identify and lock on different subjects and track them quickly in the frame. As such, it is more capable than recent models such as the Sony A7 IV and Nikon Z6 II. You can also select focus with the touchscreen while looking at the EVF, which works well, but be sure to enable the “touch and drag” setting in the menu.
It’s also a great camera for creating videos and content, but there are some caveats. It can shoot uncropped video up to 4K 60p and supports Canon’s C-Log 3 with 10-bit capture along with HDR PQ. 120 fps super slow motion is available in 1080p. That said, 4K 60p has pixel binning, so it’s less sharp than 30p mode. It also doesn’t have in-body image stabilization, which makes it less useful for vlogging, as the electronic image stabilization adds a 1.25x crop.
image quality
Image quality is also a strong point of the R8, especially for travelers who want more than their smartphones can offer. It’s the perfect camera for portraits and landscapes, with rich skin tones and accurate colors. At the same time, the full-frame 24-megapixel sensor excels in low-light situations, delivering plenty of detail and beautiful background bokeh. Serious photographers can take RAW photos and get the same level of detail as more expensive cameras.
Summary of EOS R8
Canon’s entry-level full-frame R8 is definitely worth the trip. It’s also great for content creators as it offers impressive image quality. The main drawbacks are the lack of stabilization and the small battery, but as long as he carries one or two spare batteries he should be fine. Competitive options include the Nikon Z5, which has similar image quality but inferior autofocus and video, and if you’re more interested in vlogging, the cheaper Panasonic S5 is a better option. If you’re looking for an affordable hybrid full-frame camera, the Canon R8 is a great choice.
