With the launch of the EOS R100, Canon wants smartphone photographers to ditch their phones and use an interchangeable lens (ILC) camera, which offers, says the company, a significant advantage in terms of lens selection.

Here is an interesting marketing note to start the conversation: Canon believes that the EOS R100 will convince smartphone photographers to move upwards (according to the company). This new model, the Canon EOS R100 camera, which is scheduled to be available in July 2023 for an estimated retail price of $479.99 for body only, $599.99 with the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, is another step on the continued battle against smartphones, which appear to be more appealing to many as a photo gathering tool.

Yes, the price for the body only is tempting and even with a RF-S18-45mm it’s acceptable… in fact just a little more than the price of Canon’s vlogger camera, the V10, recently introduced,  which only has one focal length…  less than most smartphones, in fact. Yes, as Canon says, the R100 has its choice of lenses as an advantage over smartphones… and the V10! All this is a bit confusing – my Samsung S22 Ultra has four optical lenses, 13, 26, 70 and 230mm! – and suggests the company is worried about smartphones but does not know exactly where to start. Add to this the recent news that Canon is looking to partner with a smartphone company, and you’ve to wonder what’s the future for Canon and conventional cameras in general.

EOS R100: your first interchangeable lens (ILC) camera

Not that we’ve defined the landscape, it’s time to look at the EOS R100, introduced as Canon’s most affordable, compact, and lightweight EOS R camera ever. Believe me, it’s an interesting entry level camera for those who want to try a mirrorless model… which Canon says you can connect… to a smartphone, to share your photos and videos with the world. Here is what the company has to say about the new model:

The Canon EOS R100 camera was designed for new, first-time mirrorless camera or existing interchangeable camera users who previously enjoyed EOS Rebel or EOS M cameras. The camera touts key features such as a 24.2 megapixel APS-C size sensor, the DIGIC 8 image processor, 4K (Cropped) and Full HD (Full-Width) video at up to 24 and 60 frames-per-second respectively, Autofocus with eye and face detection, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity capabilities.

For users who are making the EOS R100 their first interchangeable lens (ILC) camera, a significant advantage over using a smartphone camera will be lens selection. The EOS R100 is compatible with the complete lineup of RF and RF-S lenses, and EF and EF-S lenses can be utilized when using one of three available Canon EF-EOS R mount adapters (each sold separately). This selection of lenses includes the Canon RF28mm F2.8 STM lens, which was also announced today.

A  new pancake

The Canon RF28mm F2.8 STM is a “pancake” style, value lens that targets a wide variety of users, from amateur to enthusiast Full-Frame and APS-C camera users. Key features of the new lens include:

• Minimum focusing distance of 9.1 inches (0.23m) and a maximum magnification of 0.17x
• Retracting feature that helps to shorten the overall length of the lens
• Circumferential manual focus mode/control ring selector
• Gear-type STM motor providing smooth autofocusing while capturing video
• Built-in Control Ring provides quick access to multiple camera controls
• 7-blade circular aperture helps to provide beautifully blurred background and bokeh

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EOS R100 camera is scheduled to be available in July 2023 for an estimated retail price of $479.99 for body only, $599.99 with the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, and $829.99 with the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM and RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM lenses*.

The RF28mm F2.8 STM lens is scheduled to be available in July 2023 for an estimated retail price of $299.99*.

Follow the link for more information and the full list of product specifications.