Oh man, this is what happens when companies don’t really know what to do with themselves. We’re familiar with Apple’s ultra-simple product lineup, a hallmark of a focused corporate mind. Canon, on the other hand, decided that — after stripping down the DSLR to make the mirrorless EOS M — it would take that stripped-down camera and, uh, strip it back up again.
So here we have the EOS 100D (or Rebel SL1, to further confuse things), billed as the smallest DSLR in the world, and essentially an EOS M with a mirror and therefore a viewfinder. And corporate confusion aside, it might actually be a cool little camera.
It’s an EOS SLR, so you really don’t have to worry about image quality. It has an 18MP sensor, a maximum ISO of 12,800, nine-point autofocus and 4fps shooting (plus 1080p video). As you can see, it’s very capable. And even at this small size, Canon has squeezed in a three-inch rear screen.
For those who absolutely must have an optical viewfinder, and yet still want a small and compact camera (and don’t want to spend thousands on a Leica), the EOS 100D could be perfect. Just don’t buy the $800 kit with the 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 lens. On a camera this small it would be criminal to put even a modest zoom on the front, especially one as slow as this. Pair it with a 50mm, or fast 50mm equivalent and enjoy yourself some lightweight, high-quality shooting.
Source: Canon
