The Canon EOS R100 Experience

 

Ever since I learned photography, I had always been fascinated by cameras and for the longest time, I dreamed of getting my own because since I took my first frames in 1976, I had been using borrowed equipment. My Pop would take home a Canon Ftb, mechanical 35mm SLR which belonged to the company he worked for so that I could get to practice. Over the years it would be upgraded to a Canon AE-1 at about the time I took on my first, "paid" assignment in the summer of 1986.

It was with the AE-1 that I fully understood the intricacies of photography and the discipline of using a single, 50mm 1.4 prime lens to shoot weddings, tabletop layouts and runway fashion. Unlike the fully-mechanical Ftb, the AE-1 depended on a battery for the metering and shutter activation. I had to learn how to maintain and keep a fresh battery with me when I went out to shoot.

In 1988, I got hold of a second hand, Canon AE-1Program which also served me well, having used it to attend a short term course on photography where I eventually learned to use external lighting and flash techniques for both indoor and outdoor shoots. I eventually sold it after I acquired another used Nikon F-501 which was one of the first "auto-focus", fully-electronic SLRs at the time.

The F-501 was by no means a "professional-grade" camera but it went with me on many assignments. It may have been a bare-bones rig but it handled everything well and I took care it as best I could. The lack of modern features forced me to hone my skills and I had to find a way to manually perform tasks which other cameras would perform automatically. The F-501 would be my main squeeze from 1990 until 2006. At that point, digital photography was already the norm and I was not getting any more assignments. The F-501 would never leave my Domke bag until circumstances forced me to sell the camera for milk money at a very measly cost.

In 2007, I would work again as both photographer and writer for a couple of magazines and it would also be my first taste of digital photography again, using an entry-level Nikon D70 with its kit 18-55mm kit lens. Eventually, I purchased a secondhand Canon 350D which was also considered a budget camera for beginners with a kit lens and a Canon 50mm f/1.4 prime lens. 

I've shot hundreds of photo layouts with that kit! Not once did I ever feel undergunned at any point in my career. Instead, what I felt was the freedom and flexibility of having to carry around nothing more than a system about the size of a point-and-shoot camera. I was never encumbered by heavy equipment. I could move faster and go most anywhere with what I had. 

One thing that kept me sane all those years was the fact that I never met anyone who talked mostly about gear. Every photographer I hung out with were seasoned pros who never had to prove anything other than the images they captured. Most amateurs will talk about the "latest and greatest" and hang around photography expos and mingle with like-minded dimwits. 

Today, that problem is compounded by "influencers" who peddle all sorts of products which dictate what the market should go for. Most of the time these guys will be young and easily swayed by technology and social media. They praise products that best fits the times and bash others which are actually useful tools in the hands of the right craftsmen. 

One such product is the Canon EOS R100 which I recently acquired brand new!

It would be interesting to note that almost half a century since I first took up photography, this would be the very first camera I would use which came from a store and not a previous owner. I've had brand new lenses and other equipment but this is the first time I would ever break in a new camera!

The thing about me is that even when I was shooting autofocus cameras back in the days of film, I would always set the lens to "Manual" mode and adjust all my settings accordingly. I was never a guy who marvelled at technology regardless of how smart the machine could get. I never enjoyed the idea that the camera would actually take the photograph for me.

This was also one reason why it took me so long to purchase a current model camera as I never had my eye on any of the new offerings simply because new cameras are becoming as dumb as a smartphone.

In this day and age, the smartphone has become the new "point-and-shoot" or "compact camera". Almost overnight, almost everyone on the planet became "photographers"! Even veteran photographers I know have gravitated towards their androids and iPhones to capture images and I can't blame them simply because it is a more convenient way to carry around a picture-taking machine which can be both stealthy and accessible at the same time.

Personally, I still like the old school tactile feel of a camera. I relish the joy of twisting the focus ring, setting the shutter speed dial and tweaking the aprerture ring on a lens. For almost 40 years, I've been using the motor drive on film cameras and I don't miss the film advance lever all that much but manually setting the exposure is what completes the photographic experience for me. 

By some strange twist of fate, I chanced upon a review of the Canon EOS R100 (thanks to influencers) and I instantly fell in love with it! I had been eyeing some "retro" style cameras in the past but these cameras were never affordable and in my opinion, overrated plus they had most of the bells and whistles that I don't much care for. 

In most of the reviews I've seen of the R100, almost all of the influencers criticized Canon for, "cutting too many corners",  and that the camera lacks all the conveniences of modern counterparts. What's funny or even insulting to me is the fact that these people were comparing the R100 to a smartphone which practically defeats the purpose of what a camera should be.

The Canon EOS R100 is a bare bones, entry level mirrorless, APS-C sensor camera that was stripped away of modern idiot conveniences like a fully-articulated and non-touch LCD screen. Influencers claim that this seriously limits the cameras capability. To me, that simply means that the camera will be of little use to idiots who grew up on smartphones.

What is so wrong with a non-articulating and non-touch sensitive LCD screen?

For me, this is exactly what makes the Canon EOS R100 perfect! It reaminds me of my old DSLRs in both handling and performance. Back in the day, no one really complained about pushing buttons and twisting knobs and dials. 

The Canon EOS R100 can actually be compared to the old, Canon EOS 1D in its original version albeit the R100 has a 24MP compared to the 1D which only had 4MP. In terms of resolution, the R100 beats an old industry standard. 

The control layouts on the R100 are quite familiar to anyone who's handled any Canon camera. I was getting my way around the camera in just minutes without having to navigate through the menu. all I did was set the camera to "Manual" mode and I was already shooting.

The lack of a touch-sensitive, fully-articulating screen is what makes the Canon EOS R100 the perfect beginner and even a professional's camera. As a seasoned pro shooter, I've hardly ever needed the LCD screen other than to check on the camera settings. I hardly ever rely on it to seriously review the shots I've taken. The intuitive button placement and familiar knobs and dials allow me to make adjustments on the fly even without looking at the LCD screen which makes me move and shoot faster than anyone who constantly does "spot-checks".

More importantly, unless I was shooting at an awkward angle, my eye is always on the viewfinder whether I take stills or moving images. For my tv show, "The Shuttermaniac", I use the Canon app so I can use a smartphone as an external monitor. What the fuck are the bitches bitching about...non-articulating, non-touch LCD screen?

Ergonomically, the Canon EOS R100 feels great in the hand and weighs only as much as a compact camera so it's the perfect companion if you're out and about doing street, hiking or travelling. With the right lens combination, it will fit a jacket pocket or a small pouch.

To further enhance my tactile photography experience, I acquired an all-metal, fully-mechanical prime lens which had an actual focus ring and aperture dial. With this lens-camera combination, I have fully recreated the analog experience where I manually set the shutter speed and aperture and dial in the focus to what I want and not what the camera decides. 

This combination also resembles a beefy compact camera with a viewfinder so it's like shooting a Leica film rangefinder but with an electronic sensor.

I do my best to keep up with technology but I absolutely abhor products which dumb down the human. Yes, I do take photos and videos using a smartphone when I don't have a camera with me. When I want to get seriously into the process of photography or filmmaking, nothing really beats tactile controls and deliberately getting involved with little or no electronic interference in the decision making. 

Influencers are bashing the Canon EOS R100 for the wrong things. Smartphones and cameras are two distinctly different animals and should not be confused for the other. If they want the camera to handle like a smartphone, they should get a fucking smartphone instead. 

And while they're at it, might as well tweak the camera to make calls and check your email!