Canon’s recent launch of the mid-range EOS R7 and EOS R10 is great news for those of us who can’t afford a full-frame flagship – it looks like the camera giant may have another enticing affordable model coming out.
reliable Canon Rumors (opens in new tab) Claims that “Canon’s next-generation RF-mount camera is in the works” and will be announced “by November 2022.” Like Canon’s two recent releases, this camera will apparently be another APS-C model, and “will be a small vlogger” camera that will likely compete with the new Nikon Z30. That means it could also be the long-rumored Canon EOS R100.
Cameras with APS-C sensors are generally much cheaper than full-frame cameras. Therefore, the introduction of the third such RF mount camera after the Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10 would confirm a major shift in Canon’s strategy. It’s also a very popular product in today’s tough financial environment.
Even if you’re not in the market for a video camera, the arrival of another APS-C model bodes well for affordable Canon cameras. As our Canon EOS R7 review explained, one of the few issues with the camera is the lack of native lenses. Currently, there are only two RF-S lenses, an 18-150mm and an 18-45mm.
You’d hope that the introduction of the APS-C vlogging model shows that Canon is planning to develop more of these lenses, especially some affordable wide-angle primes that pair nicely with the rumored Nikon Z30 competitor.
But there are no guarantees either. The recent introduction of the first RF-mount camera with an APS-C sensor echoes the Canon EOS M series, which landed almost exactly a decade ago.
Back in 2012, we had high hopes that Canon would develop a small, compact mirrorless system for amateur photographers. What happened in the next ten years? Canon launched more cameras than lenses for the EOS M series, and the system only received eight lenses in total.
small price to pay
For photographers and vloggers, an affordable camera system doesn’t need dozens of exotic lenses — after all, the point is that it’s relatively cheap and simple. Some full-frame RF lenses, such as the Canon RF 600mm f/11 and RF 800mm f/11 IS STM, also do work well with Canon’s APS-C cameras.
But today’s rumours of another Canon APS-C mirrorless camera give us renewed optimism that the camera giant will build a small, affordable system that can realize the early potential of the EOS M-series. In the current financial climate, this is a must for Canon and camera lovers alike.
Canon’s new small-sensor RF bayonet camera has another small hurdle to overcome. Since the flange distance (gap between lens and sensor) of RF mounts is slightly larger than in the EOS M series (20mm vs. 18mm), they may never be as defunct as they seem now as compact as the series.
However, according to Canon Rumors (opens in new tab), the rumored vlog camera “will be close to the Canon EOS M6 Mark II in design” and has a lot of promise. The EOS M6 Mark II is still one of the best travel cameras you can buy, although it suffers from the same problem as the EOS R7 and EOS R10 – the lack of a native lens.
The camera will apparently also use “a different type of vari-angle LCD screen,” which may flip the camera instead of rounding to one side. The Canon EOS R100, if that’s what it’s finally called, would give Canon license to make its design more interesting and innovative than its more serious full-frame cameras.
Canon may not have the resources or fan base it had in the early days of the 2012 EOS M series. But it now focuses on mirrorless cameras and a camera mount. Even though mirrorless cameras will never be as cheap as the best beginner DSLRs, we hope the EOS R-series does start to offer amateur photographers as much choice as pros.
