Nikon has recently unveiled an APS-C mirrorless model for vloggers, the Z30 – and according to Canon Rumors, Canon will soon do the same.
While information on Canon’s new vlogging camera is scarce, it will be an RF-mount model and presumably sit below Canon’s only RF-mount APS-C models, the EOS R10 and EOS R7, in the company’s mirrorless lineup.
Canon Rumors notes that the new camera “could be the rumored EOS R100,” the “budget EOS R APS-C camera” that leaked in early June as a possible 2023 release. The initial EOS R100 rumor did offer a few specs – a 24 MP APS-C sensor, 4K/30p recording, a fully articulating screen, and 14 frames-per-second continuous shooting – which seem plausible for a vlogging camera, though I could also imagine Canon dropping the sensor to 20 MP and ratcheting up the continuous shooting speed to match the EOS R10.
The Nikon Z30, which is slated to be released later this month, boasts a handful of useful vlogging features: 4K/30p video, a compact body (hailed in Nikon’s press release as “the smallest and lightest mirrorless camera among the Z series”), solid autofocusing capabilities, and a fully articulating screen, not to mention the $700 price tag.
But from a stills perspective, the Z30 is lacking – in innovation, if not in overall power. The APS-C sensor, which comes straight from the Nikon Z50, offers just 20.9 MP. Continuous shooting barely surpasses 10 frames per second, and while this number was once respectable, times have changed; even Canon’s sub-$1000 EOS R10 boasts a whopping 23 FPS. Then there’s the missing viewfinder: the Z30 is Nikon’s first Z-mount model without an EVF, and while some photographers won’t mind composing via the LCD, a viewfinder is consistently useful when capturing birds, wildlife, and other action subjects.
So given the Z30’s specs, what can you expect from the upcoming Canon vlogging model, the possible R100? I’d wager that the new camera will be less like the Nikon Z30 and more like a slimmed-down Canon EOS R10. The R10 costs just $979; to compete more successfully with the Z30, Canon could cut back slightly on continuous shooting speeds (i.e., drop to 15 FPS instead of the 23 FPS offered by the R10) and reduce both the size of the grip and the LCD.
Would the company jettison the electronic viewfinder? I’m not sure. On the one hand, it’s an easy way to save space and money, but many photographers do desire an EVF. A compromise would be to create an optional electronic viewfinder, as is offered for the EOS M6 Mark II; this would appeal to vloggers who don’t wish to pay extra for a feature that’ll go mostly unused, as well as still shooters who don’t mind forking out the extra cash for an EVF.
Regardless, if you’re a vlogger or a beginner photographer looking for a solid new mirrorless camera, check out the Z30 (which is currently available for preorder) – or consider waiting for the R100, which should debut before the year is out.
Now over to you:
What are your thoughts about a Canon RF-mount vlogging camera? Do you think it will feature an electronic viewfinder? Let us know in the comments below!
