Please Do Not Buy Costco’s $520 Canon R100 Kit

The holiday season is ramping up and that once again means Canon is trotting out the same cash cow it has milked for the last three straight years. Costco (soon to be followed by other stores, surely) is offering a Canon EOS R100 kit for an enticing $520. Do not buy it.

Consider this a public service announcement, and a reiteration of the same plea I published two years ago (except, somehow, the R100 is more expensive now!). The only reason to buy the Canon EOS R100 is that it is cheap. Like, cheap cheap. It is easily the most affordable interchangeable lens mirrorless camera that you can buy brand-new right now, but that is quite literally the only thing it has going for it.

As an investment in someone’s future in photography, it is a terrible purchase.

“Using the R100 felt like going a few steps backward in camera technology. Yes, it’s simple in its intention and design, but maybe a little too simple,” Chris Niccolls wrote in his review. “Even significantly older cameras than the R100 outperform it. I don’t think I would recommend this camera to many people unless the budget had to remain absolutely fixed at sub-$500. Even then, I would probably just stick to my smartphone.”

We've been particularly harsh on what we call "toy cameras" lately, and those are basically any compact camera that repurposes what are glorified dashcam sensors and crams them into plastic camera-shaped bodies. Those are e-waste waiting to happen. The R100 is not e-waste in the sense that it is a camera that does take decent photos and features a removable battery. It is better than a piece of garbage, but the benchmark for a $500+ purchase should be significantly higher than "not garbage." There are better options out there that are within the same price tier.

While the R100 wins as the cheapest, there are three cameras that are better that can be purchased brand-new today for around the same price.

First, let's consider the Nikon Z30. While it isn't perfect, it is a substantially better camera. While it does not have an electronic viewfinder, unlike the R100, it does feature a fully articulating rear touchscreen, is smaller and lighter than the R100, takes great video, and has excellent autofocus performance. It has a faster burst photo mode than the R100, has a good degree of ruggedness to it, and is overall a better feeling and operating camera. The Z30 is also substantially discounted versus its launch price: it costs under $600 now.

Admittedly, the Z30 isn't the best photo-specific camera, so if that is more important to you when trying to find something better than the R100, then Canon's own R50 is just overall a better camera in every way. Everything that's wrong with the R100 is better on the R50: you get back an EVF, you get a fully articulating rear LCD, improved video features, and -- really importantly -- the R50 supports USB-C charging directly through the camera. One of the biggest drawbacks of the R100 is its lack of support for this, which makes traveling with the camera a hassle since you always have to carry the wall charger with you. The Canon R50 is available today for $679.

The R50V, which is a video-focused version of the R50, is also a great choice if you want to stick with Canon but won't miss a viewfinder and want to get even closer to the R100's price point. The R50V is basically the R50 with its EVF chopped off, and for that, it's available for $569.

Another Answer is Pre-Owned

I will admit, it is impossible to buy any other mirrorless camera brand-new that comes with a lens and memory card for $520. The lens Canon bundles with the R100 isn't good, but to get it separately costs $350. That means the R100 actually is worth just $170 as part of this kit. Again, this camera's only selling point is that it is cheap as dirt. But I beg you to find something that's affordable and also good.

Right now at KEH, you can get a Canon 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $296. You can then pick up a 24-105mm f/4L for $475 or the more entry-level option of 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 for $256. Both options are slightly more expensive than Costco's kit, but are substantially better combos that will actually provide a burgeoning photographer with the ability to learn and grow. There are so many other possibilities on the used market, too. This is just one example.

This all takes me back to my real main issue with the R100. It's barely fine as far as technology goes, but it is so limited that it serves as a poor camera to invest anything more than a first glance into the world of photography with. It cannot grow with someone beyond the very first stage of photography and after that, they're going to want one of these other cameras I've mentioned that costs just a little bit more. Why spend that amount twice? Skip the R100 stage and go for a camera that can support several years of interest, not just a few weeks.

I love photography. It would break my heart if the reason someone didn't realize they loved it too was because the experience of the R100 was so bland and uninteresting that they gave up on the hobby before it had time to take root.