Along with the EOS R7, Canon has released the entry-level EOS R10 mirrorless camera. While I didn’t expect that camera to be exceptional, it turns out to be an amazingly capable camera. If you want to step into the world of Canon EOS mirrorless cameras, you can’t go wrong with this little gem.
Honestly, I was very hopeful when I got the chance to check Canon EOS R7. Although I didn’t have much time with this APS-C camera, I found it on the one hand too expensive for the enthusiastic beginner and too many beginner options for the novice photographer. More serious amateur photographers on the other side. You can read my findings in the review here on Fstoppers.
Based on my findings with the EOS R7, I don’t expect too much from Canon EOS R10, is an entry-level mirrorless APS-C camera. But when I used the camera for a few days, it started growing on me. I turned out to be a very capable camera with options you would only expect on higher end Canon cameras.
A small camera
The Canon EOS R10 has the typical looks of a Canon mirrorless camera, but it’s surprisingly small. I had to look it up and indeed, the size is similar to EOS M50 II, except for the grip that makes it a little easier to hold. However, the small size can be a problem for a photographer with large hands.
Keep in mind that there is no option to attach an extra handle. But I think the EOS R10 is not a supposedly big camera. It’s small for a reason and I think the target audience will appreciate the size and weight. I know I can.
If you’re a Canon user, you’ll find the most important buttons in familiar locations on the camera body. There’s a dial for PASM settings, with additional options like two custom settings, movie settings, and creative settings. Two rotating wheels allow for basic exposure settings, one that can be used with the index finger, the other with the thumb. The main switch can also be found on that thumb wheel.
Other buttons on top of the camera are the movie record button, the lock button, and the famous M-Fn button that provides direct access to five settings that you can choose yourself, albeit within limits. A DOF button is found next to the lens mount. Just like the EOS R7, it also has a new AF/MF switch.
On the back you’ll find a 3-inch LCD screen that perfectly matches 1.04 million dots. It has full touchscreen functionality and can be used to operate the camera in any way possible. The OLED EVF has a resolution of 2.36 million dots and a maximum refresh rate of 120 fps.
There’s an AF-ON button on the back, next to the joystick and other standard buttons. There’s no dial, but you do get a four-way button that gives direct access to drive, ISO, and flash modes. No surprises there. The number of buttons can be a bit limited, but because the camera is small, there’s not much room for excess. Remember, LCD screens are touchscreens, and the number of settings directly accessible using the touch screen is numerous.
Battery, ports and memory slots
The Canon EOS R10 accepts the small LP-E17 battery, which is to be expected from such a small camera. The capacity will allow for an evaluation of 450 images with the LCD or just 290 with the EVF. So bring some spare batteries when shooting all day long.
Next to the battery compartment, you’ll find a single SD UHS-II slot. The V90 SDXC card is recommended if you want to shoot movies in 4K HDR PQ format, but it can also be a good choice for photography when you want to make use of the camera’s high-speed capacity. A fast tag will allow the cache to clear much faster.
The camera has a micro HDMI, USB-C connector, a remote control, and a microphone connector. Missing headphone jack. But the EOS R10 does not have a multi-function hotplate. With that said, there is no connection for the battery grip.
As is expected from a low-end camera, the menu will specify who took the JPEG image. It provides a lot of instructions on camera settings and under what circumstances you can use them. It is similar to the menu that I encountered in the EOS R7, but for this camera it has more functions.
If you are a JPEG photographer and you want to experiment with different possibilities without complicated editing software, the Canon EOS R10 will not let you down. If you’re used to more complicated settings, just turn off the module and dial explanations in your own settings.
Autofocus, Pre-shot and Speed
One thing that surprised me the most was the autofocus. Although the camera may be considered low-end, the autofocus system’s capabilities are truly professional. It offers many of the same options and customizations as Canon EOS R3. It is even more flexible than EOS R5 and EOS R6.
The camera can detect the eyes, head and body of people and animals, not limited to cats and dogs. Birds and a variety of other animals can also be spotted. I found AF tracking to be reliable, with autofocus points over 100% of the frame. Tracking works in every available AF mode, and its sensitivity ranges from -4 EV to 20 EV.
Do you want to record the action? The Canon EOS R10 can shoot up to 15 fps with the mechanical shutter. As for the electronic shutter, the speed is a staggering 23 fps. But you can expect a bit of a rolling shutter effect. The buffer holds up to 29 raw files or 460 JPEGs at 15 fps. This will reduce to 21 raw files at 23 fps.
If 23 fps isn’t enough, the camera has a special raw continuous shooting mode that makes it possible to shoot up to 30 fps. Pre-shoot is also available. It will record half a second of the image before you fully press the shutter.
Images recorded with raw continuous shooting have a resolution of approximately 13 million pixels, instead of the usual 24 million pixels. This reduced resolution will allow for 40 to 100 images to be shot continuously, depending on the settings and complexity of the scene. Recorded frames must be selected and extracted as JPEG, HEIF, or raw files in-camera, or with the Canon software included with the camera.
What about Videos?
While I’m not trying to use the camera to record video, I think it deserves a mention. If you dive into the possibilities, you’ll discover it shoots video in 4K at 30fps from 6K supersampled footage. When the HDR PQ option is enabled, the Canon EOS R10 will record 10-bit 4:2:2.
All autofocus options are available in video mode, which makes it a very capable camera for video recording. There are other options as well, but I haven’t gone into these options for this review. There’s a slight downside to it all, I think. This camera doesn’t have in-body image stabilization, which means you’ll have to rely on in-lens stabilization or digital stabilization to add a little extra crop.
So much fun using the camera
The capabilities of the Canon EOS R10 are surprisingly extensive, which I didn’t expect from this class of camera. It may be made of plastic, with no weather sealing, but it doesn’t come cheap. It is well built and the buttons are of good quality. Ergonomics as expected from a Canon EOS camera, although it may be too small for some.
Why do I love this camera so much? While it may sound a bit strange, it’s the weight, the size, and the ease of use. I can just take it and carry it with me. While this applies to many cameras, the Canon EOS R10 somehow makes it more interesting. I only use the one provided RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM . Lens, it’s not the fastest lens out there, but fits like a glove on this particular camera. If I had to choose, I’d rather have the RF-S 18-150mm, maybe a bit larger, but also offer more reach.
As such a simple camera, it never feels limited in any way. The autofocus and tracking work like a charm and it never lets me down. By the way, the image obtained by the 24 MP CMOS sensor, which is not backlit or stacked, looks nice and sharp, even with higher ISO settings. Just ISO test and simple ISO invariant test I made below.
I think the 24 MP resolution is a great point for this type of camera. APS-C offers a nice 1.6x crop, which makes this camera well-suited for wildlife and bird photography, or any other situation where the focal length could benefit. longer. Combine camera with excellent camera RF100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS STM lens and you end up with a field of view similar to 160-640mm on a full frame camera without becoming a heavy and large setup. Add to that the autofocus capability and speed, and you have a real winner. I think this tiny little camera will become a very popular one.
What I Like
- Small, compact and light
- Sensor resolution
- Perfectly usable up to ISO 6,400 with a little noise reduction
- Autofocus with exceptional tracking of people, animals and vehicles
- Eye AF, face AF, and head AF for people and a variety of animals
- Continue shooting up to 23 fps at full resolution
- Raw continuous shooting up to 30fps with pre-shot mode
- Lots of customization options
- Dedicated AF-ON joystick and button
- Lots of creative settings for JPEG photographers
- Video with 4K 30fps, oversampling from 6K . resolution
- 10-bit 4:2:2 video with HDR PQ enabled
- Full AF capabilities available for video
- Dedicated AF/MF switch
- Location of main switch
- Fully articulated LCD display with full touch screen capabilities
- Friendly price
What can be improved
- Weather sealing
- Battery life
- Not suitable for photographers with large hands
- No headphone connection
- Inability to remotely trigger flash with built-in flash
- PASM dialing cannot be locked
- No in-body image stabilization
Canon EOS R10 or Canon EOS RP?
When you look at the price, you can see that it is quite similar to Canon EOS RP. The latter are full frame cameras, which seem to be the holy grail for many photographers. Should you consider the full-frame EOS RP over the EOS R10 with an APS-C sensor, or is the EOS R10 a wiser choice?
Of course, that choice is yours, but I want to EOS R10 than the EOS RP for several reasons, of which the autofocus system is perhaps the most important. If you have to decide for yourself, just take a look at the specs of both cameras and choose which one suits you best.
