Along with the EOS R7, Canon has launched the entry-level EOS R10 mirrorless camera. While I didn’t expect that camera to be exceptional, it turned out to be an amazingly capable camera. If you want to step into the mirrorless world of Canon EOS, you can’t miss this little gem.
To be honest, I was really looking forward to trying out the Canon EOS R7. Although I didn’t have much time with this APS-C camera, I found it too expensive for the enthusiastic beginner on the one hand and the overpriced beginner options on the other. top for more serious amateur photographers. You can read my findings in the review here on Fstoppers.
Based on my findings with the EOS R7, I wouldn’t expect too much from the Canon EOS R10, which is a entry-level mirrorless APS-C camera. But when I used the camera for a few days, it started to grow in me. Turns out I’m a very capable camera with options you’d only expect on higher-end Canon cameras.
A small camera
The Canon EOS R10 has the typical styling of a Canon mirrorless camera, but it’s surprisingly small. I had to look for it and indeed, its dimensions are similar to the EOS M50 II, except the grip makes it a bit easier to hold. However, the small size can be a problem for photographers with large hands.
Please note 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 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 at the 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. Like the EOS R7, it also has a new AF/MF switch.
On the back you’ll find a fully articulating 3-inch LCD with 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 may be a bit limited, but since the camera is small, there isn’t much room. Remember, LCD screens are touchscreens, and the number of settings directly accessible using the touch screen is numerous.
Battery, Port and Memory Slot
The Canon EOS R10 uses a small LP-E17 battery, which is to be expected from such a small camera. The capacity will allow for 450 rated images with the LCD monitor or just 290 images with the EVF. So bring a few 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, but it can also be a good choice for photography when you want to make use of the camera’s high-speed capacity. The fast tag will allow much faster cache clearing.
The camera has a micro HDMI, USB-C connector, a remote control, and a microphone connector. The headphone jack is missing. But the EOS R10 has a multi-function hot shoe. With that said, there is no connection for the battery clamp.
As is to be expected from a low-end camera, the menu refers to JPEG photographer. It provides a lot of guidance on camera settings and situations where these can be used. It is similar to the menu that I encountered on the EOS R7, but for this camera, it has more functions.
If you are a JPEG photographer and want to experiment with various possibilities without complicated editing software, then the Canon EOS R10 will not let you down. If you’re used to more complicated settings, just turn off mode explanations and dials 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 the Canon EOS R3. It is even more versatile than the EOS R5 and EOS R6.
The camera can detect the eyes, head and body of people and animals, the latter is not limited to cats and dogs. Birds and a variety of other animals can also be spotted. I found autofocus 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 capture action? The Canon EOS R10 can shoot up to 15 frames per second with the mechanical shutter. For the electronic shutter, that’s a staggering 23 frames per second. But you can expect a bit of a rolling shutter effect. The buffer holds up to 29 raw files or 460 JPEGs at 15 frames per second. This will reduce to 21 raw files at 23 frames per second.
If 23 frames per second is not enough, the camera has a special raw continuous shooting mode that allows shooting up to 30 frames per second. Pre-shoot is also available. It will record half a second of the image before you press the shutter button all the way down.
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 shots 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’s still worth mentioning. If you dive into the possibilities, you’ll discover that it shoots video in 4K at 30 frames per second from 6K sampled 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, making 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. The camera doesn’t have in-body image stabilization, which means you have to rely on in-lens stabilization or digital stabilization that adds a small crop.
So much fun using the camera
The capabilities of the Canon EOS R10 are surprisingly expansive, which I didn’t expect from a camera of this class. It may be constructed of plastic, isn’t weather-sealed, but it doesn’t feel cheap. It is well built and the buttons are of good quality. Ergonomics is as expected from a Canon EOS camera, although it may be too small for some.
Why do I love this camera so much? Although it sounds a bit strange, its weight, size and ease of use. I can just take it and carry it with me. While this applies to many cameras, the Canon EOS R10 somehow made it more interesting. I just used the supplied RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, which isn’t the fastest lens available, but fits like a glove on this particular camera. However, if I had to choose, I’d rather have the RF-S 18-150mm, which can be a bit larger but also offers a wider reach.
As such a simple camera, it is never limited in any way. Autofocus and tracking work like a charm and it has never let 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 check out the simple ISO and ISO invariance test I’ve done below.
I think the 24 MP resolution is a great point for this type of camera. APS-C offers a nice 1.6x crop, making this camera well-suited for wildlife and bird photography, or any other situation where a longer focal length could benefit. . Pair the camera with the excellent RF100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS STM lens and you’ll get a field of view similar to that of a 160-640mm on a full-frame camera without the need for a heavy and large setup. Add to that the autofocus capability and speed, and you have a real winner. I think this little camera will become very popular.
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 for people, animals and vehicles
- Eye-AF, face-AF and head-AF for humans and a variety of animals
- Continue recording 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, oversampled from 6K . resolution
- 10-bit 4:2:2 video with HDR PQ enabled
- Full AF capabilities available for video
- Dedicated AF/MF switch
- Main switch position
- 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 looking at the price, you can see that it is quite similar to the 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?
That choice is yours, of course, but I prefer the EOS R10 over 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 the one that suits you best.
