popularRainyStorm posted Nov 24, 2025 05:43 AM
Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
popularRainyStorm posted Nov 24, 2025 05:43 AM
Canon Refurbished EOS R100 RF-S18-45 IS STM + RF-S55-210 IS STM KIT $379
$379
$744
49% offCanon
Get Deal at CanonGood Deal
Bad Deal
Save
Share
Leave a Comment
28 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
alternatively, you can buy the refurbished consumer dslrs like t7 and t100. It is possible to sell them to people unfamiliar with the market for the price you bought them. You can find many such people here even thinking $450 t7 was good deal.
alternatively, you can buy the refurbished consumer dslrs like t7 and t100. It is possible to sell them to people unfamiliar with the market for the price you bought them. You can find many such people here even thinking $450 t7 was good deal.
I have a small collection of EF and EFS lenses, so the R50 body with an adapter is the best fit for my needs.
I normally wouldn't recommend the R100, but this set coming with two kit lenses might make an attractive starter set for some.
I shall add the T7 and R50 body in the post as well. I was too busy cheering for the deals. 😝
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank LavenderPickle7682
Bottom Line: Avoid the R100, with prejudice.
Why? Simple. It's a really poor camera, in an ocean of very acceptable and excellent options.
You shouldn't feel the need to compromise this much in 2025. There's no articulating screen. There's no touch screen. And the lack of adequate physical controls (only 1 wheel) means changing basic settings is hidden inside menus. These aren't extraordinary features to ask for in 2025 -- they're basics. This camera cuts corners.
For an entry-level camera, you have to ask, who are the general target audiences? Those upgrading from using a mobile phone and those who want to learn the basics of photography. And when it feels so clunky and awful....with worse usability than a mobile...with settings hidden in menus instead of being openly exposed, it fundamentally fails both of these primary audiences.
Anyone coming from a mobile is going to instantly say "oh, I miss such-and-such from my mobile"...and summarily go back to their mobile, since it's pocketable, familiar, and easier to use. Anyone learning photography is going to get annoyed at how tedious it is to change an exposure setting like aperture or shutter speed or ISO....and just leave it on full automatic mode. You're not learning anything there.
It's a camera solely created to hit a price point. I've witnessed this personally in camera shops: the R100's lapses are used to encourage prospective buyers to skip it and upgrade to the next model.
The quality of the camera and lenses are pedestrian...and I'm being kind. It's entry-level consumer gear, so keep your expectations low. (Which being fully honest, it HAS IMPROVED over the last few decades...but entry level gear is still nothing to write home about).
-----
Those who acknowledge this with both eyes wide open...but still might have a use case for it, proceed knowingly full well of what you're getting.
Pros: I'll be fair and give it praise where it's due: it's tiny and light. Not the smallest or lightest Canon camera ever, but it's the best you'll find on their RF-mount. Granted, that weight comes from being nearly all plastic...so durability is out the window. But you know what's even smaller? A cell phone.
I own other RF-mount bodies and lenses...and I would not even buy this as an "emergency spare", at any price ...including free. (it's under-performing junk that would only take up valuable weight and space in my bag - I'd get the R50 as the lowest-performing option). I think that speaks volumes.
-----
Alternatives for Mirrorless: For a little bit more, you'll blow this piece of junk out of the water.
I'd argue that a $400 R50 + ~$350 18-150mm would fly circles around this, but you're doubling the cost. Same with Canon's R10 or R7.
In an entirely different tier-class for photography, you have the R7 and the full-frame R8 -- these options will run you over a grand apiece. But they are the top-end APS-C....and surprisingly excellent hits-way-above-its-weight-class full-frame R8.
I'd argue that an older Olympus E-M1 Mark II for $400 + Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens $400 (24-80mm full-frame equivalent) would be DASHINGLY amazing....giving you pro-tier quality on a flagship device (albeit on an older piece of hardware). The argument is you may not have as much room to "grow" in the Olympus/OM-System ecosystem as you would in Canon....but let's be honest, you're not growing with this R100 "deal". When you quickly outgrow it, you'll be disposing of it.
If you can double your lens budget to $800, consider the Olympus 12-100 f/4 IS PRO...which is a full-frame equivalent of 24-200mm. A great superzoom. Giving you both lens and body stabilization at a very reasonable constant f/4. A "one body, one lens" mindset.
-----
For those just starting out who want to solely learn the basics of photography -- you have a LOT of options to choose from.
Canon 5D classic (<$150). Nikon D300 (<$100). Even Canon's ancient yet still really dang good pro-tier 1Ds Mark III (<$450....used to be $8,000 new in 2007. It has 21mp, sensor cleaning, and lens profiles...all modern features in a bullet-proof yet hefty body).
Get any one of those, slap on a nifty fifty for sub-$100, and you'll have a splendid time learning the basics.
And you'll come in far under that arbitrary $400 budget (even factoring in other mandatory things like neckstrap/wriststrap, memory card, card reader, etc). Play it smart, and you might be able to toss in an older decent tripod (Manfrotto 3000 series) or an older zoom (EF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 II goes for roughly $100) and still come in under $400.
It might not have all the modern frills, but it's also no compromise. You'll be using excellent professional grade gear...not flimsy plastic consumer made-as-cheaply-as-possible junk. All at prices that strongly compete with this so-called "deal".
-----
If you're in the market for video...
Consider a Canon R50v for roughly $650 + any number of different manual lenses + a free copy of DaVinci Resolve + youtube videos on how to use it. Yes, it's more money than this "deal", but this "deal" was a very poor excuse for video. You'd get better results from your mobile. Seriously.
Also a hidden video gem -- the aforementioned Olympus E-M1 Mark II. Although nothing to write home about on the surface, it provides some amazingly good In-Body-Image-Stabilization (IBIS). You can get walking shots that are entirely usable -- a feat that even modern cameras like the R50v (and R7 and R8 and even the R5) fail to deliver.
Edit: wow the EF-S 24mm pancake is $79!!! I guess i'll be looking at some EF/EF-S glass instead of a new body (:
You can buy the rf-s 18-45 for $50 used easily.
Edit: wow the EF-S 24mm pancake is $79!!! I guess i'll be looking at some EF/EF-S glass instead of a new body (:
The EF-S 24mm is a great price in this sale, but there are other items on sale that aren't as competitive to the current used rates.
https://www.nikonusa.co
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
https://www.usa.canon.c
alternatively, you can buy the refurbished consumer dslrs like t7 and t100. It is possible to sell them to people unfamiliar with the market for the price you bought them. You can find many such people here even thinking $450 t7 was good deal.
For those just starting out who want to solely learn the basics of photography -- you have a LOT of options to choose from.
Canon 5D classic (<$150). Nikon D300 (<$100). Even Canon's ancient yet still really dang good pro-tier 1Ds Mark III (<$450....used to be $8,000 new in 2007. It has 21mp, sensor cleaning, and lens profiles...all modern features in a bullet-proof yet hefty body).
Get any one of those, slap on a nifty fifty for sub-$100, and you'll have a splendid time learning the basics.
And you'll come in far under that arbitrary $400 budget (even factoring in other mandatory things like neckstrap/wriststrap, memory card, card reader, etc). Play it smart, and you might be able to toss in an older decent tripod (Manfrotto 3000 series) or an older zoom (EF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 II goes for roughly $100) and still come in under $400.
It might not have all the modern frills, but it's also no compromise. You'll be using excellent professional grade gear...not flimsy plastic consumer made-as-cheaply-as-possible junk. All at prices that strongly compete with this so-called "deal".
-----
If you're in the market for video...
Consider a Canon R50v for roughly $650 + any number of different manual lenses + a free copy of DaVinci Resolve + youtube videos on how to use it. Yes, it's more money than this "deal", but this "deal" was a very poor excuse for video. You'd get better results from your mobile. Seriously.
Also a hidden video gem -- the aforementioned Olympus E-M1 Mark II. Although nothing to write home about on the surface, it provides some amazingly good In-Body-Image-Stabilization (IBIS). You can get walking shots that are entirely usable -- a feat that even modern cameras like the R50v (and R7 and R8 and even the R5) fail to deliver.
Also, even in the last 10 years autofocus made huge leaps beyond what was available pre-2010.
In any case, the R100 is a fine camera so don't be too scared off buying one (although I'd wait hoping for a better Black Friday price). I own it among a ton of other cameras. Yes, the R50 has some significant improvements especially when it comes to autofocus and video and if the prices are comparable then obviously the R50 would be the better pick. But Canon more aggressively discounts the R100 and during sales it gets to be pretty cheap.
The bigger problem and what Canon really cheaped out unacceptably on is the 18-45mm kit lens and it's more of a reason to avoid Canon if you are on a lower budget than the R100 camera. So in that sense I might consider skipping it if there is a good deal on like a Nikon Z50 or Z30, especially the two lens kit, as both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm Nikon kit lenses are much better than Canon's. Unfortunately Nikon refurb deals haven't been quite as good as they used to be, maybe due to tariffs.
If you do need a telephoto lens (and ideally that lens would get more use than the disappointing 18-45mm, or pair it with a cheap prime lens like the Canon 50mm f/1.8) and really want the size/weight advantage of mirrorless it's hard to find anything cheaper than the R100 kit with the 55-210mm. The 75-300mm lens Canon bundles with the T7 is bad and the R100 is also a more advanced camera than the old T7 DSLR.
But yes if you need to stay below $400 on a mirrorless kit but want a better standard zoom kit lens along with a telephoto lens then you'd need to look at used Panasonic or Olympus micro four thirds options.
I wouldn't recommend anything digital as old as a 5di/classic. Yes it was a great camera for it's time, and still optically competent today, but you're stuck with a bunch of old technology like slower memory cards and probably 3rd party batteries.
Also, even in the last 10 years autofocus made huge leaps beyond what was available pre-2010.
It's a $100 camera (which you can EASILY resell for what you paid for it) that has all the settings exposed. No hiding manual controls inside a submenu -- it's right there -- switch to M, use the two wheels to adjust. Hold ISO button and spin the wheel to change ISO.
There's just ONE page of menus. No video. No gizmos, gadgets, or gimmicks. And it takes photos at 12mp, which is more than enough for online posting and prints up to 8x10. Sure, the dynamic range + low light performance + ability to crop in might be very limited -- but it's a learning tool, not a production tool.
You can easily buy a brand new 32gb Compact Flash from Sandisk for $30 from B&H. That's the largest storage the camera will accept (and the smallest you can readily buy new). Third party batteries in these older DSLRs aren't as much of a problem as they are in modern mirrorless bodies -- and trusted brands like Watson will be perfectly fine ($30 at B&H).
If you buy from a trusted reseller like MPB or KEH, they'll include a functioning battery. And older DSLRs sipped power compared to modern energy-hungry mirrorless bodies. I genuinely don't remember many times where I exhausted a fully charged battery in a day unless I was shooting + reviewing + metering continuously for hours on end.
Yes, stuff made in the last 10-15 years will be better. At a higher cost. And for those just starting out, learn how to manually focus...or do the classic "center focus and recompose". Yes, they will miss shots...but it's about learning, not about having everything perfect at the first go.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Leave a Comment