In defence of the 100D

[cellomaster27]

I have heard a fairly common response from most DSLR users who have gotten a touchscreen camera.... They hate it until they use it, then they love it.....

Not me.

I'll continue to hate touchscreens. Give me dials I can use while I have my eye on the viewfinder!

Touchscreens have no 'feel' to them, you can't use them blindly AND it makes the screen all icky.

I thought that I wouldn't need/use the touch screen much. I do love to use the dials and buttons but in certain situations like taking video, it is very nice to use the touchscreen to pick focusing. I mean very very nice. No clicking noise/shaking/handling needed. Just touch the very responsive screen and you're good to go. Also for zooming in and out while previewing photos. Very useful. You don't have to use it, but it can come in good use. And the screen doesn't get icky unless you have dirty hands yourself. Some kind of anti smudge screen. Really works. My former dslr used to smudge just from my nose like cray cray. I don't see an absolute need for touchscreen, but last time, it doesn't hurt.

 

[pwp]

Why does it need a defense? Its aimed at a certain market segment and is the right product for that segment. It will take fantastic photos in the right hands.
I'd love to have a touch screen on my 5D MK III.

Absolutely no defense required...and I expect a touch screen on any future 1-Series or any level of new Canon DSLR that I buy in the future. I have the 100D/SL1 as an ultra-lightweight travel/trekking body for when I don't feel like lugging a 1-Series or even de-gripped 5D3 and I love it. It's found it's way into my main work bag and comes out from time to time when a third body is useful.

I'm not alone in seeing the 100D/SL1 as one of the more significant, interesting DSLR releases in 2013.

-pw

 

[pwp]

I have heard a fairly common response from most DSLR users who have gotten a touchscreen camera.... They hate it until they use it, then they love it.....

Not me.
I'll continue to hate touchscreens. Give me dials I can use while I have my eye on the viewfinder!
Touchscreens have no 'feel' to them, you can't use them blindly AND it makes the screen all icky.

DP Review on the touch screen:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-100d-rebel-sl1/6
And I can report that the anti-smudge coating seems to work reasonably well. I wish my iPhone had it!

-pw

 

[RLPhoto]

I'd like a touchscreen but only when I'd want it. So a menu button to enable/disable should be perfect for everyone.

 

[sdsr]

So, overall, I'd not be trading my 5dii for one, but...

I am seriously considering this cute one as back up and travel DSLR.
I've read several tests about the fast AF and decent picture quality.
An despite the size it feels really comfortable in my hand.

As far as I can tell, its image quality is as good as any other recent Canon APS-C body's, and it works very nicely with not-so-long primes; unless you need a fancier focus system (I've no idea how well it does with fast moving things, but mine works just fine on other subjects) or don't already have a FF body (and don't plan to), or find them too small to hold comfortably (I was pleasantly surprised), these cute little things seem rather appealing. Cheap, too - bought mine a couple of months ago for c. $450, including kit lens. I too like the touch screen (though nothing beats the combination of touch screen and EVF & masses of external controls provided by such cameras as the latest OM-D), though Canon's ergonomics are so good it's not the boon it would be for, say, Nikon.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Why does it need a defense? Its aimed at a certain market segment and is the right product for that segment. It will take fantastic photos in the right hands.

I'd love to have a touch screen on my 5D MK III.

I'd say it doesn't need defending at all - that was my point. But as I said, to read the forums here when it launched there was actually a lot of cynicism. So this post was to try and balance out that with a bit of "right product for right segment realism" but - above and beyond that to share a really positive experience of a very good bit of product design. And moreover, my point on holding off my upgrade to my 5Dmkii was that the experience of the current crop (unintended pun) of consumer grade bodies and of the 6D makes it a tough time to change. I too would love a touch screen on a 5D body.

There will always be those who call something junk just because it costs less. Most of us here know that there are different levels of equipment, but that matching the right equipment for the user and his budget is important.

Having better equipment definitely does not make me a better photographer, in fact, having to use less capable equipment probably helps me by making me use some better techniques.

 

[Maximilian]

So, overall, I'd not be trading my 5dii for one, but...

I am seriously considering this cute one as back up and travel DSLR.
I've read several tests about the fast AF and decent picture quality.
An despite the size it feels really comfortable in my hand.

As far as I can tell, its image quality is as good as any other recent Canon APS-C body's, and it works very nicely with not-so-long primes; unless you need a fancier focus system (I've no idea how well it does with fast moving things, but mine works just fine on other subjects) or don't already have a FF body (and don't plan to), or find them too small to hold comfortably (I was pleasantly surprised), these cute little things seem rather appealing. Cheap, too - bought mine a couple of months ago for c. $450, including kit lens. I too like the touch screen (though nothing beats the combination of touch screen and EVF & masses of external controls provided by such cameras as the latest OM-D), though Canon's ergonomics are so good it's not the boon it would be for, say, Nikon.

Thank you for your feedback. Your experience is meeting the tests I've read and also my "hands on" feeling I got in the shop.
For me it is more about "do I really need it" and "is it reasonable to spend the money" (;