Canon R100 vs Nikon D7100

The Canon EOS R100 and the Nikon D7100 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2023 and February 2013. The R100 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D7100 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon R100		Nikon D7100
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
		Nikon F mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4k/24p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600		ISO 100-6,400 (50 - 25,600)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.2" LCD – 1229k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
6.5 shutter flaps per second		6 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
400 shots per battery charge		950 shots per battery charge
116 x 86 x 69 mm, 356 g		136 x 107 x 76 mm, 765 g

Check R100 price at
amazon.com
Check D7100 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R100 and the Nikon D7100? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon R100 and the Nikon D7100. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D7100 is considerably larger (46 percent) than the Canon R100. Moreover, the D7100 is substantially heavier (115 percent) than the R100. It is noteworthy in this context that the D7100 is splash and dust-proof, while the R100 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the R100 gets 400 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the D7100 can take 950 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL15 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R100	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	356 g	400	n	May 2023	EUR 579	amazon.com
2.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	EUR 1 179	ebay.com
3.		Canon 70D	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
5.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	EUR 779	amazon.com
6.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	EUR 479	ebay.com
7.		Canon M200	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	299 g	315	n	Sep 2019	EUR 539	ebay.com
8.		Canon R10	123 mm	88 mm	83 mm	429 g	450	n	May 2022	EUR 979	amazon.com
9.		Canon R50	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	375 g	230	n	Feb 2023	EUR 829	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	EUR 399	ebay.com
11.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	EUR 399	amazon.com
12.		Fujifilm X-A7	119 mm	68 mm	41 mm	320 g	440	n	Sep 2019	EUR 549	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D500	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	860 g	1240	Y	Jan 2016	EUR 2 399	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D7000	132 mm	105 mm	77 mm	780 g	1050	Y	Sep 2010	EUR 1 399	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D7200	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	1110	Y	Mar 2015	EUR 1 179	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D7500	136 mm	104 mm	73 mm	720 g	950	Y	Apr 2017	EUR 1 499	amazon.com
17.		Panasonic TZ95	112 mm	69 mm	42 mm	327 g	380	n	Feb 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The R100 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 60 percent) than the D7100, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D7100 is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (R100) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the D7100 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the D7100 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the R100), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the R100 is much more recent (by 10 years and 3 months) than the D7100, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The R100 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS R100 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D7100 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon R100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/24p	24.1	13.9	2197	84
2.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
3.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926	68
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
5.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
6.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
7.		Canon M200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/25p	24.0	13.5	1836	82
8.		Canon R10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.1	13.8	2085	84
9.		Canon R50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.9	2168	84
10.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
11.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
12.		Fujifilm X-A7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1955	84
13.		Nikon D500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.0	14.0	1324	83
14.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
15.		Nikon D7200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.5	14.6	1333	87
16.		Nikon D7500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	14.0	1483	86
17.		Panasonic TZ95	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1103	52
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the R100 provides a higher video resolution than the D7100. It can shoot video footage at 4k/24p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the R100 has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the D7100 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the D7100 has a higher magnification than the one of the R100 (0.63x vs 0.58x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon R100 and Nikon D7100 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon R100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.5/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 70D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M200	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
8.		Canon R10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon R50	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
11.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Fujifilm X-A7	none	n	3.5 / 2760	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D500	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	n
14.		Nikon D7000	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D7200	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D7500	optical	Y	3.2 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
17.		Panasonic TZ95	2330	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the D7100, but is missing on the R100 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the R100 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon R100 and the Nikon D7100 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the R100 and the D7100 write their files to SDXC cards. The D7100 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the R100 only has one slot. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS R100 and Nikon D7100 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon R100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 70D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon M200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon R10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon R50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
10.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Fujifilm X-A7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Nikon D500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Nikon D7000	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Nikon D7200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Nikon D7500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
17.		Panasonic TZ95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the R100 offers wifi support, while the D7100 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The R100 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the D7100 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the D7100 was succeeded by the Nikon D7200. Further information on the features and operation of the R100 and D7100 can be found, respectively, in the Canon R100 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D7100 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Canon R100 better than the Nikon D7100 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS R100:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4k/24p vs 1080/60p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (116x86mm vs 136x107mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 409g or 53 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (60 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 10 years and 3 months of technical progress since the D7100 launch.

Advantages of the Nikon D7100:

• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.58x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1229k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (950 versus 400) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2013).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the match-up finishes in a tie (11 points each). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon R100 and the Nikon D7100 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the R100 and the D7100 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R100	3/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	May 2023	EUR 579	amazon.com
2.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	EUR 1 179	ebay.com
3.		Canon 70D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
4.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
5.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	EUR 779	amazon.com
6.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	EUR 479	ebay.com
7.		Canon M200	..	+	3/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2019	EUR 539	ebay.com
8.		Canon R10	4/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2022	EUR 979	amazon.com
9.		Canon R50	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	..	4.5/5	Feb 2023	EUR 829	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	EUR 399	ebay.com
11.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	EUR 399	amazon.com
12.		Fujifilm X-A7	3/5	..	3.5/5	81/100	4/5	3.5/5	Sep 2019	EUR 549	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D500	5/5	+ +	4.7/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	EUR 2 399	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D7000	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	EUR 1 399	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D7200	4/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2015	EUR 1 179	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D7500	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	EUR 1 499	amazon.com
17.		Panasonic TZ95	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	..	Feb 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

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