Over the past few years, there has been a dramatic movement in the market for cameras that have interchangeable lenses. Once upon a time, the hefty DSLR was the unquestioned king of photography. Nowadays, however, smaller compact system cameras are making tremendous inroads toward snatching the crown.
The Canon EOS M was Canon’s first-ever compact system camera (CSC), released just one year ago. This year, Canon unveiled the Canon EOS Rebel SL1, the world’s smallest and lightest DSLR camera. Compared to the Canon EOS Rebel T4i (also known as the Canon 650D in the UK), this model is around 25 percent smaller and 28 percent lighter.
It differs from the Canon EOS M in that it retains the typical DSLR appearance, even though the bulk of the internal electronics has been shrunk.
The sensor, which maintains its APS-C size and has 18 million pixels, is the primary and most notable exception to this rule; nevertheless, the module has been thinned out to fit within the more compact housing. Although Canon claims that this is a brand-new sensor, we anticipate that it will deliver the same level of performance as the sensor found in the EOS Rebel T4i and Rebel T5i (or the 700D in the UK).
Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Build Quality
The Canon EOS Rebel SL1 is the digital single-lens reflex camera that is both the tiniest and lightest in the world. It is undoubtedly relatively compact compared to other entry-level cameras available at this price range, with a body size approximately comparable to that of a camera such as the Panasonic G5.
Having stated that, even though it is a small camera, the Rebel SL1 has an excellent button arrangement that does not seem claustrophobic or unpleasant. Even when firing with one hand, you won’t feel like losing control of the weapon because of its excellent chunky grip. Most of the buttons are within the thumb’s reach, and if you’ve ever used a Canon DSLR before, you’ll feel right at home with this one.
Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Performance
Since it was announced, the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has been a source of considerable excitement for us. It is pretty incredible what the engineers at Canon have been able to accomplish in terms of reducing the size of the essential components of the DSLR, especially considering that the performance of the camera’s sensor is said to be comparable to that of the Canon EOS Rebel T4i.
Thankfully, the image quality provided by the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has not left us feeling let down. With 18 million pixels, this sensor can resolve a great deal of information, and there is very little sign of picture smoothing when it is used at lower sensitivities.
The colors produced by the EOS Rebel SL1 are likewise excellent, having a bright and lively appearance without being too so. If you can experiment with different Picture Styles, you also can enhance some aspects of the image, such as saturation, if you believe that the setting calls for it.
Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Image Quality
Throughout the test, the Canon EOS 100D generated photographs of a very high standard. The noise management is quite impressive, considering the high pixel density. If you want to take several images with a high ISO, you should consider shooting in RAW rather than JPEG since it will allow you to capture higher detail with less chroma noise.
We think the colors are a touch on the muted side, but this isn’t anything that can’t be adjusted in-camera by playing around with the different Picture Styles or by making your own.
We captured significantly more highlight information in high-contrast scenes by setting the camera to the Highlight Tone Priority mode. This would not have been feasible without the camera’s ability to avoid underexposing the mid-tones and shadows. The built-in flash did not result in any instances of red eye, and the nighttime shot turned out well. Overall, it was a pretty strong performance.
Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Specs
| Body type | Compact SLR |
|---|---|
| Body material | Aluminium alloy and polycarbonate resin with carbon and glass fiber |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5184 x 3456 |
| Other resolutions | 5184 x 2912, 4608 x 3456,3456 x 3456, 3456 x 2304, 3456 x 1944, 3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1728, 2592 x 1456, 2304 x 1728, 2304 x 2304, 1920 x 1280, 1920 x 1080, 1728 x 1728, 1696 x 1280, 1280 x 1280, 720 x 480, 720 x 400, 640 x 480, 480 x 480 |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 18 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 19 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 5 |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | RGB Color Filter Array |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 (25600 with boost) |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 25600 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (1) |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| File format | JPEG: Fine, Normal (Exif 2.3 compliant)Design rule for Camera File system (2.0),RAW: 14bit RAWDigital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Phase DetectMulti-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive View |
| Autofocus assist lamp | by built-in flash |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Lens mount | Canon EF/EF-S |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.87× |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Exposure modes | Program AEShutter priority AEAperture priority AEManual (Stills and Movie)Scene Intelligent Auto (Stills and Movie)No FlashCreative AutoPortraitLandscapeClose-upSportsSCN |
| Scene modes | KidsFoodCandlelightNight PortraitHandheld Night SceneHDR Backlight Control |
| Built-in flash | Yes (Pop-up) |
| Flash range | 9.40 m |
| External flash | Yes (via Hot-shoe) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Drive modes | SingleContinuousSelf timer (2s, 10s+remote, 10s + continuous shots 2-10) |
| Continuous drive | 4.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2s, 10s+remote, 10s + continuous shots 2-10)) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weightedSpotPartial |
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis) |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25 fps) |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone | Mono |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (HDMI mini) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Remote control | Yes (RC-6) |
| Physical | |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | Lithium-Ion LP-E12 rechargeable battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 380 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz) |
| Dimensions | 117 x 91 x 69 mm (4.61 x 3.58 x 2.72″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | Optional |
| GPS notes | via GPE2 |
Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Verdict
What Canon has accomplished with the EOS Rebel SL1 is pretty remarkable: it has a very compact body that maintains the same DSLR stylings as its larger brothers, and it offers excellent image quality. That is quite an accomplishment.
