5 reasons why I bought the Canon R10 for wildlife photography (first look)

Introducing the Canon R10 for wildlife photography

If you don’t have an unlimited budget for wildlife photography but want a camera that can get the job done, the Canon R10 could be an incredible choice for you.

Canon’s new APS-C mirrorless body may appeal to many, be they beginner wildlife photographers, people interested in saving money for a quality body, or anyone interested in a compact, feature-rich option. On my end, it was the first brand-new camera I had ever bought!

In this article, I will provide 5 reasons why I bought the Canon R10 for wildlife photography.

If you’re a wildlife photographer considering buying the Canon R10, this will offer a first look at what the camera offers before you spend your money.

The blog post is divided into the following sections you can scroll to:

Canon R10 specifications
Autofocus
Size and weight
Frame rate
Price
Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM

Canon R10 review coming soon

As of writing this blog post, I have only had the camera for a couple of weeks, which is not enough time to form a full opinion. That’s why I’ll publish an in-depth Canon R10 review soon after spending some extended time in the field with it.

Sign up for the APC Wildlife Photography newsletter to be the first to know about it.

Canon R10 Specifications

Weight: 382 g (429 g with card and battery)
Dimensions: 122.5 x 87.8 x 83.4 mm
Sensor size: 22.3 × 14.9 mm CMOS with 24.2 megapixels (APS-C)
ISO: 100-32,000 native range (extendable to 51,200)
Autofocus: Dual Pixel CMOS AF II (recognizes and tracks people, animals and vehicles)
Continuous shooting speed: 23 fps (electronic shutter) / 15 fps (mechanical shutter)

With the camera’s specifications out of the way, let’s reveal the 5 reasons why I bought the Canon R10 for wildlife photography!

1) Autofocus for wildlife photography

Getting the eyes sharp is essential in wildlife photography, be it of birds or other species. Focusing on your subject’s eyes can be the difference between an award-winning image and one you delete from Lightroom.

Whenever I have shot wildlife with DSLRs, I have had to manually adjust my focus points to follow the animal’s eye, which results in many shots that miss focus. When an animal moves, your composition can change quickly, often requiring your autofocus point to move across the entire frame. However, the subject often changes position again before we can place the autofocus point in the new one, which leads to missed shots.

With this new animal eye autofocus system, photographers can now rely on the camera to find the subject’s eye much faster than before and avoid having to do the manual work themselves in many scenarios. The wildlife photographer can now focus more on composition and framing while the camera tracks the eye throughout the entire frame.

I have only had the Canon R10 for a couple of weeks, so I cannot fully assess its effectiveness yet. However, I look forward to publishing a full review soon.

2) Size and weight

As a wildlife photographer, my style incorporates a lot of walking to find my subjects and travelling a few times a year. Therefore, portable photography gear is a high priority.

When I learned about the Canon R10’s compact size and light weight, it immediately caught my eye. The body weighs 429 g, which is half my Nikon D500 (860 g). Its dimensions are also significantly smaller, making it easier to pack into my carry-on luggage.

Read more: Why the Nikon D500 is one of the BEST Cameras for Wildlife Photography (Review)

3) Frame rate

Animals are constantly moving, and capturing ideal body positions is key to nailing a photograph that resonates with the viewer. A fast frame rate makes a huge difference and can catch the climax of any nature moment.

In the Canon R10’s case, it can shoot up to 23 fps with the electronic shutter and 15 fps with the mechanical shutter.

One of the most common cases is when photographing birds in flight. In these situations, 5 fps vs. 15 fps can make a difference to ensure you get the perfect wing position. That’s why I was happy to buy a camera with a maximum frame rate that was more than double what I was used to! (The Nikon D500 shoots at 10 fps, which is still nothing to scoff at.)

4) Price

As you may know from previous articles, I love finding wildlife photography gear on a budget. Balancing the price against all the features a new camera comes with is the most critical factor to me before making a purchase.

That’s why I was overjoyed to find a small, light camera with a fast frame rate and the latest animal eye autofocus system for less than $1,000!

The Canon R10 launched at £899.99 / $979.99 / €1079.99. As of writing this article, I have found it for $879.99, which appears to be a significant deal for a brand-new camera of this caliber.

On paper, the Canon R10 offers some of the best quality in a camera compared to its price.

Connect with me on Instagram

5) Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM

Hoping to maximize savings, size, and weight with this new camera system, the Canon RF 100-400 was my most obvious choice, which is why I purchased it.

This new mirrorless lens offers a range of 100-400mm, which on the Canon R10’s crop sensor brings it to a full frame equivalent of 160-640mm for less than $700! It is also lighter than two of my favourite portable lenses, the Nikon 70-300 AF-P and Nikon 300 PF.

The trade-off comes with the maximum aperture of f/8 at 400mm, but for this price, weight, and supposed incredible image stabilization, there isn't much to complain about.

I look forward to testing this lens and writing a full review. Without putting it through its paces yet, it seems like an excellent budget choice to pair with the Canon R10.

Read more: Is the Nikon 300 PF the most portable lens for wildlife photography? (Review)

Bonus: Canon R10 sample photos!

Two of my friends have owned the Canon R10 for several months. They kindly offered to share some of their photos for this article to show the community what this camera is capable of.

Alex Prieditis

Alex Prieditis is a professional photographer based in Toronto, Canada, with a special interest in wildlife photography and education. He runs workshops, consultations, and critiquing services for photographers who want to improve their images. He shot with the Canon R10 between August-October 2022.

Check out more of Alex’s wildlife photography on Instagram and Flickr.

Matt Parish

Matt Parish is an amateur wildlife photographer based in Ontario, Canada. He's on a mission to showcase intimate, detailed images of animals from his own unique perspective. He has been shooting with the Canon R10 and Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM since September 2022.

Is the Canon R10 the right choice for you?

Figuring out whether a camera for wildlife photography is right for you can take time as you become accustomed to the new system. If you are looking for a light, compact, and cheap camera packed with features, the Canon R10 may be an excellent choice.

However, you can only fully be sure of this once you put the camera through its paces for an extended period. If you are interested in getting a head start, you won’t want to miss my Canon R10 review, which I will publish in the coming months.

Want to become a better wildlife photographer?

If you are interested in learning more about the technical and artistic side of photography to take your photos to the next level, check out these awesome tutorials that can help you take amazing wildlife photos!