Photo: Dinkun Chen / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Canon · Mid-range
A compact 24.2-megapixel APS-C mirrorless camera with a 15 fps mechanical shutter and Canon subject-tracking autofocus, supplied here with the RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM zoom.
Expert pick · DPReview, Apr 2023
Check price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
A first camera for train photography needs two things: autofocus that finds a moving subject without much setup, and a frame rate that gives you a few sharp frames as a train goes by. The R10 offers both in a body that weighs 429 g with card and battery, light enough to carry on a long walk to a lineside spot or a station platform. The kit zoom covers a general-purpose range for platform scenes, station architecture and trains seen from the side, though it is not a long telephoto, so distant trains need cropping or a longer lens later.
DPReview found stills tracking quick and fairly accurate, with people tracking working best and animal tracking less dependable on birds in profile. Canon lists people, animals and vehicles as detectable subjects, with the vehicle setting described for racing cars and motorbikes rather than trains. The mechanical shutter runs at 15 fps and the electronic shutter at 23 fps. Canon rates the buffer at 460 JPEG or 29 RAW images at 15 fps mechanical, but DPReview observed the raw buffer filling in under two seconds with a short wait before shooting resumes, and described the camera as suiting casual youth sports without being a sports camera. In practice, that means shooting short bursts as a train arrives rather than holding the shutter down for the whole passage. The camera has no in-body stabilisation, so stabilisation depends on the lens. Video tracking was unreliable in DPReview testing, and full-width 4K shows noticeable rolling shutter, so treat video as a secondary use.
Expert pick · DPReview: DPReview scored it 87 percent and found it approachable for beginners yet fully manual-capable, with quick and fairly accurate stills tracking; it reported weaker video tracking, rolling shutter in 4K and a raw buffer that fills in under two seconds. Read the review
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS |
| Weight | Approx. 382 g body only, 429 g with card and battery |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II; tracks people, animals and vehicles (racing cars, motorbikes) |
| Card slot | 1 x SD, UHS-II |
| Viewfinder | 0.39-inch OLED, 2.36 million dots |
| Rear screen | 2.95-inch, approx. 1.04 million dots |
| Stabilisation | Lens or digital only (no in-body stabilisation) |
| Continuous shooting | Up to 15 fps mechanical, up to 23 fps electronic |
It suits a newcomer who wants a capable camera for platform and lineside photography without carrying a heavy body, and who is willing to learn a few settings. Look elsewhere if you want stabilisation in the body, two card slots, or long bursts at the top frame rate; the R7 covers those.
The Canon EOS R7 adds in-body stabilisation, two card slots and a 32.5-megapixel sensor, with more weight at 612 g with card and battery. The Canon EOS R100 is lighter and less expensive but slower, with a 6.5 fps burst in One-Shot AF and a small buffer.
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · source
Canon · Premium
A 45-megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera with 30 fps electronic bursts, in-body stabilisation and a subject-detection list that explicitly includes trains.
Expert pick · DPReview, Sep 2024
Photo: Henry Söderlund / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · source
Canon · Mid-range
A 32.5-megapixel APS-C mirrorless body with a 15 frames-per-second mechanical shutter, in-body stabilisation and dual card slots, built for action and wildlife photography.
Expert pick · DPReview, Jun 2023
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
Compare all cameras.
