Canon RP Thread

May 4, 2011
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I personally think Canon should have released more compact RF lenses (or at least revealed a roadmap containing several compact lenses) before announcing the RP. I can only think of three lenses that suit its size well: the native RF 35, the adapter + 40 2.8, and the adapter + 50 1.8.

The RP desperately needs a compact 28-70 zoom lens (or similar) to pair with. The 24-240 is fine but still not size-friendly. May as well put that on the bigger R, would balance better too.

I would probably get one if there were more compact use options. Probably not worth it just for the 35mm.
 
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koenkooi

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I personally think Canon should have released more compact RF lenses (or at least revealed a roadmap containing several compact lenses) before announcing the RP. I can only think of three lenses that suit its size well: the native RF 35, the adapter + 40 2.8, and the adapter + 50 1.8.

The RP desperately needs a compact 28-70 zoom lens (or similar) to pair with. The 24-240 is fine but still not size-friendly. May as well put that on the bigger R, would balance better too.

I would probably get one if there were more compact use options. Probably not worth it just for the 35mm.

The 85 f/1.8 + adapter is a nice fit as well. It's longer, but still fairly narrow. I'm hoping for an RF85/1.8 and RF50/1.8 with similar performance as the RF35. They can drop the 'macro' feature, though.
 
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I am hoping to buy a RP between November or December if Holiday discounts are good enough or more like about this time next year.
Right now for the holiday sales $500 rebate on lenses if they were have a 2 lens kit with 35mm and 24-240mm with both the ef-rf adapter and the grip extender. If with the standard with 24-240mm lens kit $200-300 rebate.
 
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JPAZ

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FWIW, my use of the RP has been travel. Agree that it is not ideal for BIF. As far as color rendition goes, here's a recent image rendered through LR with Adobe Landscape/Daylight settings than a "tweak" using the eyedropper on one of the background light stains on the rock. This was using the EF 100-400 mkii with the EF/RF adapter. Only other post was some cropping. Overall I am pretty pleased with this camera.

I've noticed some pros and cons on a recent trekking trip in Scotland and my comments are on another thread here.......
 

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Ozarker

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I appreciate you started this thread, CanonFanBoy, and I look forward to read about your real life experience with your RP. I still struggle with myself whether I should add an R or RP to my already far too extended gear... If you go for street shooting with your RP or do macros, I am particularly interested in your comments. For me, the RP offers two nice features worth considering it: small form factor, so with a smaller lens it should be less intrusive for people, and focus stacking (I wonder why Canon did not include focus stacking in the EOS R).
Went with the R.
 
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Honestly, I had hoped for better. Having said that, I had not planned on the R replacing my 1D X, and the latter remains my go-to camera. I bought the R as a travel camera, and it's been great for that use. Birds were just an opportunistic subject on a family trip last month, kids were playing at the beach on Prince Edward Island. But I was disappointed that the R could not AF on lone seagulls or cormorants gliding past against a clear blue sky.
Thank you for your feedback, Neuro. That's a bit disappointig.
I know birds-in-flight are among the hardest challenges for a camera's autofocus, but you mentioned seagulls, ad I remember being able to track seagulls even with my ancient 5D classic + 70-200 F/4 L.
And with my present 6D (classic) + 100-400 II L, I made a test and I could even get a few shots of a fast flying swallow in focus (again, with a clear sky as a background).

Let's hope the new firmware - to be released at the end of September - will improve this.
 
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May 4, 2011
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With the recent promo on the RP dropping it just under the $1k mark, it's suddenly extremely tempting... although I'm not ready to leave the DSLR behind - this might be a good way for me to "test-drive" the R system without sinking too much money into it at this stage. I tried it out in person - I love the compact size, it has potential as a travel camera and may be a suitable complement to the M6. Find it somewhat easier to be more forgiving of its flaws at this price point than before/with the R. We shall see.
 
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SteveC

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With the recent promo on the RP dropping it just under the $1k mark, it's suddenly extremely tempting... although I'm not ready to leave the DSLR behind - this might be a good way for me to "test-drive" the R system without sinking too much money into it at this stage. I tried it out in person - I love the compact size, it has potential as a travel camera and may be a suitable complement to the M6. Find it somewhat easier to be more forgiving of its flaws at this price point than before/with the R. We shall see.

I'm kind of in the same boat (except I don't own an M6--yet.

I realized, however, before I went to the camera shop (!) to play with one, that I have exactly ONE EF zoom lens, and it's the 75-300mm that is the "extra" kit lens. Although I could certainly use my EF-S zooms (Tamron lenses) on an RP because it will just crop for you, I'd end up with 10.16 MP (26/2.56) or so. Unless there's some subtantial IQ improvement, it seems better to just stick those lenses on my M-50!!

I do have a few EF primes, but I'd probably be looking at either getting the RP with the 24-105 kit lens (presumably the RF L one), or sucking it up and plunking down two grand more for the 100-400L. Ultimately I'd do both, actually.

(I just looked, B&H is selling that 100-400 for 1800 bucks!!! And so is the local camera shop!!! Maybe I should jump on that, because I WILL find a use for it regardless of what body I end up owning.)
 
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May 4, 2011
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Just acquired the RP with the RF 35mm - first impressions. Keep in mind this is my first FF/EVF MILC camera...

I only tested with the 35mm. I've yet to attach any EF lenses via the adapter

Good

- Love the size of the camera with the 35mm. FF in a Rebel-size package!?
- EVF is better than expected. Especially like the focus distance feedback option, a nice touch which is not possible in DSLRs. Lets me know how close I am to MFD. Still prefer an OVF, but I'll admit EVF's got its perks.
- Touch and drag AF is very smooth - this is in stark contrast to my experience handling the R in store, where it was very jerky and laggy. I take it this must have been fixed with the most recent firmware update, as it is now super-fluid.
- I liked the camera's broad customization options, even if limited in some aspects.
- I found the AF to be generally consistent and predictable (although I still had the occasional back-focus issue when close)
- Flip screen adds versatility
- Live exposure feedback eliminates some of the need to constantly review images taken (still need to check focus however)


Bad

- EVF keeps switching off on me when I hold the camera at certain angles
- EVF stutters after taking a shot, ruling out any action shooting with this camera (knew this going in)
- Battery life - just in the 3 or so hours I was testing out the camera, I nearly exhausted a fully charged battery(!)
- Silent mode is non-customizable (but I pretty much knew this going in)
- No back scroll wheel, which the M6 has
- Lens could be a little sharper at F1.8
- Lens extends at close focus distances and is kind of noisy (the EF version is superior here)...honestly expected somewhat better from a $500 caliber lens


Other

- I would like a way to show the image on the screen after I take a pic with the viewfinder without it interrupting my flow afterwards (like a DSLR!)


To sum up, I like what I see so far...and again, due to the price point I'm a little more forgiving of the RP's flaws than I was with the R's, which had several of the same annoyances (plus ergonomic differences).
 
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Ozarker

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Just acquired the RP with the RF 35mm - first impressions. Keep in mind this is my first FF/EVF MILC camera...

I only tested with the 35mm. I've yet to attach any EF lenses via the adapter

Good

- Love the size of the camera with the 35mm. FF in a Rebel-size package!?
- EVF is better than expected. Especially like the focus distance feedback option, a nice touch which is not possible in DSLRs. Lets me know how close I am to MFD. Still prefer an OVF, but I'll admit EVF's got its perks.
- Touch and drag AF is very smooth - this is in stark contrast to my experience handling the R in store, where it was very jerky and laggy. I take it this must have been fixed with the most recent firmware update, as it is now super-fluid.
- I liked the camera's broad customization options, even if limited in some aspects.
- I found the AF to be generally consistent and predictable (although I still had the occasional back-focus issue when close)
- Flip screen adds versatility
- Live exposure feedback eliminates some of the need to constantly review images taken (still need to check focus however)


Bad

- EVF keeps switching off on me when I hold the camera at certain angles
- EVF stutters after taking a shot, ruling out any action shooting with this camera (knew this going in)
- Battery life - just in the 3 or so hours I was testing out the camera, I nearly exhausted a fully charged battery(!)
- Silent mode is non-customizable (but I pretty much knew this going in)
- No back scroll wheel, which the M6 has
- Lens could be a little sharper at F1.8
- Lens extends at close focus distances and is kind of noisy (the EF version is superior here)...honestly expected somewhat better from a $500 caliber lens


Other

- I would like a way to show the image on the screen after I take a pic with the viewfinder without it interrupting my flow afterwards (like a DSLR!)


To sum up, I like what I see so far...and again, due to the price point I'm a little more forgiving of the RP's flaws than I was with the R's, which had several of the same annoyances (plus ergonomic differences).
Thanks for the review. You are right, the last firmware update fixed a lot of things. I have the R, but I am thinking of getting an RP down the road and getting my wife to ditch her M43 Olympus.
 
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May 4, 2011
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Thanks for the review. You are right, the last firmware update fixed a lot of things. I have the R, but I am thinking of getting an RP down the road and getting my wife to ditch her M43 Olympus.

No problem. Not a review, really - don't have nearly enough use time with the camera to give a definitive thumbs up/down. I won't really know until I use it in the field and see the results it produces. Mostly positive impressions from my test shots indoors however. High ISO is good, much closer to my 5D4 than my M6 and 5DSR.

I will say this though - if you like your R, I think you'll like the RP as well, as long as you are willing to recognize and accept its limitations (like the silent mode for example). I prefer the ergonomics of the RP to the R (another major reason I chose the RP, besides price).
 
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Ozarker

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No problem. Not a review, really - don't have nearly enough use time with the camera to give a definitive thumbs up/down. I won't really know until I use it in the field and see the results it produces. Mostly positive impressions from my test shots indoors however. High ISO is good, much closer to my 5D4 than my M6 and 5DSR.

I will say this though - if you like your R, I think you'll like the RP as well, as long as you are willing to recognize and accept its limitations (like the silent mode for example). I prefer the ergonomics of the RP to the R (another major reason I chose the RP, besides price).
My wife's Olympus is a dog indoors, which is where she uses it most. The menus are a total nightmare. The ergonomics are terrible.

I'm betting the RP is much better for the money and is very similar in size. ;) Congratulations!
 
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koenkooi

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No problem. Not a review, really - don't have nearly enough use time with the camera to give a definitive thumbs up/down. I won't really know until I use it in the field and see the results it produces. Mostly positive impressions from my test shots indoors however. High ISO is good, much closer to my 5D4 than my M6 and 5DSR.

I will say this though - if you like your R, I think you'll like the RP as well, as long as you are willing to recognize and accept its limitations (like the silent mode for example). I prefer the ergonomics of the RP to the R (another major reason I chose the RP, besides price).

In one of his youtube videos Brendan van Son said something like "The RP makes me angry about my R. The R is a good camera, but I don't think the R is $1000 better than the RP." and for my personal use I agree with that.
 
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May 4, 2011
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A bit more.

Lens - actually have some positive things to say about the RF35, other than its size: image quality is surprisingly uniform all the way out to the edges. The good news is that despite its mediocre sharpness in the center at 1.8, it doesn’t deteriorate much further once you get to the corners. Stopped down to 2.8, it holds its own - and by f4 it’s competitive with the Ls. It’s sharp all the way out to the edges!

This has some personal significance as I was using it as a comparison to the M6/EF-M 22mm, in which I have noticed some visual IQ degradation near the edge. The RP/RF35 advantage in my eyes is a cleaner output (less noise) more so than a more detailed one (although if you stop down enough, you get that too). Of course, it has to be said that as compact as the RP/35 is, the M6/22 is in a different league altogether - almost pocket sized, so there’s that. But I’d argue it’s absolutely worth the extra bulk, especially in low light. The Full Frame advantage is apparent, which is great.

Camera - I may use this camera to dabble in video experiments from time to time so I tested this feature out. Video is the one area where I think MILC truly has the leg up over the DSLR. Being able to shoot video through the viewfinder is NICE. Even better is that my (older) computer can actually play the 4K footage from the RP (it couldn’t play the 5D4’s 4K footage)! I did note the crop and the slower focus, which is too bad, but I envision scenarios where I might actually be able to use that crop to my advantage...

Playing around with the silent mode, I ran into the dreaded banding issue. Seems to be most prevalent in incandescent WB/lighting conditions. Also, slight word of warning - note that with the RF35 the silent mode is NOT truly silent. The narrowing/widening of the aperture blades on that lens is CLEARLY audible in a quiet room (you’ll hear a brief “sh-sh” sound). And with the RP, there’s no way to force the lens wide open to avoid that (auto mode consistently stops the lens down in my indoor spot), so keep in mind.
 
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koenkooi

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[..] And with the RP, there’s no way to force the lens wide open to avoid that (auto mode consistently stops the lens down in my indoor spot), so keep in mind.

There kind of is, program the settings you want into the focus stacking mode and set number of shots to 2. Completely impractical for anything faster than a glacier of course :)
 
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May 4, 2011
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There kind of is, program the settings you want into the focus stacking mode and set number of shots to 2. Completely impractical for anything faster than a glacier of course :)

Thanks! Will test when I get a chance.

__________

First field test: night shooting - I was out with the 5D4/16-35 2.8 III last night and carried the RP/35 as a second body. I shot the vast majority of pics with the 5D4, but once I was finished with the "serious shooting" and switched over to the RP, it hit me just how much smaller and lighter this body is. Night and day difference!

Another thing that jumped out at me was when I first looked through the EVF. It is SIGNIFICANTLY brighter than the OVF in a night scene but I'm not sure if that's a good thing TBH. Also, I found it hard to determine certain colors through the EVF (everything showed up whitish). On the other hand, it was easier to control overexposed lights with the EVF as I could see that they were so before I took the shot. Another thing is that the flashing of the EVF when half-pressing the shutter button was VERY noticeable against the night sky. Overall - I have to be old-school and say I still prefer the OVF here.

IQ is simply fantastic given the small size. Actually I had RP shots that were crisper than some of the 5D shots - but that's due entirely to the 1.3 stop advantage of the RF 35 1.8 over the EF 16-35 2.8 (and therefore accordingly lower ISO setting). I noticed a bit of haziness near the edges in several of the RP/35 shots that I did not see in the 5D images - again, differences between lenses. I was shooting both "wide open".

Overall my DSLRs will remain the workhorses/main rigs for my shooting. But I'm finding that the RP could turn out to be a solid light option/backup where I can cut the size, weight and conspicuousness dramatically without the corresponding cut in IQ. I may be leaving the M6 behind more and more...

Now for some compact RF lenses...
 
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May 4, 2011
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Update: I had the camera freeze on me tonight on 3 occasions (all within a few min). Missed shots because of it. Totally unresponsive, seemed like a processing bottleneck or something. Disconcerting. The screen/EVF would still work but the camera wouldn't focus or take a picture. Also couldn't move the AF point. Turned it off and on again the first time and still messed up...

Later when I got home I switched the batteries out and tried to reproduce it by taking pics and video interchangeably...but all clear.

I REALLY hope this is a one-off thing...

ETA 11/12: Used the camera again a couple days ago during an event and everything seemed OK, no issues. Very odd indeed.
 
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I rarely use the EVF on my XT3, EOS R, and now my EOS RP. I love shooting from the back screen. It's the premium way to shoot. Why use a 1" "screen" when I can use a 3+ inch screen... seems obvious to me.

Yeah if I'm in super bright sun, sure the EVF is nice. But honestly I don't care for it.

As far as the RF 35, it's supremely sharp at 1.8. Don't know what people are talking about. Your technique is off if you are complaining it's not sharp. And trust me I'm the pickiest of the picky and I verbally assault lenses that don't perform well. LOL. The RF 35 is superb. It's why I got the R and the RP even being a Fujifilm shooter. I HAD to get into Canon mirrorless due to this lens. A godhammer of a lens. It's not all perfect though, in some situations the RF 35 has busy bokeh. So try not to isolate things at medium distances/large apertures with trees in the background. If you isolate up close, it's nice. As with any tool, know its limitations and weaknesses.

BTW my praise of this RF 35 is coming from a near lifetime of owning supreme L glass since 2005. Including all the 35Ls. I know what wide open performance is. It's no Sigma 40 1.4, but it's very close. For the size and price, you can't complain. Great job to Canon for knocking the RF 35 out of the park.
 
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