Review: Canon EOS RP by DPReview

[degos]

Decent review, some overdramatized critcisim at points. Somehow, this camera is becoming the biggest underdog of 2019. It's the cheapest mirrorless FF.

There are a variety of Sony A7 variants on Adorama from $798 upwards. I have no idea how they compare to an RP, but if I was looking to move up to full-frame I might be willing to save $500 on the body and buy a nice lens.

 

[yinzer]

There are a variety of Sony A7 variants on Adorama from $798 upwards. I have no idea how they compare to an RP, but if I was looking to move up to full-frame I might be willing to save $500 on the body and buy a nice lens.

I mean, if we're comparing older generations, you could get a lot of high performing FF cameras at a low price. But talking current gen the RP is unmatched. Comparisons to the A7II are completely overblown. I shot with an A7II for a couple of years. In 2019, it's not a camera that I'd recommend to anyone.

 

[Frodo]

Agreed. Chris loves Fuji even though they don't have IBIS, but that is given a free pass. He shows an example of a picture of Jordan and said that IBIS would have been helpful to reduce ISO. He shot it at ISO 3200 at 1/200s. Seriously, he could have dropped the shutter speed and IBIS would not have helped him one bit for a few stops. For portraits, IS/IBIS is less important because you need the shutter speed to freeze/minimize subject motion.

At the end, Chris complains that that the camera doesn't have a market. He states that there is very little for 6D2 users to switch to the RP, but he's missing the point -- the RP is priced lower than the 6D2. Between the R and RP, the 6D line is dead. It's true that the native RF consumer glass is missing, but if Chris is right, then the RP won't sell. If it does, will Chris revise his thinking and see that the RP has unlocked value for a significant segment of the market? My guess is no. He will continue to swoon over all things Fuji/Sony.

I thought that this was a balanced review and Chris commented positively in several areas.
His point about the market is an important one. Its cheap, but will it attract new users without any EF lens investment? No, they would be better to go to one of the other mirrorless brands which have matching cheap zooms. Will it convince a 6DII user to shift to the RP? I agree that there are few positives but there are many negatives, so I doubt many will shift. Will it be a be a backup camera for a prosumer or pro? I have a 6D as backup for my 5DsR. Same batteries, similar egos - the 6D is better for my needs. I would look to a good video body taking my EF lenses, but it doesn't really give me what I need. The R doesn't meet my needs for a primary camera and the RP doesn't for a backup. I will wait some more.

 

[transpo1]

For the RP to really sell well, Canon needs a line of cheaper lenses.
I would say that a lot of people want to buy an RP, but are put off with the expensive lenses that are native to the R's.
While many on this forum are happy to pay thousands of $$$$$ for a lens, most average Joes are not going to spend a grand for a lens for a $1300 camera.

They desperately need a professional body in the R series to come out sooner rather than later in order to sell those lenses. Right now, their strategy is to flood the market with cheaper camera bodies in the hopes that people get on board with the system. But they need a flagship with some competitive feature specs to drive sales of the premium lenses- people need to know they're serious about the camera bodies, too.

And, from a video perspective, I hasten to add that means 4K FF 60p, C-Log, 10-bit, and yes, even 1080 24p

 

[Random Orbits]

I thought that this was a balanced review and Chris commented positively in several areas.
His point about the market is an important one. Its cheap, but will it attract new users without any EF lens investment? No, they would be better to go to one of the other mirrorless brands which have matching cheap zooms. Will it convince a 6DII user to shift to the RP? I agree that there are few positives but there are many negatives, so I doubt many will shift. Will it be a be a backup camera for a prosumer or pro? I have a 6D as backup for my 5DsR. Same batteries, similar egos - the 6D is better for my needs. I would look to a good video body taking my EF lenses, but it doesn't really give me what I need. The R doesn't meet my needs for a primary camera and the RP doesn't for a backup. I will wait some more.

So, by your logic, the RP should not sell well. We will just have to wait to see if the RP sells well. If it does, then there will be a significant number of people for which the RP meets their needs, and I'm guessing it's not who you or Chris think they are.

 

[mariosk1gr]

For the RP to really sell well, Canon needs a line of cheaper lenses.
I would say that a lot of people want to buy an RP, but are put off with the expensive lenses that are native to the R's.
While many on this forum are happy to pay thousands of $$$$$ for a lens, most average Joes are not going to spend a grand for a lens for a $1300 camera.

Its very early for Canon to have a full gamma of lenses.. but they already going with lighting speed and so far the rf lensee are looking spectacular! Let Canon to finish with the most awaiting zooms and primes and soon they will launch more budget lenses like rf 35mm. I think that for RP model someone can easily invest on the 24-105mm for all around lens and 35mm for street/urban photography. Both are great lenses!

 

[mariosk1gr]

Agreed. Chris loves Fuji even though they don't have IBIS, but that is given a free pass. He shows an example of a picture of Jordan and said that IBIS would have been helpful to reduce ISO. He shot it at ISO 3200 at 1/200s. Seriously, he could have dropped the shutter speed and IBIS would not have helped him one bit for a few stops. For portraits, IS/IBIS is less important because you need the shutter speed to freeze/minimize subject motion.

At the end, Chris complains that that the camera doesn't have a market. He states that there is very little for 6D2 users to switch to the RP, but he's missing the point -- the RP is priced lower than the 6D2. Between the R and RP, the 6D line is dead. It's true that the native RF consumer glass is missing, but if Chris is right, then the RP won't sell. If it does, will Chris revise his thinking and see that the RP has unlocked value for a significant segment of the market? My guess is no. He will continue to swoon over all things Fuji/Sony.

Chris mostly points only the specs of the camera! If the photographers were looking only the specs then Canon wouldn't exist anymore and they were driven in bankrupty already! Its only enough to talk about colors and lenses... nothing else.

 

[Don Haines]

Its very early for Canon to have a full gamma of lenses.. but they already going with lighting speed and so far the rf lensee are looking spectacular! Let Canon to finish with the most awaiting zooms and primes and soon they will launch more budget lenses like rf 35mm. I think that for RP model someone can easily invest on the 24-105mm for all around lens and 35mm for street/urban photography. Both are great lenses!

And don't forget the 24-240 that is supposed to be coming. This is not an L lens so the price should be reasonable. I can see a lot of RP bodies couped to this lens. For the versatility at the price, this should be an untouchable combo!

 

[Chavim]

Wow, just got the RP.

It's so tiny. It's so awesome.

 

[Mikehit]

How do we know if this is even coming? To me it seems like it isn't coming. By the way I am currently holding on to a R body that I am considering returning because the slow-mo is just so sad. I really wanted to like this camera but how can one condone such an obviously deficient product (compared to its competitors)...

And now that Nikon released their Eye-AF, which looks pretty good from the videos available, AF isn't a reason to go Canon EOS R anymore... Nikon promised firmware and actually delivered...It should be much easier to justify the R based on the lens lineup, but it isn't because Canon made it really difficult to stick with the R...

No we don't know if the firmware is coming to bring the R up to RP standards on those functions...hence why I said 'I am waiting to see if...."
If slo-mo is so disappointing, it was clear in the spec sheet so why did you buy it if slo-mo is so important to you?

 

[Kharan]

I thought that this was a balanced review and Chris commented positively in several areas.
His point about the market is an important one. Its cheap, but will it attract new users without any EF lens investment? No, they would be better to go to one of the other mirrorless brands which have matching cheap zooms. Will it convince a 6DII user to shift to the RP? I agree that there are few positives but there are many negatives, so I doubt many will shift. Will it be a be a backup camera for a prosumer or pro? I have a 6D as backup for my 5DsR. Same batteries, similar egos - the 6D is better for my needs. I would look to a good video body taking my EF lenses, but it doesn't really give me what I need. The R doesn't meet my needs for a primary camera and the RP doesn't for a backup. I will wait some more.

This. Canon are desperately trying to keep their own users from switching brands, and that's what the RP is poised to do. But it's hardly a competitive body in 2019, and sales won't be exciting - Sony will keep their majority share of the 35mm market this year as well, with the way things are going. The RP will hit $999 by Black Friday, at the very least, without the adapter.

 

[neuroanatomist]

This. Canon are desperately trying to keep their own users from switching brands, and that's what the RP is poised to do. But it's hardly a competitive body in 2019, and sales won't be exciting - Sony will keep their majority share of the 35mm market this year as well, with the way things are going. The RP will hit $999 by Black Friday, at the very least, without the adapter.

LOL. First, Canon has nearly 50% of the ILC market...a market they have dominated for 15 years, they’re certainly not ‘desparete’ to keep users from switching brands (although it could be argued that all manufacturers are desparate to keep users from stopping ILC purchases, which is the prevailing trend in the market as a whole). Second, the RP is cheaper than any other current FF ILC...it’s going to be very competitive (oh I know, not in your mind but that’s because you define competitive as ‘something I like’). Third, Sony has no meaningful majority segment share to keep...last year, Canon led the global ILC market, the Japanese FF ILC market and MILC market (we don’t have data on the global FF and MILC segments), Sony led only the FF MILC market in Japan (a sub- sub-segment, it’s just not that big a market), and that was because they were the only seller of FF MILCs for 3 quarters of the year. That’s over now.

Remember when Sony was the top APS-C MILC seller? That was when no one else made APS-C MILCs (the others were m4/3, and those outsold Sony). Then Canon launched the EOS M, and Sony moved their focus to FF MILC. Now Canon (and Nikon) have FF MILCs. Where will Sony run now?

But hey, you go right on living the dream. Reality will get along just fine even if you continue to ignore it.

 

[mariosk1gr]

LOL. First, Canon has nearly 50% of the ILC market...a market they have dominated for 15 years, they’re certainly not ‘desparete’ to keep users from switching brands (although it could be argued that all manufacturers are desparate to keep users from stopping ILC purchases, which is the prevailing trend in the market as a whole). Second, the RP is cheaper than any other current FF ILC...it’s going to be very competitive (oh I know, not in your mind but that’s because you define competitive as ‘something I like’). Third, Sony has no meaningful majority segment share to keep...last year, Canon led the global ILC market, the Japanese FF ILC market and MILC market (we don’t have data on the global FF and MILC segments), Sony led only the FF MILC market in Japan (a sub- sub-segment, it’s just not that big a market), and that was because they were the only seller of FF MILCs for 3 quarters of the year. That’s over now.

Remember when Sony was the top APS-C MILC seller? That was when no one else made APS-C MILCs (the others were m4/3, and those outsold Sony). Then Canon launched the EOS M, and Sony moved their focus to FF MILC. Now Canon (and Nikon) have FF MILCs. Where will Sony run now?

But hey, you go right on living the dream. Reality will get along just fine even if you continue to ignore it.

Totally agree! Also in lenses department they will dominate the market for sure! Exciting times...!

 

[Random Orbits]

This. Canon are desperately trying to keep their own users from switching brands, and that's what the RP is poised to do. But it's hardly a competitive body in 2019, and sales won't be exciting - Sony will keep their majority share of the 35mm market this year as well, with the way things are going. The RP will hit $999 by Black Friday, at the very least, without the adapter.

Yes, the RP is engineered to be cheap and profitable, and I agree that it will go below 1000 at some point and that is Canon's plan. It cuts off the market for Sony A72 and below, and it gives people looking at spending 1500+ on APS-C or 1000+ on micro 4/3 pause. Yes, a 1000 FF camera has tradeoffs, but now people will have a choose between a more limit FF that is less expensive than some other crop options.