Canon RP Comparison Review

The Canon EOS RP is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in February 2019 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 26.2 megapixel.

Is the Canon RP a good camera? The Canon RP has a Camera Elo of 2931. This very strong rating puts it among the elite group of camera grand masters. The Canon RP ranks among the top 20 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the Canon RP ranks among the top 30 percent.

Headline Specifications

Canon RP
Mirrorless system camera
Canon RF mount lenses
26.2 MP, Full Frame Sensor
4K/30p Video
ISO 100-40000 (50-102400)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)
3.0" LCD, 1040k dots
Swivel touchscreen
5 shutter flaps per second
250 shots per battery charge
133 x 85 x 70 mm, 485 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Canon RP relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon RP alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon RP	5.2 in	3.3 in	2.8 in	17.1 oz	250	n	Feb 2019	1,299			Canon RP
	Canon SL3« »	4.8 in	3.7 in	2.8 in	15.8 oz	1070	n	Apr 2019	599			Canon SL3
	Canon T7« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	16.8 oz	500	n	Feb 2018	449			Canon T7
	Canon R« »	5.5 in	3.9 in	3.3 in	23.3 oz	370	Y	Sep 2018	2,299			Canon R
	Canon 77D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	19.0 oz	600	n	Feb 2017	899			Canon 77D
	Canon SL2« »	4.8 in	3.7 in	2.8 in	16.0 oz	650	n	Jun 2017	549	-		Canon SL2
	Canon T7i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	18.8 oz	600	n	Feb 2017	749			Canon T7i
	Canon M5« »	4.6 in	3.5 in	2.4 in	15.1 oz	295	n	Sep 2016	979			Canon M5
	Canon T6i« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	19.6 oz	440	n	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon T6i
	Fujifilm X-T100« »	4.8 in	3.3 in	1.9 in	15.8 oz	430	n	May 2018	599			Fujifilm X-T100
	Leica TL2« »	5.3 in	2.7 in	1.3 in	14.1 oz	250	n	Jul 2017	1,950			Leica TL2
Convert to Metric
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon RP was launched in the US market at a price of $1,299. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Canon RP features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon RP among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The Canon RP indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the Canon RP can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the Canon RP has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2360k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.70x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Canon RP along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

It is worthwhile pointing out that the Canon RP has a touchscreen. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, when trying to adjust the focus point.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS RP and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

It is notable that the Canon RP has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the Canon RP handle or perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon RP	+	-	4.5/5	-	4/5	Feb 2019	1,299			Canon RP
	Canon SL3« »	o	79/100	4/5	-	4/5	Apr 2019	599			Canon SL3
	Canon T7« »	o	-	3.5/5	-	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449			Canon T7
	Canon R« »	o	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	Sep 2018	2,299			Canon R
	Canon 77D« »	-	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899			Canon 77D
	Canon SL2« »	+ +	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	-		Canon SL2
	Canon T7i« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749			Canon T7i
	Canon M5« »	+	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979			Canon M5
	Canon T6i« »	-	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon T6i
	Fujifilm X-T100« »	+	79/100	4/5	-	4.5/5	May 2018	599			Fujifilm X-T100
	Leica TL2« »	-	-	4/5	-	4/5	Jul 2017	1,950			Leica TL2
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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