Canon EOS RP
Canon’s entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera looks like a well-judged package for enthusiast photographers, according to Andy Westlake
Andy Westlake takes a first look at Canon’s entry-level, full-frame mirrorless camera
EG-E1 extension grip
For those who find the EOS RP too small, Canon will be offering the EG- E1 extension grip, which screws into the base of the camera and adds a bit of extra depth. It has its own battery compartment door, which requires the camera’s to be removed first, along with a tripod socket. For users with large hands it could noticeably improve the camera’s handling, but the bad news is that it comes with an unfathomable asking price of £84.99. WHEN Canon announced its full-frame mirrorless system last September, it’s fair to say that it received a mixed reaction. The EOS R body was packed full of innovative ideas, but in its bid to rethink how cameras should work, ended up feeling somewhat alien to long-standing EOS DSLR users. This stood in stark contrast to Nikon’s Z 6 and Z 7, which are designed to behave essentially like miniaturised DSLRs.
Five months down the line and we now have Canon’s second offering, in the shape of the EOS RP. In essence it’s a smaller, simpler model compared to the EOS R, at a considerably lower price. Indeed at £1,400 body only, it’s one of the most affordable full-frame cameras on the market. It shares a lot in common with its sibling design- wise, but loses some of its more controversial control elements. This immediately makes it feel more like a traditional EOS, although still with some significant differences.
Canon has made a point of making the EOS RP as compact and lightweight as possible, to the extent that at 485g including battery and card, it weighs less than the EOS 800D entry-level APS- C DSLR. Its squat-looking design is a result of Canon pairing the 54mm- diameter RF mount with a nice deep hand grip, then building up the shoulders of the camera around the control dials such that the 2.36-million- dot electronic viewfinder ends up almost fully embedded within the body. On the back is a 3in touchscreen of the fully articulated type, which means that it’s useful for shooting at unusual angles in both portrait and landscape formats, unlike the tilt- only screens
found on most of the RP’s rivals.
Internally, the EOS RP is based around a 26.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor borrowed from the EOS 6D Mark II. It’s paired with the latest Digic 8 processor, and offers a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100- 40,000 that’s expandable to ISO 50-102,400. Shots can be rattled off at five frames per second with focus fixed, or 4fps with focus adjustment between frames.
Autofocus employs on- chip phase detection via Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, with 4,779 selectable focus points covering 88% of the sensor’s width and the entirety of its height. Canon claims it will work in light as low as -5 EV when using an f/1.2 lens. As we’ve come to expect, face- and eye- detection focusing are available, with the latter now available in continuous AF mode.
Other notable features include the use of Canon’s CR3 format that allows raw files to be compressed 40% smaller than before. In- camera raw processing allows you to tweak your images after shooting, before sharing them via the camera’s built-in Wi- Fi, with Bluetooth also on hand for easy connection to a smartphone. Files are recorded to a single SD card slot that supports the high-speed UHS- II standard.
As with the EOS R, 4K video recording is available using a 3980x2160 pixel region in the centre of the sensor. Unfortunately though, dual-pixel AF is only available when recording in Full HD format, where it should provide smooth, precise pulling of focus between subjects. However, microphone and headphone sockets are built-in, positioned low on the body where they won’t impede placing the screen in a comfortable position for recording.
Build and handling
Unsurprisingly for such a lightweight camera, the EOS RP is built using a plastic shell over a magnesium-alloy chassis. It doesn’t offer the same sense of solidity as the EOS R, but then again it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart either. The relatively large rubberised grip feels secure in your hand, and there’s a well- defined space on the back for your thumb to rest. Canon is promising a degree of dust- and splash-proofing similar to the firm’s EOS 80D mid-range DSLR.
In operational terms the EOS RP resembles its larger sibling, with two electronic control dials for changing exposure settings. It also inherits the neat Dial Function menu that gives access to ISO, white balance and other useful settings from the M. Fn button, with changes displayed clearly in the viewfinder. However it discards the EOS R’s controversial touch bar, while gaining a conventional mode dial, complete with Canon’s clever new Fv exposure mode. To move the focus point, you can use either the d-pad or the touchscreen. It’s a logical enough layout, if rather different from buttonladen DSLRs like the EOS 6D Mark II.