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Canon EOS RP Released – A Few Less Features for Way Less Money

February 14^th, 201917

Canon EOS RP Released – A Few Less Features for Way Less Money

by Olaf von VossFebruary 14^th, 2019

Today Canon has unveiled their latest addition to their new EOS R lineup of full frame mirrorless cameras: The Canon EOS RP sits below the already available EOS R in regards of both, features and pricing. This aggressive pricing might be a good thing, though: As a bottom line we get plenty of features for less money. Update: There are six new RF lenses in development, too.

Canon’s transition from the legacy EOS D line of DSLRs to the EOS R line of full frame mirrorless cameras seems to be in full swing. Next up: The new EOS RP. It’s not the flagship R camera many of us are eagerly waiting for, though. If the EOS R is the middle class body, the RP is the entry level model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hH1mJlnzZM

It’s less expensive and it has fewer features but it is based on the same robust platform. So what is the news with the new Canon EOS RP? Well, in terms of cost-performance ratio it might get the nod instead of its bigger brother, the EOR R (read our coverage here and here plus our full review here).

Canon EOS RP

First of all, the EOS RP is smaller than the EOS R, by quite a bit. Fact check? EOS RP: 485 g (with card and battery), EOS R: 660 g. The EOS RP lacks the top OLED status screen, same goes for the so-called touch bar on the back.

Canon EOS RP (left) and EOS R (right).

Both models share a weather-sealed body featuring a magnesium alloy chassis including sealing materials to provide dust and moisture resistance. So the EOS RP isn’t an entry level design in that regard, it’s a tough tool for outdoor work. The EOS R features a 3.0″ (7,5cm) flippy screen with 1.04 million dots we already know from its bigger brother (but slightly smaller in size) and a 0.39″ OLED electronic viewfinder with 2.36 million dots and 0.7x magnification.

Both models share the same DIGIC 8 image processor but the EOS R fuels that processor with a 30.3MP full frame sensor while the RP has a 26.2 MP full frame CMOS sensor to offer. Same processor, same Dual Pixel AF complete with face detection! Also on board is the digital 5-axis image stabilization engine. Another thing the EOS RP inherits from its bigger brother is the lack of dual SD card slots, unfortunately. Only one UHS-II SD card can be loaded.

Movie Recording

The Canon EOS RP shoots 4k UHD, FullHD (1920 x 1080) and HD (1280 x 720). This is true when using RF or EF lenses (with a RF-EF adapter). If you are using EF-S lenses, your options are limited to 4K UHD and HD. No FullHD. Movies are being recorded as MPEG4 AVC/H.264 files with variable (average) bit rate. The following resolutions and frame rates are available (hint: no 4K/60p, no FullHD/120p slow mo):

4K UHD (16:9) 3840 x 2160 (25, 23.98 fps) intra frame
4K UHD Time-lapse (16:9) 3840 x 2160 (29.97, 25 fps) All-I
Full HD (16:9) 1920 x 1080 (59.94, 50, 29.97, 25 fps) intra frame, intra frame lite (29.97, 25 fps)
Full HD HDR (16:9) 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25 fps) intra frame
HD (16:9) 1280 x 720 (59.94, 29.97, 50, 25 fps) intra frame
HD HDR (16:9) 1280 x 720 (29.97, 25 fps) intra frame

No touch bar.

These bitrates are available:

4K (16:9) 3840 x 2160 (25, 23.98 fps) IPB 120Mbps // 869 MB/min
Full HD (59.94p/50.00p)/IPB Approx. 60 Mbps // 440MB/min
Full HD (29.97p/25.00p)/IPB: Approx. 30 Mbps // 225MB/min
Full HD (29.97p/25.00p)/IPB Lite: Approx. 12 Mbps // 87MB/min
HD (59.94p/50.00p)/IPB Approx. 26 Mbps // 196MB/min

When recording internally to SD card, the color subsampling tops out at YCbCr 4:2:0 8-bit. External recording through the built-in HDMI port is possible via an uncompressed YCbCr 4:2:2, 8-bit stream. Sound output via HDMI is also possible. When outputting to external monitor/recorder internal recording is disabled and Wi-Fi communication is shut down. Bad news: No Log-C and 4K recording only works with contrast detection AF. Furthermore, when shooting 4K you’ll end up with an approx. 1.6x crop factor.

No OLED status display.

Canon’s own Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face detection and tracking AF is available while shooting (DPAF only in FHD and HD), Other modes include movie servo AF, continuous eye AF and manual focus with focus peaking. The ISO value is selectable from 100 ISO all the up to 12800 (in 4K UHD) or 25600 (FullHD/HD). Furthermore, a build-in stereo microphone delivers 2 channels of 48 kHz, 16-bit audio. External microphones can be hooked up via 3.5mm jack and there’s a headphone jack for monitoring audio, too.The three already available mount adapters also fit the EOS RP, of course, so you can use your existing EF and EF-S glass with this camera. Read all about these adapters here.

Six new RF Lenses in Development

The range of readily available RF glass is not yet very extensive. Not any more! Today Canon has officially announced the development of six new RF lenses. They will become available later this year and there is no pricing yet but the specs come in pretty impressive:

RF85mm F1.2 L USM
RF85mm F1.2 L USM DS
RF15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM
RF24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM
RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
RF24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM

The “DS” for the 85mm F1.2 stands for “Defocus Smoothing” which should make out-of-focus areas and bokeh even smoother and more appealing. Maybe this lens is your next dream portrait lens.

Six new RF lenses! (The dimensions aren’t accurate).

The three red ring zooms make the next generation holy trinity of zoom lenses, just as their former EF counterparts. And all three feature image stabilization, which is pretty cool! Lastly, the 24-240mm offers an impressive zoom range which makes this lens a perfect travel companion. It lacks a fast aperture, though. This is a compromise that most travelers will be happy to accept as it opens the door to a compact and relatively lightweight lens.

Conclusion

The EOS RP isn’t a groundbreaking camera but it seems to be pretty solid tool for enthusiasts and aspiring filmmakers alike. Canon’s new R mount opens the door for many new (and fast) lenses and the superb overall build quality of this new camera body is typical for Canon. Let’s wait and see how this EOS RP performs in hands-on and reviews but I think this camera is a solid release. Nothing miracle but really solid plus it comes with a very attractive price tag.

We presume that the video performance of the new camera will be pretty much at par with the EOS R, so you can refer to Johnnie’s CanonEOS R review here. Let’s see if the EOS RP really performs at the same level which would be pretty cool, especially when considering its’ lower price.