The RP.

The Canon RP

This is just my opinion. I am not a professional shooter, but I almost know what I am doing. This is not going to be about specifications, it is more user experience.

My background is film. A 28mm, 50mm, 70-210mm with a SLR, predominantly an aperture priority shooter, with the odd dip the toe in the water manual shooting. Then digital came along, and my Pentax K mount lenses were moved to a K10, and then a K3.

I am not a video shooter. I have accidentally pushed the record button before, but that is my limit of video. Since moving to digital, I have been a DSLR aps-c shooter. I have been curious about going to full frame, but never been that happy about the cost. This is my first digital camera with a flip out touch screen. This my first full frame digital camera. This is my first mirrorless camera as well. A few firsts here.

I have no R mount lenses. I am using EF lenses with the plain R to EF adapter that came with the camera when I brought it.

Around Christmas time last year Canon NZ was having a “we’ll knock a few dollars off” special. So, curiosity got the better of me and I walked out of the shop with a very light box. While I was paying for the camera, I was told “but wait, there’s more”. Not only is the camera going cheaper, Canon are going to give me some extra goodies as well. Say no more. I ended up getting an extra Canon battery (don’t lose that, you are going to need it), and a grip extension that attaches to the bottom of the camera to give you more to hold onto. Now I have small hands, and you know the saying about people with small hands, yes, we wear small gloves. But I have had no need to add this extension to the bottom of the camera. It serves no other purpose. No buttons and it doesn’t hold a battery.

As a size comparison. This camera is about the same thickness as my Canon AE-1 Program. The film cameras lens mount protrudes out the front a little more, the RP’s evf protrudes out the rear a little more. RP stands a little lower than the AE-1 by a handful of millimeters, and the RP is about a centimeter less in width than the AE-1.

My other Canon camera is a 7D. So up to this point, I have been an optical viewfinder person, and I have been more than happy with that.

So once I got the camera home, I done the normal thing of charge the battery, insert a memory card, flick the command dial to AV, and go and find some boring thing to take an image of at home. The back garden was the subject. An image was taken, the image was reviewed. And my reaction, meh, is that it. I felt very underwhelmed. The build up to buying a full frame camera. All those reviews read, those opinions. How am I going to explain this one to the good wife. I could be in some serious trouble here.

The cameras I use are a 7D, and a Pentax K3. Both well spec’d cameras. Both of which are well built, and feel very solid in the hand. The RP is light and small. Where are all of the buttons gone? When I mean it is light, it is shockingly light. When I first picked it up, and I was feeling the weight of the camera, it was, wow. This is really light. It is not as well built as either of my other cameras, but it is a lot lighter. I find that the feel of the camera is fantastic. The buttons feel fine, the grip is comfortable. One thing I am not so sure about is that access to the memory card is via the battery compartment. This is a first for me. Is it a bad thing? I am not sure. It is just different to the separate memory compartment I am used to. The battery, Canon, you could have put in a bigger battery. If you are coming from a dslr, you are going to notice changing batteries more often. On a plus side, the batteries are small and inexpensive.


The EF to R adapter that came with the camera is a tube of air that mounts to the front of the camera. It is the basic adapter that doesn’t hold any filters. From there, you mount your EF lenses in the normal way. Of course if you have the native R mount lenses, you don’t need this.

On the rear of the camera is the flip tilt screen. It is also a touch screen. It can be rotated so it acts like a conventional LCD screen, or you can flip it around so the screen is protected. This screen has been a really big change to the way I shoot. On top of the camera is a hotshoe. I can’t test that one out at this moment in time. Once I own a speedlite, l will let you know what I think.

Of course, you progress past the back yard, and off you go out into the real world. An aperture priority, ovf, slr type of camera shooter progresses to mirrorless. So how did I find it? Where do I start? This camera because it is so light is not a burden to carry around. My lens of choice at the moment is the Canon 70-200 f4 L IS, which is not a very big or heavy lens. When it is mounted on this camera, it is easy to carry around. It will be interesting when Canon brings out some pancake lenses, as this thing will almost be pocketable. As the camera has so few buttons, it’s so easy to use. You really can’t get confused using this camera.

The evf in this camera is not the top of the range compared to what is out there. But to be fair, it’s not bad at all. I am not sure that I would like to look through it for a long time, and I do mean a long time. But it perfectly fine for most things. I am not sure how well it would fair if you were a sports or wildlife shooter. Maybe a higher spec’d camera would more suit those purposes. But press the info button on the back, and you then have the electronic level, so your images are level. Best of all, and for me, this is one of the major things that have actually changed the way that I shoot, you have the histogram in the display. I have found that if the subject that you are shooting, the light levels are pretty constant, I find that I am now using the camera in manual, and I am pushing the histogram to the left or right with the two input dials. The image in the evf is also giving you a representation of what the image is going to be. I love this when it comes to post processing, because you have the exposure you want that you selected out in the field. It is almost as if I am taking control again. After you have taken the image, you can review the image in the viewfinder. The only times I was using AV was when the light levels were changing as I chased a subject. If you are into taking a long exposures, easy. Throw on your filters, just your exposure with the histogram, and off you go. No need to cover the viewfinder to stop stray light ruining your image. If you’re a low light shooter, as you adjust the exposure, you get a preview of what the image is going to turn out like. This system is making things so easy.


The flippy touchscreen. How did we get by before this was invented? This has turned out to be another major game changer. Touch the screen with your fingertip to move the focus point, the camera focuses, and takes the image. How easy can this get? Think about it. You want to take a macro shot, flip open the screen, bend or kneel down, touch the screen where you want to have your focus point, and bobs your uncle. Don’t worry about crawling around on the ground. No more wet ground, no more sod it, I’ll pass on this one. Of course, not for every shot, but this is making photography fun and easy. I was taking images of frost covered plants in a farmer’s paddock. No need to lay down in a frost with frozen cow poo.

Low light photography was one of the main reasons for going from aps-c to full frame. How successful was that? After trying low light images, why did I wait so long? I should have done this a while ago. When the sun starts to set, crank up the ISO. Where ISO 1000 was my own personal limit for aps-c, I can now go to ISO 3200 and be happy with the result. You shoot the night sky? Use that flippy screen, push up the ISO and the Milky Way stands out so much better than my attempts with aps-c. The flippy screen makes it so much easier than a fixed rear screen to frame and to focus when your camera is pointing up at the stars. No more bending and trying to see the rear screen at an awkward angle.


The negatives of this camera. The battery life is nowhere near that of a dslr. The speed of this camera can be described as pedestrian. It is no 7D. Sometimes I like to look through the viewfinder of a camera before I power it on to see if the image is worth going for. A slight pain to do with this camera as you have to turn it on. That’s about it for me.

Lastly, I noticed another change with the way I approach photography. I had the camera sitting on a tripod, I was watching the rain on the other side of a lake. And for once, I was not watching the scene unfold and change in front of me through a viewfinder. I was watching the scene change with my eyes, and I was firing the camera. So the camera almost takes a back seat to the moment as opposed to being in the centre.

From what is no more than a Rebel full frame camera. The first image was a massive let down, and now, nine months later, it’s the best image producing digital camera I have ever owned. I have even started to sell off some of my Pentax stuff that just doesn’t get used now.

Would I buy another aps-c camera, unless for a specific reason, probably not.

Would I buy a camera without a flip screen? No, never again will I buy a fixed rear screen camera.

And the big question. Would I buy another dslr……………no. There, I said it. Now where is my tin hat, and I’m off to hide behind the parapet.

I am sure that I have missed things, sorry about that. But please feel free to ask questions.

Gary (now converted to mirrorless)

 

Hi, I did have a Canon 5D4 and Canon 7D2. I part chopped my 7D2 for the EOS RP with kit lens and extra batteries, as lighter gear was becoming more desirable. The RP is a mirrorless EOS 6D2, it has become my walk around camera with the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM lens. I only have mirrorless now.

 

After using mirrorless for a while now, I can't see me ever buying another dslr again. Unless there is an amazing development in that sort of camera.

I dipped my toe in the mirrorless world with the RP, and I have no regrets at all. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is not that fast on moving subjects. A newer model would sort that problem out, but I can live with what I have. Do I miss the weight and bulk of a dslr? No.

I only have EF lenses, and they work perfectly fine on this body.

It is good to see that this sort of camera encourages you to get out and use it.

Gary

 

I think that future major DSLR developments will be few and far between, Gary.

 

I was trying to be diplomatic and not offend anyone who is a die hard dslr user Ray.

Personally, I agree with you on your thoughts, but I think that mirrorless will come along in leaps and bounds as that is where the research and development money is going to be spent.

Gary

 

very nice review of your rp experience Gary, i came into the photography world proper just a year and half ago with the M50, there are some situations where i would benefit from a FF mirrorless but there are more reasons to stick with crop atm.
i very rarely use the flippy screen on mine, i'm mostly shooting through the evf in the field or linked to my mac at home.
maybe its because my eyes are getting old, i prefer the magnify in the evf rather than on the screen.
Do you ever miss the extra reach of a crop sensor camera or have you never really been a longer end shooter?

 

I agree that each format has it's strengths and weakness's. Neither is better than the other, they are just a little different. I think use the one that suits your style the most.

That's interesting as I do use the evf, but I think the flippy screen is worth it's weight in gold. I am pretty sure that I would never buy another camera without a flippy screen. It is a must have in my eyes.

Yes, yes, yes. I do miss the reach of a crop sensor. I still have my 7D, but it rarely gets used. Not because it is a crop camera, more due to the fact of the weight and bulk of it. I have thought of replacing it with a M series body at some stage more than once. Just having a small aps-c Canon camera and an adaptor is easier to throw in with the rest of my stuff when on foot.

Gary

 

with the flippy screen, i would defiantly favor one over one without, its been brilliant to have when i've needed it,
my second body M50 i gave to my gf and she uses the flippy screen all the time for youtube videos.
i've not ventured into video stuff, yet
having the smaller M50 body has ment i can take the camera out when ever i want, with the exception of heavy rain, i still need to sort that out as i'm out in rain alot and want to capture alot more rain stuff,
i've invested in the M lenses for the reason above, its a great small carry set up and i cant see another canon M body to better it, the M6mk2 has some better specs but lacks the inbuilt evf, the add on one uses the hotshoe
had canon have made a proper update to the M50 i could see it challenging the M6 territory.

putting the RP 133 x 85 x 70 mm measurements up against the M50 116 x 88 x 59 mm they not that far apart, the RP being slightly wider and a bit deeper front to back.
the smaller lenses though do make a much bigger difference being alot easier to take one or two with you.

i would be interested in trying a low light shoot with a FF camera like the rp,

 

Well, that surprises me. I would have thought that there would have been a far bigger size difference. I had never thought about comparing the size difference between the two cameras. I just made an assumption that the M series would have been a lot smaller.

I only own EF lenses, but there is a small part (well lets not lie about it), a big part of me that is curious about getting something like the 35mm or 50mm R lens just to try on the camera. That then means you don't use the EF to R adaptor. Not that it is big or heavy at all.

If you get the chance, try it. I think that you will be pleased with the results.

Gary

 

lol i thought the FF RP would have been bigger, its no where big as those monstrous bricks with extra grips etc,but then they are for pro news and sports smudgers

 

I definitely don't fall into the pro category, nor am I a sports shooter.

Gary

 

This is an old thread, but I wanted to chime in here. I'm a casual shooter, currently using a Rebel XS and my beloved 70-200 F4L (non IS) lens.

Strongly considering picking up the RP, but how is it with RAW images? I realize it doesn't have the ability to pull out all the stops like a R5 or R3 would be able to do, but for casual shooting, outdoors mainly, are the RAW images usable? Or is this a JPG only camera?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

Mike.

 

Welcome to the Forum, Mike. A question is only stupid if it is never asked. I can not give much of a comment on the topic at hand as I am into older camera, new gear is out of my financial reach and the idea of smaller lighter does not appeal to me as I like the extended battery life a extra battery in add on grips gives, especially if you are lazy like me and don't recharge the camera battery often.

 

I guess I didn't really mean 'stupid' question. I meant a question that has been asked over and over again. Thank you for the reply.

 

I find the RAW files very usable. I shoot RAW + jpeg, but for a quick and dirty edit, I will use the jpeg, but if feel as if I want to do more with the image, it's going to be the RAW file.

Gary

 

Yes I only shoot RAW on the Rebel.

 

I agree with most of the comments above my main grip is the auto focus in tracking more I used it at a race car meet yesterday for the first time and its way to slow, so I am now considering getting a 90D I I have been offered a good deal from MPB so thinking hard

 

which part of the tracking is slow, while taking the images as you pan or just keeping track of the car, do you find the initial grab to the car slow?
i found on lenses with a focal limiter using this in the correct zone speeds up the tracking and esp the initial grab alot
i'm wondering if the R6 would be the better choice over the 90D, that being said the 90D is a camera i have considered for its 32mp sensor along with the M6mkII

due to the higher mp of the 90d you may need to use higher res lenses, something to check out

 

yes the initial grab is slow as for example a fast moving car comes into view point focus the cars gone then the camera catches up to late I read the rp focus was a bit slow for sports but didnt think it was as bad as it is. I have done a deal on a mint 90D. R6 out of my budget