R7 or R/RP for shooting my toddler?

lightwriter wrote:

Hi there!

I have at the moment a Canon 700D with the kit lens, the EF-S 10-18mm STM and the EF 35mm f/2.

I'm thinking of buying into the mirrorless system, because I have a daughter with 20 months, and I want to be able to photograph her and take some videos where I can rely on the autofocus.

I know the R7 has IBIS and better video, but I'm no birder nor do I shoot sports. Are the R/RP better options for me or are they too long on the tooth?

If I were going to have just one camera it would have to be FF.  The low light noise benefits of FF over APS-C are substantial as is the bokeh (background blur) one can get.  If I had to choose between the R and R7 being at similar price points it would be a tough choice.  In the end, I think the R is what I would choose.  I have owned the R for two years now and it is a solid camera.  It does so many things very well and the latest firmware update really enhanced its AF ability which is why I finally bought it.  IBIS is a very nice feature but lens IS makes this not so much an issue unless you plan to shoot a lot with unstabilized prime lenses.  IBIS can enhance lens IS but only by say taking a 5-6 stop IS lens and making it one stop better.  The improvement doesn't mean all that much in the overwhelming majority of shooting situations.

IMO, the R is more than sufficient for shooting children and even sports to a certain degree.  Its not going to rattle off 20-30 fps but in normal situations, shooting at this fps is just massive overkill.  As for video, the R shoots 4K with a substantial crop but I have the EF-S 10-18mm and have found it works perfectly on the R for 4k video.  There are some very nice fairly affordable RF lenses like the upcoming RF 15-30mm that would work very well on the R for stills and video shooting.  For your situation the RF 24-240mm would be a perfect one lens solution for you to start with.  I have this lens and absolutely love using it.  The focal range is fantastic and allows one to capture so many good shots that would be missed if lens changes had to be made to get the right focal length.

With the above said, I don't think you can go wrong with the R, R7 or R10.  I would not disregard the R10 in your decision process.  It doesn't have IBIS but this isn't a deal breaker if you plan to rely heavily on stabilized lenses.  As you mentioned in another response, IBIS is mostly good for using unstabilized lenses.  When using stabilized lenses its usefulness is greatly diminished.  For this reason, I would look hard at it as a possible replacement for your 700D.  Plus, the R10 saves you $500 over the R7 and $600 over the R.