The affordable way to go Full Frame and Mirrorless

Having come from a EOS 100D and 60D with a largish EF lens collection, the EOS RP body came up in a sale for €770 - 120 cashback. Irresistible. Had always wanted to go full frame (never really saw the advantages of mirrorless, given the tiny size/weight of the 100D?).

The good bits... the size, weight and ergonomics are amazing, even with relatively large hands/fingers; the rear fold-out screen is excellent. Nice size, IQ, resistance, flexbility, display options. Hard to want for more, at this price point. The AF is amazing. With the lenses I tested so far both eye tracking (kids/pets) and zone work very reliably, even in low light environment. Incomparable improvement compared to 100D/60D.

EVF - not too bad even for someone with astigmatism and sight issues. Clear, bright, much better than either DSLR viewfinder.

Menus, modes (Fv is spectacular new addition - give it a try), configurability. Many different ways to set up your back button-AF, or assign whatever you like wherever you like. Light years ahead of the 100D and 60D. The 'advanced' user manual is good, but heavy.

And the bad... even after 3 years the RF lens line up is quite limited compared to the amazing range of fast primes for EF mount, and seem they are vastly overpriced - Canon exploiting the block on 3rd party AF lenses, perhaps. RF 24mm costs €750!? Admitedly they are mostly a full stop faster than the equivalent 'budget' EF lens, but many are 3x the price of the EF version.

So, it comes back to the question. Why buy an RP? If you want to go full frame and have a stock of Canon EF glass, then the EF-RF adaptor makes for a very affordable transition. Probably 50% of the cost of any other system camera from Nikon, Sony, Fuji. But, if you bought it to travel with then the limitations of RF become obvious. The adapter is bulky and heavy. It knocks out any size/weight advantage the RP body has. The general purpose zooms are either inferior to the RP capabilities (RF 24-105/f4-7.1 IS STM) or cost 3x the cost of the RP itself, and are bulky and heavy, or inferior to their EF equivalent. And you have no Sigma, Tamron etc. to offer an alternative (or competition).

I love the RP, but will never have the cash to build the lens choice I had in EF for my DSLR. If you dont already have a significant investment in EF glass, then there are probably better, more afforable options for a capable travelling full-frame. If you don't mind adding the adaptor then there are over 150M EF lenses produced and many 2nd hand bargains, and probably the same again from 3rd party brands.

Plenty of excellent online videos and pages on how to set up your RP:

https://www.p4pictures.com/2020/06/discover-how-i-use-eos-r-custom-controls-to-the-max/

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=30498&Title=42-Steps-to-the-Perfect-Canon-EOS-RP-Setup

https://camerajabber.com/tutorials/how-to-customise-canon-eos-r-cameras/

https://www.usa.canon.com/learning/training-articles/training-articles-list/canon-eos-rp-features-in-a-snap

Hi, fully understand your enthusiasm of going mirrorless, yet, the one thing that was a deal breaker for me with the RP was that it does not have image stabilization (IBIS). In the end I bought the EOS R6 and I'm happy ever after.

Ferenc MOGOR wrote:

Hi, fully understand your enthusiasm of going mirrorless, yet, the one thing that was a deal breaker for me with the RP was that it does not have image stabilization (IBIS). In the end I bought the EOS R6 and I'm happy ever after.

My lenses have image stabilization.  If I’m shooting a landscape and want slower shutter speeds, I use a tripod and cable.  Regardless of stabilization, I don’t trust myself to handhold much slower than formula anyway (1 / focal length).

Not saying the RP competes with the R6.  But IBIS is dead last on any list of reasons that i would choose to upgrade.

Distinctly Average wrote:

Not sure I would agree with the adapter being bulky and heavy. At 125g it weighs about the same as a mirror box and takes up less than the same room. An RP with the adapter is still very light, certainly less than any of the FF DSLRs from Canon

Its a fair point. Its not really heavy or that large, but at 125g that 50% of the weight of my old EF primes and for the pancake 28 or 40 it doubles their size. I am looking for extreme portability and the RP gives that. I am hoping that eventually Canon see there is a market for a 28 / 35 / 40 or even 22-45 pancake zoom at an affordable price.

Wiedehopf wrote:

EOS RP body in a sale for €770 - 120 cashback

Hello 👋

If you can PM me address where you found the EOS RP for €650 (New)

Thanks very much

Gaul

Wiedehopf wrote:

Having come from a EOS 100D and 60D with a largish EF lens collection, the EOS RP body came up in a sale for €770 - 120 cashback. Irresistible. Had always wanted to go full frame (never really saw the advantages of mirrorless, given the tiny size/weight of the 100D?).

i did like my 100D

The good bits... the size, weight and ergonomics are amazing, even with relatively large hands/fingers; the rear fold-out screen is excellent. Nice size, IQ, resistance, flexbility, display options. Hard to want for more, at this price point. The AF is amazing. With the lenses I tested so far both eye tracking (kids/pets) and zone work very reliably, even in low light environment. Incomparable improvement compared to 100D/60D.

EVF - not too bad even for someone with astigmatism and sight issues. Clear, bright, much better than either DSLR viewfinder.

Menus, modes (Fv is spectacular new addition - give it a try), configurability. Many different ways to set up your back button-AF, or assign whatever you like wherever you like. Light years ahead of the 100D and 60D. The 'advanced' user manual is good, but heavy.

And the bad... even after 3 years the RF lens line up is quite limited compared to the amazing range of fast primes for EF mount, and seem they are vastly overpriced - Canon exploiting the block on 3rd party AF lenses, perhaps. RF 24mm costs €750!? Admitedly they are mostly a full stop faster than the equivalent 'budget' EF lens, but many are 3x the price of the EF version.

every time someone names an RF lens and says its much more expensive than the EF version when i go and check the launch price for the EF lenses and then add inflation the lenses are normally the same price or the RF lens is cheaper ..the nearest EF lens to your RF 24mmIS , the EF 24mmF2.8IS and its stop slower

the price for the RF24 is 750GBP in the UK ..in 2012 when launched the stop slower EF24Is was............ 750GBP in today's money that is almost 1000GBP

so for 250 quid less you get a stop faster better IS and sharper and its macro

That sounds like a bargain ..even after 10 years the EF24is still 500GBP new

the problem is when you buy your EF body there was plenty of old EF stuff about ..nothing RF is more than 4 years old

i bet folk say the same thing when they were trading their FD lenses for EF lenses in the 1980s

So, it comes back to the question. Why buy an RP? If you want to go full frame and have a stock of Canon EF glass, then the EF-RF adaptor makes for a very affordable transition. Probably 50% of the cost of any other system camera from Nikon, Sony, Fuji. But, if you bought it to travel with then the limitations of RF become obvious. The adapter is bulky and heavy. It knocks out any size/weight advantage the RP body has. The general purpose zooms are either inferior to the RP capabilities (RF 24-105/f4-7.1 IS STM)

the 24-105 STM has got an unfair rep..optically its very similar to the EF 24-105 f4L i had and the RF 24-105F4L..the slow F7.1 is a trade for size ...you can't have fast and small at the same time, to put it in perspective if you had a APS-c lens with the same DOF and total light gathering you would need a F2.5-4.45 lens and it would be about the same size

if you want a compact lens for travel this is the lens

here is a vid testing EF and RF L and STM 24-105 and optically, AF and IS, are all similar

or cost 3x the cost of the RP itself, and are bulky and heavy, or inferior to their EF equivalent. And you have no Sigma, Tamron etc. to offer an alternative (or competition).

I love the RP, but will never have the cash to build the lens choice I had in EF for my DSLR. If you dont already have a significant investment in EF glass, then there are probably better, more afforable options for a capable travelling full-frame.

i don't think so

the RP with say RF16mm RF50mm RF24-105STM and the Rf100-400 i don't think any other manufacturer will get any near it for the price size and versatility

If you don't mind adding the adaptor then there are over 150M EF lenses produced and many 2nd hand bargains, and probably the same again from 3rd party brands.

Plenty of excellent online videos and pages on how to set up your RP:

https://www.p4pictures.com/2020/06/discover-how-i-use-eos-r-custom-controls-to-the-max/

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=30498&Title=42-Steps-to-the-Perfect-Canon-EOS-RP-Setup

https://camerajabber.com/tutorials/how-to-customise-canon-eos-r-cameras/

https://www.usa.canon.com/learning/training-articles/training-articles-list/canon-eos-rp-features-in-a-snap

The EF-RF adapter is great, and really should be considered a mandatory accessory for any R-system user. The EF catalog provides many great lenses (not just from Canon but also e.g., Sigma Art lenses which are excellent on the R-series cameras).

Also worth noting is the existence of adapters such as the drop-in filter adapters (available from Canon, Kolari, Meike, etc.) which enable the use of filters (adjusted by the camera — extremely convenient) that work with every EF lens, and Speed Boosters (I have a Metabones) which reduce focal length by 0.71 and which are useful on APS-C bodies and for certain crop modes (e.g., for the crop 4K video mode on your RP).

I think Canon will ultimately eventually replace the RP with another entry-level FF MILC. But the R6's price will also drop with time, too.

nail33 wrote:

Wiedehopf wrote:

Nice size, IQ, resistance, flexbility, display options.

resistance ???

What does that refer to? Just curious.

hi, really sorry but cannot find where i wrote that. Perhaps i was intending to write robustness? my general impression is the RP with the magnesium ally chassis is way better built and tougher than either my 100D (SL1?) or 60D.