The Canon EOS RP is a full-frame mirrorless camera. It offers excellent image quality, as it keeps noise and graininess to a minimum even when shooting in dark environments at high ISO levels. It also has an effective autofocus system for photography and is quite comfortable to use, with an intuitive menu system. Unfortunately, its battery life is quite short, so it's not a great fit for extended shooting sessions. Its maximum shooting speed is also quite slow, so it isn't the best option for capturing still images of fast-moving subjects. Recording capability in 4k is also quite limited, as it incurs a heavy crop and can't record at high frame rates.
The Canon EOS RP is good for travel photography. It offers excellent image quality, even in low light, and can achieve fairly extended shutter speeds, allowing for complex long-exposure photos. It also has an effective autofocus system that can track subjects reliably and quickly. Compared to point-and-shoot cameras, it's only passably portable, but offers great ergonomics, as even users with large hands should find it comfortable to use. Unfortunately, it has a short battery life, so you may want to purchase an extra battery if you plan on using it for extended periods.
The Canon EOS RP is great for landscape photography. Images are sharp and mostly free of graininess, even when you step up its ISO setting to compensate for poor lighting conditions. It also feels quite sturdy and is comfortable to use, though it isn't as easy to carry around on a hike compared to a phone camera or a point-and-shoot. It has a sharp touchscreen that's bright enough to be seen even under direct sunlight. Unfortunately, its kit lens exhibits noticeable light falloff, so the corners of your image may be noticeably darker than the middle.
The Canon EOS RP is okay for sports and wildlife photography. Its slow maximum shooting speed makes it a challenge to capture clear photos of fast-moving subjects. Also, since you can't shoot continuously in the camera's silent shooting mode, you may find it hard to capture photos of skittish wildlife. Thankfully, it's fitted with a quick and consistent autofocus system and offers great image quality, even in dimly-lit environments. It's also decently well-built and amazingly comfortable to use.
The Canon EOS RP is very good for vlogging. Since its screen is fully articulated, you can see what you're recording even when the camera is pointed at you. As long as you shoot in FHD, the camera does a great job of smoothing out camera shake if you're recording handheld video, and its autofocus system should have no issue tracking your face. Unfortunately, recording in 4k incurs a very heavy crop and results in a severe decrease in video stabilization performance as well as the autofocus' face-tracking capability.
The Canon EOS RP is decent for studio video. Video quality is decently sharp and fairly low in noise whether you record in FHD or 4k, though recording in the latter does result in a severe crop that cuts out many details around the borders of the frame as well as a drop in autofocus subject-tracking consistency. There's a wide variety of input and outputs on the camera that let you connect an auxiliary mic, headphones, and an external recorder, though there's no room for a second SD card in case you run out of space while recording.
The Canon EOS RP isn't designed for action video. While it's smaller than conventional DSLR cameras, it's still too bulky to be mounted on a helmet or chest rig. It also doesn't offer any high-speed frame rate options to create smooth slow-motion video in 4k or FHD. That said, it does a great job of smoothing out camera shake in FHD and has a decently sturdy construction.
The Canon EOS RP is only available in one color variant: 'Black', and you can see its label here. We tested it with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM lens. While it can be purchased with other lenses, like the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM lens, we haven't tested its performance in any other configuration. You can also purchase its body individually.
If you come across a different variant of the Canon EOS RP, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
The Canon EOS R8 is very similar to the Canon EOS RP in design and build quality. However, the R8 has a different sensor and new processor that give it an edge in image and video quality. It also has a better autofocus system, faster e-shutter burst shooting, better internal video recording capability, and more video frame rate options.
The Canon EOS RP and Canon EOS R10 are both lower mid-range/entry-level cameras but with different design briefs and differing intended use cases. The older RP has a higher-resolution full-frame sensor that produces better image sharpness and superior noise-handling capability, making it a better option for still photography, especially in low light. That said, the R10 holds a wide range of other advantages. It feels better-built, offers superior battery life from the same LP-E17 battery, and has a significantly faster max shooting speed, though admittedly with a pretty small image buffer. The R10 is a much better option for video work, too: it supports 10-bit 4:2:2 recording when using the HDR PQ profile, can record uncropped 4k video at up to 30 fps or cropped 4k video at 60 fps, and offers superior autofocus tracking performance.
The Nikon Z 5 is better than the Canon EOS RP. Both are entry-level full-frame cameras, but the Nikon feels better built, has a higher-resolution EVF, includes in-body image stabilization and dual SD card slots, and has significantly better battery life. That said, the Canon does offer a couple of advantages—notably, a more portable body and a better overall autofocus system.
The Canon EOS R6 Mark II is better overall than the Canon EOS RP, but the RP is still a good option if you want a more portable and more affordable full-frame camera. The RP can still take excellent photos, and both cameras use the same lens mount, but the R6 Mark II is a more capable camera body, with a better build quality, a higher-resolution EVF, in-body image stabilization, and more advanced video features, including more frame rate options and better internal recording specs.
The Canon EOS RP and the Sony α7 II each offer advantages and disadvantages. The RP is more portable and can record video in 4k, albeit with a very heavy crop. It also has a newer processor and more reliable autofocus system. On the other hand, the α7 II has in-body image stabilization and a slightly better battery life, along with a wider selection of lens options.
Update 05/06/2021: Corrected input error in the 'Customizable Button' field from 'No' to 'Yes'.
Update 04/29/2021: Corrected input error in the 'Water Resistance' field from 'Weather Sealed' to 'No'.
Update 03/08/2021: Corrected input error in the 'Max Aperture (Full Frame Equivalent)' field. The score has been updated.
Update 05/10/2021: Changed 'ISO Maximum' field from from '25600' to '40000'.
If you'd prefer a camera with in-body image stabilization, consider the Sony α7 II.
If you want a similar camera that can record 4k video at up to 60 fps without a crop, check out the Canon EOS R8.