Canon EOS RP First Shots: Canon’s new entry-level full-frame camera arrives for testing

posted Friday, February 15, 2019 at 5:35 PM EDT

Click here to see our Canon EOS RP First Shots

Earlier this week, Canon debuted their second full-frame mirrorless camera, the Canon EOS RP. Borrowing the 26MP sensor from the 6D Mark II (albeit with some tweaks) and pairing it with their latest DIGIC 8 image processor, the new EOS RP sits at the entry-level position of the Canon's growing RF-mount camera series. Designed specifically for ease of use and a surprisingly low price point, the Canon EOS RP isn't cram-jammed with all the bells and whistles, but rather a modest array of features and performance specs. Nevertheless, the EOS RP is still a full-frame camera, and that large sensor combined with sharp lenses can make for some beautiful, detail-rich photographs.

To see if the EOS RP can indeed make beautiful photos, we've just now published our standard First Shots series of lab sample images. (We also have a decently sized batch of real-world images to browse through as well!) For our First Shots series, this gives you a sense of the camera's image quality performance across its full ISO range, which in the case of the EOS RP spans from an extended low ISO of 50 all the way up to ISO 102,400. As always, First Shots come with both in-camera JPEGs and the accompanying raw files. The standardized nature of our sample images also gives you the ability to compare image quality against pretty much any other camera we've tested using our trusty Comparometer.

To get the comparison juices flowing, below are a couple 1:1 crop comparisons showing the new EOS RP against some competitors at base ISO and ISO 6400. Up first is the Canon 6D Mark II; despite the similar sensor, how does the EOS RP compared to its DSLR sibling? Then, we also have a notable rival, the 24MP Sony A7 III. While higher-priced than the RP, the A7 III is currently Sony's lowest-priced, current-model full-frame Alpha-series camera; their entry-level model, so to speak. How does it stack up?