Canon RP vs R8

[testeri1]

Hey everyone, looking for some advice. Currently shooting with a 250D/SL3 but thinking about making the jump to full-frame mirrorless. Photography is my main thing, not too fussed about video capabilities.

My two option are the canon RP and R8. I want to know if its necessary to go for R8 if I can get the RP. Mainly shooting portraits.

[John_SD]

I have an RP and when I got it, it was considered entry level full frame in the Canon lineup. I would not recommend it today. By all accounts, the R8 has a better sensor, better tracking, better AF performance, etc. Worth the extra $300 or so over the older RP, in my view. YMMV. 

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome to the forum:
Let me say first off that we don't know  your budget restrictions.
The RP is really quite an old camera now, and I would not be surprised to see it disappear soon - is in some ways a throwback to the rather tepid efforts by Canon in their journey into mirrorless.   The R8 is significantly better, with an excellent 24MP sensor, offering superior dynamic range and noise handling, and has the fabulous eye and face tracking (lacking in the RP) for people, animals and those in vehicles. Finally, the R8 has got better and more intuitive controls with a fair degree of customization.
You might find this useful.  Canon EOS R8 vs EOS RP (Which is Better in 2024?)

If you are in the continental USA, you can pick up a Canon refurbished R8 - these may be new and overstock, new but opened box, demo, or display units, but will be 'good as new' and come with a Canon warranty:
Refurbished EOS R8 Body $1079.

The RP and R8 are both full-frame cameras, so any EF-S lenses you may have will not behave well on these bodies, the EF lenses will work fine via a Canon EF-RF adapter,  currently out of stock but you can ask to be notified when they are back in:  Shop Canon Refurbished Mount Adapter EF-EOS R | Canon U.S.A., Inc. $79.

If you don't have any EF glass then, depending on what you want to shoot, I would recommend as a starter lens, the RF 24-240 IS USM.  It's got a massive range, excellent optics and may be the only lens you need and, in my own experience, it does absolutely OK for portraits, otherwise one of the RF 24-105 variants - such as the f/4 L.

One of the big advantages you have with a FF camera for portraits is that you get a shallower depth of field and better dynamic range.  The sensor on the R8 will also perform significantly better as regards ISO and low light dynamic range compared to your current camera.
The following corporate photos were taken with this lens, in available light, hand-held.
R6, RF 24-240@100mm, f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO-1600 R6, RF24-240@129mm, f/6.3, 1/160sec, ISO-1250   R6, Rf 24-240@79mm, f/8, 1/50sec, ISO-1600

[LeeP]

I've shot extensively with an R8 for a little over a year and I find it to be a most versatile camera. The body price new is such that the camera is an exceedingly good value. I've found it to be very reliable and versatile. The modes allow for fine tuning the camera for the situation, but program with uncompensated exposure is so good at delivering a competent exposure that if you will be tempted NOT to leave it. I came into photography professionally when manual was the only option if you're serious, but automation has gotten so good that manual is almost an anachronism. I'd buy the RP only if I could get it new for half price. It's an old camera now--4-5 years is an eon in electronics--and the R8 is a much better version. If I am doing digital, I'm typically out with my R8 and an R100, the latter being so small and light that you hardly notice it along for the ride. The R8 is compact and light enough that it's no burden to lug around and its performance and versatility are impressive.

[deebatman316]

I would agree with my collogues the EOS R8 has much newer technology in it to offer than the EOS RP. Note if flash is necessary for your work. An external speedlite is required because all of Canon's Full Frame cameras and EOS R7 lack a built-in flash. What EF lenses do you own. I'm asking about EF and NOT EF-S for a reason. EF-S & RF-S lenses will cause the camera to provide less megapixels. This is due to the lens NOT projecting an image circle big enough to cover entire Full Frame image sensor. You'll go from a 24 megapixels to a 9.4 megapixels when an APS-C lens is used. I highly recommend looking into a Full Frame EF lens at a minimum. Or go for native Full Frame RF lens such as the 24-105mm F/4L IS USM lens or RF 24-240mm F/4-6.3 IS USM lens. Now we don't know your budget. The lenses we recommended have IS built to help with camera shake. Some camera bodies such as the EOS R6 Mark II also provide IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) to add even more stabilization. The EOS R8 & EOS RP don't have this feature instead they rely on lens based stabilization.

[Cantrell]

You can go to www.kenrockwell.com and read his reviews of the R8 and RP. Also, Ken Rockwell does camera comparisons. I believe he did a comparison of the R8 to the RP. Enjoy the search.