My outdoor adventure companion: Canon EOS RP

The Canon EOS RP is the lightest, most compact and most affordable full-frame mirrorless camera in the EOS R System. Designed to be a simple to use, it has an uncluttered array of controls that make it easy for photographers stepping up from an APS-C DSLR, and also ideal for pros looking for a streamlined second camera.

The EOS RP has become the camera of choice for outdoor lifestyle and adventure photographer Jake Baggaley, who shoots action sports including climbing and distance running in remote locations and challenging conditions but values being "part of the action rather than just a spectator," as he describes his characteristic style.

"The thing that attracted me to the EOS RP the most is the fact that it's so lightweight," Jake reveals. "It's such a big leap from the EOS 5D series cameras that I was using before, and it meant that I could go from lugging kilograms of kit up a mountain to having this small full-frame mirrorless camera that I can always have with me. It really opened up the possibilities of being able to move and work faster, which gives me an edge when I'm photographing athletes running through the landscape.

"I'll go further," Jake continues. "A lot of my shots would not have been possible without the compact combination of the EOS RP with the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens – which for me is a perfect 'do-it-all' lens for action sports. When I am in extreme terrain over long distances or running alongside athletes, the weight of my kit really plays a key part in whether I can keep up. To be honest, with bigger, more intrusive kit, half the time it just wouldn't be possible.

"I made the switch to Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras based on my experience of the EOS RP," adds Jake, who has now added a Canon EOS R5 to his kitbag as well.

Of course, there's much more to the EOS RP than just its light weight. Here, Jake details some of the key features and options that he finds invaluable in the EOS RP, while John Maurice, European Product Marketing Manager at Canon Europe, provides some useful technical insight.

"I've ended up using the custom modes a lot," says Jake. "I'm often using the EOS RP in quite a fast-paced way when I'm photographing athletes, so I would typically set the C1 custom mode to Servo AF with AF point Expansion and Face Detection. Then I'd set C2 to optimised settings for darker situations, perhaps with expanded ISO enabled, and C3 would be set to One Shot AF and Spot AF, ready for shooting details such as close-ups of training shoes.

"It just means that I can have everything set up before I go out for the day, and then instantly adapt the camera to the situation. It's got a mode dial rather than the top OLED screen like other EOS R System cameras, which means you can change the mode really quickly."

Another EOS RP customisation that Jake finds useful is that he can quickly crop to a smaller APS-C format. "While it does reduce the resolution, it's really useful when I want to get that extra bit of reach and I don't necessarily have time to change the lens. I've customised the controls, so I can punch in and out at the press of the magnify button. It's obviously the same as cropping the image in post, but it just gives you that creative control of seeing what the picture is like in-camera."

With its large-diameter, high-speed RF lens mount, the EOS RP supports the growing range of high-quality, next-generation RF lenses, as well as the vast choice of EF and EF-S lenses with full compatibility and no loss of quality via one of the EF-EOS R Mount Adapters.

Jake says the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens is perfect for his brand of shooting demanding outdoor action because it provides a versatile range of focal lengths and, just like the camera, is light in weight, certainly when "compared to carrying multiple zooms, which would have only slightly more reach at either end of the range!

"In addition to the RF 50mm F1.2L USM, I often paired it with the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens with an EF-EOS R Mount Adapter if I needed any super-shallow detail stuff – it's super light weight and super cheap, which means I can just stick it in a running pack or hike pack and not worry about it too much," Jake quips.

"You've also now got a set of lightweight, affordable and versatile prime lenses for the Canon EOS RP," John adds. "There's the Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM lens, for example, which offers higher image quality when used at its maximum aperture compared to the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens. And it comes with added functionality in the shape of a customisable Lens Control Ring and close-focusing for macro, as well as Hybrid IS for steadier macro results. Then there's the Canon RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM lens, which also has IS and macro functionality, as well as the recently introduced Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM lens."

For Jake, who's moved to the Canon EOS R System from the EOS 5D line, the EOS RP's Vari-Angle touchscreen offers a level of versatility he hadn't been accustomed to. This applies not just to being able to turn the screen around, which helps when shooting from unusual angles, but also to the AF features.

"To keep the camera small and streamlined, there's no joystick to select the AF point," he explains. "But one of the things I love about the EOS RP is that you can use your thumb on the rear screen to move the AF point around when you're looking through the viewfinder. In many ways it's more intuitive and quicker than using a joystick."

Touch-and-Drag AF can be customised in several ways. You can switch between two Position methods, for example: Absolute positions the AF point precisely where you touch or drag it on the screen, while Relative moves it relative to the direction and distance that you move your thumb.

You can also customise which area of the screen activates the Touch-and-Drag function. "When I had the whole screen active, my nose would sometimes move the autofocus point when I was looking through the viewfinder," Jake reveals. "But by choosing to have just the right-hand side of the screen active, I can grab the AF point with my thumb while still holding the camera, and my nose pressing against the screen doesn't change it. It's great to have that level of control."

Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth add to the EOS RP's versatility, enabling you to control the camera from your smartphone, browse images on the memory card and download them to a mobile device, or even log GPS information. "I use the Wi-Fi a lot for keeping my social channels updated and also for checking shots at the end of the day," says Jake. "Being able to hook up the EOS RP to my phone or my tablet and just check through the shots is really convenient.

"Thanks to the Canon Camera Connect app, I've also used my phone as a remote shutter quite a lot, either for getting steady shots on a tripod or occasionally if I need to include myself in a picture. I did a shoot in the mountains in Georgia, where I was attempting to run a speed record for a certain route. I was alone in a completely remote area, so being able to control the camera from my phone and get pictures of myself in context was incredibly useful."

If you want to record moving pictures alongside stills, the Canon EOS RP has a range of versatile video options to help you achieve high-quality results. As well as offering 4K resolution, it can deliver Full HD at up to 60fps, and has a Full HD HDR movie option too.

"The EOS RP also has a microphone (line-in) socket and a headphone socket, so it's a good proposition for content creators who are looking for a lightweight, full-frame camera," says John. "And its Vari-Angle screen is obviously appreciated by people shooting video, as well as photographers looking for creative angles. It also features a 4K Frame Grab option, enabling you to extract 8.3MP JPEG still image frames from a 4K movie."

Canon periodically releases EOS RP firmware updates, which are available to download from the camera support page. Much like a system update for your smartphone, the latest firmware brings improvements and new features to your Canon EOS RP.

"To get the most out of the latest lenses, a firmware update is required," John explains. "And we're adding functions to the camera all the time. For example, we introduced a cinematic 24fps recording option for video, and we've enhanced the Eye Detection and Tracking autofocus.

"As well as adding to the functionality, we also use firmware updates to keep the system working consistently. One of the benefits of the EOS system is that it all works together. Of course you can have many, many combinations of equipment and shooting settings, but it's a family of products. You may have bought a Speedlite flash or EF lens many years ago, but it will still work with the EOS RP, and lenses function as you would expect when using one of the three EF-EOS R Mount Adapters available for the EOS RP.

"Whether you want to take your photography up a level or you're moving up from APS-C to full-frame and want a body with a similar weight and size but without any added complexity, EOS RP is ideal."