# Which R* is the right one for me?



## adastra (Aug 16, 2020)

Hello fellow photographers, 

I'm a bit out of the loop on what's new with Canon cameras. I heard the R5 was recently released but that's about it. I currently own a EOS 7D Mark II, but I'm looking to replace it with something more lightweight. The 7DM2 is a bit of a beast and pretty heavy, and since I mainly use it when I travel, I would much prefer something more compact and lightweight. Before the 7DM2 I had a Digital Rebel XTi. 

I've had my eyes on the R series for a while, since mirrorless cameras tend to be much more compact, so I think one of these would be a good choice, though I'm not entirely sure which one. 

I'm looking for these in a camera: 
* lightweight and easy to carry
* very fast autofocus
* wi-fi
* ideally a foldable and reversible screen which allow live previews for selfies as well
* ideally GPS, though on the 7DM2 that is an absolute battery hog
* timelapse function
* max. 2000 EURs, ideally only around 1000-1500 EUR


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## docsmith (Aug 16, 2020)

You are actually describing an M camera, not an R. You may want to look at the M6 II, but more likely, you should wait as there are rumored to be a higher end M camera coming that may check all your boxes. The issues with the R is that they are above your price range. But to run down your list, the camera bodies themselves are lighter, but the RF lenses tend to be the same weight or heavier, so I am not sure they will count as "lightweight and easy to carry" for you, very fast AF (check), wi-fi (check), screen (check), GPS (via phone...maybe a check), timelapse (I believe check), price...they are priced much higher, the R6 is $2600 (USD) and R5 is $3,900 USD, and usually Euros is the same or a bit higher.

The M6 II is actually a very nice camera. The AF is "fast". I have a few minor issues, but it is very good. It would have a flip screen and not a foldable, but otherwise would check all boxes.


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## Joules (Aug 16, 2020)

What subjects you want to shoot and what lenses you own would be helpful to know to make better suggestions.

Going from a 7 series to any currently available M camera will be quite a major change in ergonomics and likely not result in much enhanced weight or size if you have large EF telephoto lenses you intend to keep using. The EF-M system is about minimal size and weight currently. There are rumors about a higher end M coming, although what that really means is speculation at this point. 

The R5 of course is the closest to a 7D replacement if you are going after the weather sealing, speed and reach for wildlife and sports. The price is far above your budget though.

At the time, the R system is a bit in a weird spot, as the two lower end models were already based around the 6D II and 5D IV tech when they launched and are now showing their age in comparison to the stellar performance the R6 and R5 have shown. I don't think we have any info on when they (or their price brackets, really) will get replacements though.

Just in terms of wanting to go lighter, the RP is a good fit though. Especially for the budget you named, as it would also leave room for one of the RF lenses. 

But I think you should really give a bit more insight in what you shoot and in which ways you would like to see improvement over the 7D beside the weight. And if/what lenses you intend to use.


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## adastra (Aug 16, 2020)

Thanks for your feedback so far! 

I usually shoot landscapes and cityscapes, anything that comes my way when I travel. Also things like statues, street art, stuff in museums, etc. The other thing that I like to shoot are people and animals. Sometimes portraits, sometimes smaller group situations. 

As for lenses, I don't have that many. Usually when travelling I use a 17-70mm 2.8-4.5 lens, though that one is incredibly old and needs to be replaced. I also have a 50mm 1.4 for portraits, that's about it so far. I have a few that I've had my eye on, but so far haven't felt the need to invest into them, as I don't use the camera often enough at the moment. I hope that might change with a less bulky camera. 

I'm hoping to find something that'll give me the same or better quality as the 7DM2, but less heavy and possibly with better features.


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## brad-man (Aug 16, 2020)

For your purposes the RP seems to be the best fit. Though if you want to use the batteries you already have (LP-E6), you would need an R. Both will give you much better IQ in less than ideal lighting situations than your 7D and take up less real estate while doing it. Get the basic EF/RF adapter so you can continue to use your existing lenses while you wait for the RF 24-105L to go on sale at the Canon Store refurbished. The RF 35mm f/1.8 IS is also a fine lens for a very fair price if that is a focal length you will use.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 16, 2020)

M cameras are APS-C like your 7D MK II. R series cameras are full frame. You can use your lens with them, but the image will be cropped if its a Canon lens, for 3rd party lenses, you need to set the camera to do a crop or do it yourself later.

I don't believe any of the R bodies have built in GPS. It hasn't worked well inside a camera, so a link to a smart phone or a separate GPS receiver is needed. I don't know about M bodies.

Only the R5 and R6 have interval shooting (timelapse). You can get the feature with a smart phone app or a separate accessory.

So, with the R series, getting all the features you want for the price you want isn't going to happen. The EOS R is a really good value for the price, It might be a good compromise. A R5 is 4000 euros, a r6 is 2500 while a R fits nicely in your price range. The Wi-Fi on my R is improved over my 5D MK IV, only the R5 is going to be better yet.


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## Maximilian (Aug 16, 2020)

Hi adastra!

When I look at your requirements these are the ones that gets me most to my recommendation


adastra said:


> * lightweight and easy to carry
> ...
> * max. 2000 EURs, ideally only around 1000-1500 EUR


As you are comming from APS-C and didn't mention your lens lineup it is difficult to tell, if it was better to stay with APS-C leading to this


docsmith said:


> You are actually describing an M camera, not an R. You may want to look at the M6 II...


or to go FF.

As your budget is limited to what you say above, an R5 or R6 are out of reach.
An EOS RP will not fullfill all your needs, but if you want to go FF and R series, you might want to get some RF lenses as well.
Esp the RF 35 and 85 STM primes might be interesting, if you want to travel light.
The RP is small and light, the AF is fast but not as good as R5/6.
And you have to think if there are features missing that are deal breakers for you.

That would be my road to go. But please check the not so fast EVF. Good for alround but not for sports/action...


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## PCM-madison (Aug 16, 2020)

I think you should look at the RP. It is my travel camera and I have used it a lot with both the RF 24-105 F4 L IS and RF24-240 lenses. It has been great. I have used the original M and M5 camera quite a bit and for me the RP is a much better camera. The autofocus and viewfinder are much better for the RP compared to the M cameras I've used. Most of the information in previous posts is spot on, but one correction-the RP does have an interval timer for time lapse. I previously owned a 7D mii. I only miss the high frame rate occasionally, but the IQ of the RP is much better. Sample photo from a recent trip shot with RP + 24-240mm lens at Morgan Falls in WI.


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## adastra (Sep 3, 2020)

Thank you for your replies everyone! I went to a camera store last week and had a close look at the RP and M6II and I am currently leaning towards the RP. I will probably still wait a little bit longer though until I buy it, as at the moment the RF lenses are still very expensive and there are not a lot of them to choose from. Also, this news article sounds like there might be a good alternative coming early next year.


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## stevelee (Sep 3, 2020)

For travel, I go even more extreme in weight and size saving and use the G5X Mark II and leave the DSLR and collection of lenses at home. I don't miss the telephoto lengths above 120mm equivalent for those photos. You might, and you may put less premium on being able to carry the camera in your pocket. But for me, it works great, and I can make good prints up to 13" x 19" even with a little cropping. I considered the M50 when I bought it, and was favorably impressed with it, but decided to go small. I had been using the G7X Mark II and had been pleased with the results, so I knew I would almost for sure like the upgrade.


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## SteveC (Sep 3, 2020)

stevelee said:


> For travel, I go even more extreme in weight and size saving and use the G5X Mark II and leave the DSLR and collection of lenses at home. I don't miss the telephoto lengths above 120mm equivalent for those photos. You might, and you may put less premium on being able to carry the camera in your pocket. But for me, it works great, and I can make good prints up to 13" x 19" even with a little cropping. I considered the M50 when I bought it, and was favorably impressed with it, but decided to go small. I had been using the G7X Mark II and had been pleased with the results, so I knew I would almost for sure like the upgrade.



In hindsight I think I should have gone canon on my point and shoot (I went with Panasonic/Lumix). The Lummox drives me nuts now because I can't remember how to do anything on it. (And I'm constantly hitting the red button when I want to power it on or off.) It IS a bit smaller and with a longer zoom capability though (some of that range is digital but not all of it). I suppose I should just give myself a referesher course any time I'm inclined to carry it with me instead of the M6-II.


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## jd7 (Sep 5, 2020)

adastra said:


> Hello fellow photographers,
> 
> I'm a bit out of the loop on what's new with Canon cameras. I heard the R5 was recently released but that's about it. I currently own a EOS 7D Mark II, but I'm looking to replace it with something more lightweight. The 7DM2 is a bit of a beast and pretty heavy, and since I mainly use it when I travel, I would much prefer something more compact and lightweight. Before the 7DM2 I had a Digital Rebel XTi.
> 
> ...


Hi Adastra

I know this is a Canon forum, but to be honest I'd suggest you have a look at a Sony A7 III, especially since you haven't already got a lot of expensive lenses for the Canon system. The A7 III would tick a lot of your boxes, gives you full frame (like a Canon R camera, rather than a Canon M camera) and (budget permitting) would give you access to some lenses which are cheaper and/or smaller and lighter than similar lenses available in the Canon system. For example, if you went with the Sony you could look at lenses such as the Tamron 70-180 f/2.8, Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DN Art (the DN lens is a lot smaller and ligher than the original Sigma 85mm Art), the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 (the AF in that name is important, as there is an older non-AF version), and the Sony 55mm f/1.8. The Sony system also has lenses such as the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 DN which get good reviews and are cheaper than similar lenses in the Canon system, albeit similar in size.

In terms of budget, I believe you could get an A7 III plus Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 lens for under GBP2000, and under GBP1500 if you are willing to buy grey market. I believe the Tamron 28-75 is relatively small and light too, although I don't think it is as highly regarded as something like the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 DN or the Sony 24-70 GM (but they are bigger, heavier and more expensive). Sony also makes a 24-105 f/4 lens you could consider, although I don't know much about it.

Please note I don't use the Sony system, so what I am saying is just based mainly on what I have read, not personal experience. I have always been a Canon shooter and I prefer OVF to EVF (so I've preferred to stick with DSLR so far). Also, it seems possible Canon's RF mount allows things which aren't possible with Sony's mount, so who knows whether in the future it may be better to be in the Canon system. However, if you want full frame, you are happy with mirrorless, and you want relatively small, light and cheap, right now Sony seems to offer a lot more than Canon.


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## adastra (Sep 7, 2020)

jd7 said:


> [...] However, if you want full frame, you are happy with mirrorless, and you want relatively small, light and cheap, right now Sony seems to offer a lot more than Canon.


Thank you for the very interesting suggestion! I will take a look at Sony as well. I've only ever had Canon cameras, and switching system seems a bit daunting. When I got my 7DMII I briefly considered switching to Nikon as they had a slightly better lineup at the time, but it felt like too much of a readjustment as literally everything is different there.

I have heard though that Sony are kind of the pioneers in mirrorless cameras, so it makes sense that they'd be most advanced in that field.

As a side, it's such a shame that there was no Photokina this year thanks to Corona, it would have been the perfect opportunity for me to do research on mirrorless cameras


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## Maximilian (Sep 7, 2020)

adastra said:


> ... I will take a look at Sony as well ...


When I recommend cameras I am always trying to be manufacturer independent and I have led frends many differnet brands.
When considering Sony I only ask you take a few things into account:

They look really well on spec sheet and in tests and I am sure they really are
Please get you hands on one for testing and get familiar with their user interface and ergonomics, so if you like it or not.
Opinions are very wide spread here and I think this is most important for you.
Take the higher lens prices into account but RF lenses got more expensive, too
Take into account that many are complaining about customer service
I haven't had experiences with camera customer service.
But my HiFi and TV service experiences have led me to never buying Sony again.
That's the reason why I cannot tell you much about their cameras.


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## David the street guy (Sep 8, 2020)

adastra said:


> Thank you for your replies everyone! I went to a camera store last week and had a close look at the RP and M6II and I am currently leaning towards the RP. I will probably still wait a little bit longer though until I buy it, as at the moment the RF lenses are still very expensive and there are not a lot of them to choose from. Also, this news article sounds like there might be a good alternative coming early next year.



I bought a RP last year and I'm very please by the pictures it gives me. For a bit less than a thousand dollars, I got a small and light camera (a bit loo small for my hands, but it's ok) that I can use all my glass with. It does great in low light, but the only weakness of the RP, in my experience, is that it cannot easily follow a fast moving subject. 

Of course, I would prefer using an R5, but money is money!


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## koenkooi (Sep 8, 2020)

David the street guy said:


> I bought a RP last year and I'm very please by the pictures it gives me. For a bit less than a thousand dollars, I got a small and light camera (a bit loo small for my hands, but it's ok) that I can use all my glass with. It does great in low light, but the only weakness of the RP, in my experience, is that it cannot easily follow a fast moving subject.
> 
> Of course, I would prefer using an R5, but money is money!



Give the EG-E1 a try in a store, a bare RP rubs on the inside knuckle of my hand enough to be painful after a few minutes. With the EG-E1 it's almost perfect. Till I attached huge lenses


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## Iain L (Sep 8, 2020)

It seems you’re in a different boat to me, as your 7D love isn’t for the reach you can get with long lenses. Given that, an R or RP should be OK; you’re not going to miss the pixel density once you have to crop down as much.

If you’re already considering the RP, then maybe look at a cheap 6D II? It’s not mirrorless, but it’s still smaller and lighter than the 7D somehow, and the buttons are closer to where you’re used to.


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