EOS RPvs A1
Which should you buy?
Entry Full-Frame Stills Photography — EOS RP (2019): An affordable gateway into the RF system. The RP makes sense as a stepping stone camera — if you're committed to Canon RF glass, this is the cheapest full-frame body to buy those lenses for. Just manage expectations on video and battery life.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
EOS RP (2019)
- Canon users who want to start investing in RF glass affordably
- Stills photographers who shoot primarily in good light
- Anyone coming from a Canon DSLR wanting the RF system at low cost
- Travel photographers who prioritise compactness over video specs
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the eos rp is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS RP (2019) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 26.2MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K/24p (with 1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4779 manually selectable positions | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps mechanical | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~250 shots (CIPA) — very limited | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 485g (body, battery, card) | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 132.5 × 85.0 × 70.0mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS RP | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with EOS RP
Camera family history