Canon EOS RP vs Sony A7 III Comparison

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Canon RP

26 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A7 III

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Canon RP vs Sony A7 III Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Canon and Sony. Canon RP was introduced to market in February 2019 and Sony A7 III was launched in February 2018. There is 12 months difference between EOS RP and A7 III so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger EOS RP, especially in sensor tech.

Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Canon RP has a 26.0 MP and Sony A7 III has a 24.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon RP and Sony A7 III before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon RP Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2019-02-14

26MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 40000 ( expands to 50-102400)

Canon RF Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

5.0 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

485g. 133 x 85 x 70 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Sony A7 III Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2018-02-27

24MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50-204800)

Sony E Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3 Tilting Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

120fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

650g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony Alpha 7 II Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon RP and Sony A7 III compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS RP over Sony Alpha A7 III

Max Sensor Resolution	26 MP vs 24 MP	8% more pixels
Number of Focus Points	4779 vs 693	4086 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 922k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Weight	485 g vs 650 g	165 g lighter
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs No	Take multiple photos shifting focus point

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7 III over Canon EOS RP

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78x vs 0.7x	Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO	51.200 vs 40.000	28% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 5.0fps	5 fps faster
Battery Life	610 shots vs 250 shots	360 more frames with a single charge
Color Depth	25.0 vs 24.0	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	14.7 vs 11.9	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	3730 vs 2977	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	35.50µm² vs 33.19µm²	6% larger pixel area
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Storage Slot	2 vs 1	Extra storage slot
Animal Eye AF Tracking	Yes vs No	Easily lock and track focus on animals
Eye Tracking Focus	Yes vs No	Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject

Common Strengths of Canon EOS RP and Sony Alpha A7 III

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection	Yes vs Yes	Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Adjustable LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Tilting	Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs Yes	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	26 MP vs 24 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs Yes	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs UHS-II	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Webcam Function	Yes vs Yes	Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti_flicker	Yes vs Yes	Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS RP and Sony Alpha A7 III

Built-in Flash	No vs No	Require external flash

Canon RP vs Sony A7 III: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon RP and Sony A7 III side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon RP has external dimensions of 133 x 85 x 70 mm (5.24 x 3.35 x 2.76″) and weighs 485 g (1.07 lb / 17.11 oz) (including batteries). Sony A7 III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon RP and Sony A7 III. Canon RP is 11mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Sony A7 III but it is also 6mm wider.

Comparison image of Canon RP and Sony A7 III Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon RP and Sony A7 III.

Comparison image of Canon RP and Sony A7 III Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon RP and Sony A7 III.

Top View Comparison image of Canon RP and Sony A7 III Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon RP is significantly lighter (165g ) than the Sony A7 III which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Canon RP and Sony A7 III have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

EOS RP

A7 III

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

EOS RP

A7 III

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both EOS RP and A7 III have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon RP and Sony A7 III's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Sony A7 III features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Canon RP sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.

Canon RP vs Sony A7 III: Sensor Comparison

Canon RP has a 26.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 8 processor. On the other hand, Sony A7 III has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Below you can see the EOS RP and A7 III sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon RP and Sony A7 III Cameras

Canon RP and Sony A7 III have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon RP and Sony A7 III sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A7 III has a better overall score of 96, 11 points higher compared to EOS RP's score of 85.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon RP	85	24.0 bits	11.9 Evs	2977 ISO
Sony A7 III	96	25.0 bits	14.7 Evs	3730 ISO

Canon RP vs Sony A7 III Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7 III has an advantage over Canon RP There are 137 lenses for Sony A7 III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 19 lenses for Canon RP's Canon RF lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7 III has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. EOS RP's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compnesate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
11 lenses for Canon RF mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Canon RP Lenses	# of Sony A7 III Lenses
Standard Zoom	3 (3 Full Frame)	13 (10 Full Frame)
Standard Prime	3 (3 Full Frame)	20 (10 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom	1 (1 Full Frame)	8 (7 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime	2 (2 Full Frame)	44 (28 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom	3 (3 Full Frame)	10 (8 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime	5 (5 Full Frame)	19 (15 Full Frame)
SuperZoom	1 (1 Full Frame)	9 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	n/a	2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime	1 (1 Full Frame)	8 (7 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	19 (19 Full Frame)	137 (89 Full Frame)

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Canon RP and Sony A7 III to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM	24 - 70mm	900gr	1385gr	126mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM	24 - 70mm	886gr	1536gr	136mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM	70 - 200mm	1070gr	1555gr	146mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS	70 - 200mm	1480gr	2130gr	200mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM	50mm	950gr	1435gr	108mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony FE 50mm F1.4	50mm	778gr	1428gr	108mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM	15 - 35mm	840gr	1325gr	127mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM	16 - 35mm	680gr	1330gr	122mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM	24 - 105mm	700gr	1185gr	107mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS	24 - 105mm	663gr	1313gr	113mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM	100 - 500mm	1365gr	1850gr	208mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS	100 - 400mm	1395gr	2045gr	205mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Canon RP and Sony A7 III Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon RP and Sony A7 III for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon RP for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 26.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon RP for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon RP for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A7 III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
4779 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
693 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 610 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Read the details

Canon RP for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7 III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
485g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
650g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Canon RP for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7 III for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 26.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Canon RP vs Sony A7 III: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon RP and Sony A7 III, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon RP and Sony A7 III scores compare:

Canon RP

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #35 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #56 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7 III

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #16 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #17 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7 III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon RP in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon RP. Otherwise, Sony A7 III is the better camera overall.

Sony A7 III vs Canon RP Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS RP	Sony Alpha A7 III
Brand	Canon	Sony
Announced	2019-02-14	2018-02-27
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	Full frame	Full frame
Dimensions	35.9 x 24 mm	35.8 x 23.8 mm
Area	861.60mm²	852.04mm²
Megapixels	26 megapixels	24 megapixels
Max Resolution	6240 x 4160	6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity	40,000 ISO	51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	102400 ISO	204800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	50 ISO	50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	4779	693
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon RF	Sony E
Number of Available Lenses	19	137
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Tilting
Size	3"	3
Resolution	1,040k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,360k dots	2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7x	0.78x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	1/180s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	485g	650g
Dimensions	133 x 85 x 70mm	127 x 96 x 74mm
Battery Life	250 shots	610 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	85	96
DxO Color Depth	24.0	25.0
DxO Dynamic Range	11.9	14.7
DxO Low Light ISO	2977	3730
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