Canon EOS RP Versus Nikon Z 5: Which Is Better?

Nikon and Canon each have entry-level full frame cameras geared towards those customers on smaller budgets or who are just starting out. The Canon RP and the Nikon Z 5 are both excellent cameras, but which is the better choice?

In this detailed video, Jared Polin runs you through the specifications of each and gives some thoughts on how they fit into their respective ecosystems — something that might have a large bearing on which of these cameras might be your preferred option. If you’re already invested in a brand, the choice is probably straightforward but for anyone starting out, it’s a little more complicated.

Sony is markedly absent from this comparison, lacking a full frame camera that’s comparable in terms of price. I’d been expecting the a7C to fill this gap in its lineup but it seems that Sony is happy to have produced a more highly-specced camera and instead draw customers to the brand through its extensive range of APS-C cameras that share the same mount.

The RP is a fair bit older than the Z 5 but Canon is rumored to have two entry-level cameras due for release in 2021 (along with three other bodies), potentially bringing the “Rebel” branding to its RF mount. The assumption is that these will both be full frame but is there a chance that Canon will copy Nikon’s move with the Z 50 and opt for an APS-C sensor to make its entry-level cameras even more affordable?

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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3 Comments

I bet in any somewhat talented photographer's hands you couldn't tell the difference between images made by either camera.

The Z5 will literally run circles around the RP. Dual card slots, image stabilization, construction and especially the sensor. Dynamic range is much better
, I don't really know how biased you have to be to find them comparable.

Good to know! Thanks.