Canon EOS RP vs Sigma fp — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS RP and the Sigma fp are both full-frame mirrorless cameras released in 2019, but they take very different shapes. The EOS RP measures 133 x 85 x 70 mm and weighs 440 g, a conventional mirrorless body. The fp is far more compact at 113 x 70 x 45 mm and 422 g, making it the easier camera to slip into a small bag for everyday carry or travel.

Each uses a full-frame CMOS sensor, so neither asks you to trade sensor format for size. The practical choice here is between a fuller body with a built-in viewfinder and the fp's far smaller footprint.

The EOS RP is the stronger choice for framing and focus flexibility, with an electronic viewfinder of 2,360,000 dots and 4779 autofocus positions. The fp has no viewfinder at all and just 49 autofocus points, so you compose on its rear screen with far fewer focus placements.

The fp pulls ahead for action, shooting at 18 fps against 5 fps, and it offers a shorter 1/8000 second top shutter speed versus 1/4000 on the RP for wide apertures in bright light. Resolution is close at 26 MP versus 25 MP, and both use native ISO 100 with in-body stabilisation absent.

Lens systems differ by mount: Canon RF on the RP and Leica L on the fp, so each camera draws on its own native lens range.

The Sigma fp is the clear pick for slow-motion work, with a maximum video frame rate of 120 fps against 25 fps on the EOS RP. That gives editors far more latitude to slow fast action, while the RP's 25 fps ceiling suits standard playback speed only.

Both cameras record 4K video and include a built-in timelapse function, so either covers ultra-high-definition footage and timelapse work without a separate intervalometer.

Wireless transfer belongs to the EOS RP alone: it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the fp has neither, so the RP is the better camera for sending photos to a phone on location. The fp answers with weather sealing, which the RP lacks, giving it protection the RP does not offer when shooting outdoors in poor conditions.

For screen work, the fp's 3.2-inch display with 2,100,000 dots is larger and sharper than the RP's 3-inch, 1,040,000-dot screen. Both offer touch control, a flip screen and live view, which matters for the fp since it has no viewfinder. Neither has GPS or a built-in flash, and both accept an external flash.

Storage is a similarity across the supplied specifications: both cameras use a single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot with UHS-II support, and both charge over USB. Neither body has a second slot, so one card holds everything from a shoot.

The fp holds the edge in rated battery life, at 280 shots against 250 for the RP. Each camera runs on its own pack, the BP-51 in the fp and the LP-E17 in the RP, so spares are not shared between them.