EOS RP, EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, f/8.0, 100mm, 1/1600sec, ISO500

When I was photographing humpback whales in Tonga, the Canon EOS RP became my camera of choice. Its small size made it easy to tuck away safely in the dry areas of the boat, and its lightweight body and well-designed grip made it perfect for handling – even during long hours on rough seas.

The autofocus (AF) system on the EOS RP is fast, with AF speed up to 0.05 seconds. Even on an overcast day, it has no problem finding and locking onto the low-contrast greyish back of the humpback whale that periodically appears on the ocean surface. The camera is also capable of continuous shots at 5fps. Tracking a humpback whale and getting a series of shots of its beautiful tail flukes clearing the water surface prior to a deep dive was easy.

EOS RP, EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, f/8.0, 1/1250sec, ISO400

I also love the touchscreen Vari-angle LCD and well-placed buttons at the back of the camera that allowed me to switch easily between focusing modes. To overcome the glare of the sun, I used the Electronic ViewFinder when focusing the shot of the whale.

The EOS RP’s approximately 26.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor records a good amount of detail, and allows quite a bit of cropping in the final image without suffering a loss in image quality. I shot in RAW format to capture more details for post-processing. In my final images, not only were the colours vibrantly captured, there was also enough room to push shadows.

On slow days out at sea, a single battery is sufficient. On days with nonstop action, a spare on hand will be helpful. All in all, the EOS RP is easy to use, and excellent to shoot with.

More professional reviews of the EOS RP:
This is What Happens When a Documentary Photographer Shoots Landscapes
Exploring the City with Canon EOS RP
Exploring Malaysia: Capturing the Different Faces in the Heartlands