News broke this week that the Canon EOS RP was discontinued, and that is certainly true in some markets, but not others. Canon USA, for example, claims that the EOS RP is not discontinued, although it is likely just a matter of time.

As Asobinet reports, the EOS RP’s time has come to an end in Japan. Numerous retailers, including Map Camera, list the EOS RP as discontinued. Most damning of all is that Canon’s own online shop in Japan says “sales ended” for the RP. Open-and-shut case, right?

Not so fast. As is so often the case, different Canon regions are taking varying approaches to a camera’s end of life. In the United States, not only does Canon U.S.A. itself still sell the RP, with a healthy $350 discount no less, but so too do all major retailers. Photographers in the U.S. can easily track down a brand-new EOS RP for purchase, no problem.

The question is, how long will that remain true?

“The Canon EOS RP remains available for purchase in the United States, with service and support continuing as no end-of-service life has been determined,” Canon U.S.A. Inc. tells PetaPixel.

This is a fairly standard line, not just from Canon but all camera companies, when a product is discontinued in one market or sometimes even seemingly discontinued in North America.

It can always be tricky to discern the meaningful difference between a product still in the normal inventory system and one in active production. Based on the fact that the EOS RP arrived in early 2019 and is heavily discounted at American retailers, the safest bet is that the RP exists in the former situation. Technically, the camera is still in stock, so it is arguably not discontinued.

It is hard not to perceive the massive discount on the EOS RP as some attempt to deplete existing inventory, though.

As Canon USA notes, no end-of-service life has been determined for the EOS RP, so it should remain a viable option for photographers for a while longer. Until a product is officially “retired” by Canon, it is still fully supported. Typically, Canon’s policy is to “retire products after 10 years of life.” The EOS RP isn’t there yet. In fact, nearly no Canon digital interchangeable lens cameras, DSLRs included, are retired.

Even when the EOS RP inevitably disappears from retailers, it will remain available as a used product from companies like KEH, and Canon should continue to support it for a long time.

Looking forward, hopefully Canon brings out an EOS RP successor at some point. It was a cutting-edge camera in 2019 thanks to its exceptional affordability, and there remains ample space in the market for affordable, versatile full-frame mirrorless cameras. As of right now, aside from the Canon EOS RP, Canon’s most affordable full-frame EOS R-series camera is the EOS R8, which is $1,299 thanks to a $350 discount. After that, it’s the $1,999 EOS R6 Mark II.

A new, sub-$1,500 full-frame camera with Canon’s latest autofocus and video features would be a very welcome addition to the EOS R lineup. But until then, if such a camera ever arrives, the EOS RP remains a very good value, and as Canon says, readily available.

Image credits: Canon. Header photo created using an asset licensed via Depositphotos.com.