Canon EOS System celebrates its 35th anniversary
posted Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 9:00 PM EDT
Next month, Canon will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the launch of the EOS System, which includes EOS-series interchangeable lens cameras, EF and RF lenses and many different accessories.
The Canon EOS System debuted in March of 1987 with the launch of the Canon EOS 650 SLR camera and EF lenses. The EOS name itself has an interesting origin. It's an acronym of 'Electro Optical System,' and the EOS 650 included the world's first fully electronic mount system, ushering in a new era of autofocus-equipped SLR cameras. Eos is also the Greek Goddess of the dawn. New era. Dawn. It's quite clever, even though most people probably take the name 'EOS' for granted today.
Looking back at some important EOS film cameras, there's the EOS 650, of course, but also the professional model EOS-1 that launched in 1989. For amateur photographers looking for ease-of-use and convenience, the EOS Kiss (EOS Rebel XS and EOS 500 in other regions) fit the bill in 1993.
The digital revolution took hold at Canon in 2000 with the release of the EOS D30. The professional EOS-1D, a series that continues to go strong, came out in 2001. The EOS Kiss Digital (EOS Digital Rebel or EOS 300D in other regions) followed in 2003. In 2008, Canon launched the iconic EOS 5D Mark II, which featured full HD recording and an impressive 20MP image sensor. It was a game-changer, to be sure. Canon further pushed its video initiatives and gained a foothold in the video production industry with the launch of the Cinema EOS System in 2012.
While DSLR cameras were popular for a long time, and still are, Canon's entry into mirrorless was marked by the EOS M system. However, Canon's bigger mirrorless splash came in 2018 with the launch of the EOS R system. Canon writes, 'the EOS R System was born from Canon's desire to construct the optimal rear lens element diameter and shorter distance (back focus) for a Full-Frame image sensor.' Canon has continued to expand its EOS R system with many fantastic cameras, like the 8K-equipped EOS R5, the world's first full-frame mirrorless camera to offer 8K recording, and the recent Canon EOS R3, which features incredible speed eye-control AF.
The EOS System comprises 21 EOS series cameras and 104 RF and EF lenses. Canon's EOS system has been going strong for nearly 35 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Canon has maintained the world's number one share of the digital interchangeable lens camera market since 2003, a total of 18 years running. Today, Canon USA tweeted that Canon is America's leader in the digital camera industry, earning the top spot for mirrorless camera unit sales, full-frame camera sales and lens sales.
Congratulations to Canon for its continued success, and here's to many more years of fantastic Canon cameras and lenses.