Canon SLR Cameras

In February 1985 Minolta introduced a true AF 35mm SLR camera, "Minolta a-7000," followed by the "Minolta a-9000" in September, while Nikon released "Nikon F-501" camera in April 1986. These SLR cameras were an immediate hit. At the end of April 1986 the autofocus SLR camera commanded over 50% share of the domestic SLR camera market. Canon also marketed an autofocus SLR, the "T80," of which the focusing performance fell far behind that of its competitors. Then Canon decided that "a highly-refined AF SLR model deserving Canon's name should be developed with the target market release date of March 1, 1987, the year of Canon's 50th anniversary." The development project was called "EOS (Electro Optical System)."

The "EOS" was developed under three major guidelines: 1. No price increase due to the introduction of the AF mechanism; 2. A lightweight design which enables shooting indoor sports hand-holding the camera with a "300mm f/2.8" lens; 3. An autofocus sensitivity equivalent to exposure sensitivity. This saw the introduction of the "EOS 650" in March 1987, a camera which featured several innovative and unique Canon's technologies, including the highly sensitive focusing sensor, BASIS (Base-Stored Image Sensor), the high-precision motor, USM (Ultrasonic Motor) which was commercialized first in the world, and introduction of a super microcomputer supporting super-high-speed computation and control. Two months after entering the market, the "EOS 650" successfully seized the top market share. Since then all Canon SLR cameras have "EOS" in their names.

The landmark product that expanded the user base of digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras was the EOS D30, launched in September 2000. SLRs had previously been very expensive and had been used primarily by professional photographers, but now this all changed. Being the smallest and lightest body in this product category, it shattered the general perception that a digital SLR has to be large and heavy. The EOS D30 featured high-tech conveniences as an image select mode and a full automatic mode, allowing users to easily employ sophisticated photographic techniques simply by selecting from a range of buttons with picture icons on them. In addition to complying with standard JPEG format, the D30 was also applied Canon's RAW format.

Digital SLR photography reached new heights in picture quality and performance in two high-end models: the EOS-1D, released in 2001 and the EOS-1Ds, released in 2002. The two models were exceptionally well received by professional photographers. Although Canon trailed behind other companies when the autofocus camera was first introduced, this was no longer the case. The development of the EF-series lens, starting in conjunction with the EOS project, produced a completely new and different lens from the FD lenses, including the completely electronically controlled automatic EF mount that permits highly accurate real-time data transfer between the camera body and the lens. Canon continued to introduce innovative technologies into the EOS series, which appealed to a wide range of users, like in the case of the "EOS 5QD" (November 1992). The most distinguished feature of this camera was the ground-breaking feature of eye-controlled focusing system: As soon as the user looks at one of the five focusing points, the camera autofocused at that point.

Two factors which contributed substantially to the development of digital SLR's was the massive movement towards digitalization in the electronic world, as well as the exponential growth of the market for personal computers. Everybody wanted to download their pictures, so digital recording technology became a burning issue. Currently Canon SLR cameras are recognized as the benchmark for digital cameras (along with Nikon) and cover the full range of consumer needs.

Canon Digital SLR cameras can be classified in four groups: flagship, high-end, mid-range and entry-level SLR cameras. In 2011 the situation is as follows: The 1 Ds Mk III and 1D Mk IV are the Canon's flagship SLR's; the 5D Mk II and 7D the high-end Canon SLR's; the 60D (replacing the 50D) is the current mid-range SLR and the Rebel T3 (1100D) and Rebel T3i (600D) are the entry-level SLR's.