On 9th October 2019, Canon marked a new milestone in their rich history as Canon celebrates 100m EOS-series cameras. Looking back in time from the days of the Canon EOS 300D, I had been a part of Canon’s EOS series cameras journey over the years, from Canon EOS 300D, to EOS 30D, followed by EOS 1D Mark III, EOS 70D, EOS 1DX, to my current setup Canon EOS 1DX Mark II and Canon EOS RP.

Looking back in time on my Canon photography journeys and coverage, I published and shared on Canon’s EOS series milestones, with these two articles, Canon’s 70 million EOS-series cameras in 2014 and 90 million EOS-series cameras in 2017. In 2019, this marked another milestone for me too, the 100 million EOS-series cameras as well as my continued coverage of Canon’s cameras, lenses and accessories over the years.

My photography adventures, journeys and coverage with Canon had brought and given me a few significant milestones in my life and photography, opening up new opportunities and networks too. Canon has always been “Delighting You Always”, living up to their slogan that has been a part of their DNA, seen, touched and felt, through their cameras, lenses, accessories, prints and customer service.

As Canon celebrates 100million EOS-series cameras, let me share with you on their EOS-series cameras history and insights:

Canon today celebrated a camera-manufacturing milestone as combined production of the Company’s EOS-series silver halide (film) and digital interchangeable-lens cameras surpassed 100 million units1 on 20 September 2019. An EOS R (released in October 2018) mirrorless camera was the 100 millionth EOS-series camera produced.

An acronym of Electro Optical System, EOS is also the name of the goddess of the dawn in Greek mythology. Boasting an attractive product lineup that caters to a variety of user needs and an extensive series of EF lenses, with which Canon strives to expand the boundaries of imaging expression, the EOS series has supported a great many users over its long history, and enabled Canon to maintain the No. 1 share of the global interchangeable-lens digital camera market for 16 consecutive years from 2003 to 20182.

The EOS series began with the EOS 650 (released in March 1987), a next-generation AF single-lens reflex (SLR) camera featuring the world’s first fully electronic lens mount. Production of the EOS series began in what was then Canon’s Fukushima plant and now takes place at a variety of locations—including Taiwan, Miyazaki, Nagasaki and the lynchpin Oita Canon—where production is carried out under stringent product quality management. Following the release of the EOS 650, Canon continued to introduce products featuring innovative technology that realise speed and comfort—such as the highend EOS-1 (released in 1989) and the EOS Kiss (released in 1993)—expanding the EOS series to cater to users ranging from amateur to professional.

From the year 2000 onwards as the pace of digital SLRs (DSLR) adoption picked up, Canon sought to create even more appealing products. The EOS series’ core concept was expanded to include “high image quality,” achieved through such proprietary, cutting-edge technology as CMOS sensors and DIGIC image processors. In 2003, Canon released the EOS Kiss—a compact, lightweight DSLR with an affordable price—which contributed to the wider adoption of interchangeable-lens digital cameras. Through the EOS 5D series, which contributed to the use of interchangeable-lens cameras for video capture, and the establishment of the Cinema EOS System of professional digital cinematography products in 2012, Canon extended its video technology to the B to B sphere as it entered the video production industry. Canon will continue to explore new approaches with the EOS series, such as the 2018 launch of the EOS R System, which employs the new RF Mount.

Expanding from its beginnings in still photos to the realm of video, the EOS series has come to support a wide range of users, from entry-level to professional. Canon will continue to pursue “speed, comfort and high image quality” as the core concept of the EOS series, further strengthening and expanding the EOS System towards expanding the culture of photographic and video imaging.

* Information and picture courtesy of Canon Singapore and Ogilvy *

1 Including Cinema EOS System cameras

2 Based on units sold. According to a Canon survey

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