Canon EOS Celebrates 35th Anniversary

Canon will celebrate in March, 2022 the 35th anniversary of the launch of the company’s EOS System, which includes EOS-series interchangeable-lens cameras and a diverse range of system accessories, beginning with interchangeable EF lenses.

Canon’s EOS System made its debut in March 1987 with the launch of the EOS 650 single-lens reflex (SLR) camera and EF lenses. An acronym of “Electro Optical System” while also carrying the name of the Greek Goddess of the dawn, the EOS series saw first light in 1987 as, reportedly, the world’s first fully electronic mount system. During the film-camera era, the company launched the professional model EOS-1 in 1989 and introduced the compact lightweight EOS Kiss (EOS Rebel XS and EOS 500 in other regions) in 1993.

Following the introduction of the EOS D30 in 2000, when the popularisation of digital SLR cameras was in full swing, Canon developed models such as the EOS-1D (2001), the EOS Kiss Digital (2003, EOS Digital Rebel or EOS 300D in other regions) and the EOS 5D Mark II (2008). In 2012, EOS video technology was transformed for the B-to-B sphere in the form of the Cinema EOS System, marking Canon’s entry into the video production industry.

From there, Canon continued to serve an increasingly diverse range of users. In 2018, the EOS R System was born from Canon’s desire to maximise the appeal of its new RF lenses. The company followed up in 2020 with the EOS R5. The next year, 2021 witnessed the launch of the EOS R3, which boasts eye-control AF capability and the EOS VR System for recording VR content. The EOS system line-up comprises a total of 21 EOS series cameras and 104 RF and EF lenses.