SLR

An improved version of the EX EE, the EX AUTO was very popular with beginners who previously had difficulty understanding SLR cameras. The EX AUTO had maximum-aperture TTL metering and shutter speed-priority AE.The lens’ maximum aperture f-number was corrected automatically when the lens was attached to the camera. Another improvement was the addition of the EX 125mm f/3.5 interchangeable telephoto lens.

The lens focusing ring was also coupled to autoflash metering. With the dedicated Speedlite D mounted on the hot shoe and the EX 50mm f/1.8 lens attached to the camera, the CAT System automatically obtained the correct flash exposure for the subject distance. Taking pictures at night became as easy as taking pictures during the day.

An improved Pellix marketed at the same time as the FT QL. Film loading was easier, the Canon Booster for low-light metering could be attached, and the stop-down lever had a locking mechanism.

The newly designed FL 50mm f/1.4 II lens was highly rated for its high resolving power, excellent contrast, and color balance. This lens served as the standard for the later line of FD lenses.

The Canon FP is a 35 mm SLR introduced by Canon Inc. of Japan in October 1964, using the new Canon FL lens mount. The FP and FX were virtually the same camera, but the lower priced FP did not have built in metering. At the time, many photographers preferred using a handheld meter, and others preferred the lower pricing. However, the FP was not popular making it more rare and desirable for collectors. Canon sold an external light meter with the same specifications as the built-in meter on the FX. The shutter is a horizontally traveling focal plane shutter supporting speeds between 1/1000 and 1 second in full stop increments, selected by a dial on the top plate on the photographer's right. The X-sync speed for flash is 1/55 sec.; flash support was through a PC socket on the front of the body.

The viewfinder uses a glass pentaprism and gives coverage of 90% of the frame vertically and 93% horizontally, with a 0.9× magnification (with a 50 mm standard lens).

The FP was available with either silver or black metal parts.

The eye-level viewfinder uses a roof mirror, making this camera the world’s smallest and lightest 35mm AF SLR when it was launched.

The built-in flash is controlled with TTL autoflash metering. Other features include One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF, shutter speed-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, four Programmed Image Control modes, and metered manual. The world’s smallest AF SLR body is thus packed with features.

With the prewind system, the entire roll is first wound onto the take-up spool. Then each time a picture is taken, the exposed frame rewinds into the cartridge. With its easy operation and friendly name of “Kiss,” the camera became a major hit among young mothers and family snapshooters. It maintained top market share for an extended period.

The EOS 5 is the world’s first 35mm SLR camera with Eye Controlled Focus. The camera has five focusing points (||+||). You just look at the desired focusing point to select it and the camera autofocuses at that point. It was a dream feature. A focusing point can also be selected manually.

Other outstanding features include silent operation, 16-zone evaluative metering linked to the five focusing points, 3.5% spot metering at center, centerweighted averaging metering, shutter speed-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, Intelligent program AE, depth-of-field AE, Programmed Image Control modes, and metered manual.

The Canon EOS 5 (sold as the EOS A2 and A2e in the USA) is a semi-professional autofocus, autoexposure 35 mm SLR film camera. It was sold from November 1992 onwards, and was replaced in late 1998 by the Canon EOS 3. As part of the EOS line of cameras, the 5/A2/A2e utilized Canon's EF bayonet lens mount, first introduced in 1987.

The 5/A2/A2e featured a built-in zoom flash, AF assist light, fast motor drives and several pre-set autoexposure modes. Although marketed towards the "prosumer" user, the 5/A2/A2e were popular among professional photographers. The camera was powered by a 6 volt lithium 2CR5 battery, or, with the optional Canon BP-5 Battery Pack, could be powered by D batteries attached to the belt of the user. The Canon VG-10 Vertical Grip added a shutter release, control wheel, AE Lock button and Focus Point Selection button to the bottom of the camera for portrait orientation use, but did not add AA batteries as a power source.

The camera had many operational modes available, selected by the dial on the left-hand side of the camera. These modes selected whether the exposure settings were set automatically, semiautomatically or fully manually. This dial also doubled as an on/off switch.

The Canon EOS 5/A2/A2e had three built-in metering modes; Evaluative, center-weight average and spot. These were user-selectable by means of a button on the back of the camera and the command dial.

The EOS 5/A2e featured eye-controlled focusing, which allowed the user to select from one of five focus points by looking at it through the viewfinder as well as activating depth-of-field preview by looking at a sixth point marked in the top-left corner of the viewfinder. At the time, this feature was unique to Canon. The A2 had the same five focus points, but they could only be selected manually. Although the EOS 5 had an optional vertical grip, the VG-10, the eye-controlled focussing feature only worked when the camera was held in horizontal orientation.

The 5/A2/A2e has two dials to control exposure, one over the shutter button and one on the back of the camera. The dial above the shutter button will adjust the shutter speed in shutter priority TV/Time value mode, but in aperture priority Av/Aperture value mode this same dial will adjust the lens aperture. In full manual mode, the dial above the shutter reverts to adjusting the shutter speed, and the back dial controls the aperture.

At the time of the camera's production, there was a U.S. patent on the use of a digital scale to show under- or over-exposure in a metered-manual SLR. Canon did not want to pay the patent holder, and therefore omitted the -2/+2 (in half-stops) scale in the A2/A2e, leaving just an over or under indication. The European/Japanese market EOS 5 had the scale and on account of this many American photographers preferred the imported model. This is a firmware difference only, and there is at least one third-party firm which will install EOS 5 firmware on an A2/A2e, thereby adding this scale.

The Canon EOS 650 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera. It was introduced on 2 March 1987, Canon's 50th anniversary, and discontinued in February 1989. It was the first camera in Canon's new EOS series, which was designed from scratch to support autofocus lenses. The EOS system features the new EF lens mount, which uses electrical signals to communicate between the camera and the lens.[4] Focusing and aperture control are performed by electric motors mounted in the lens body. The EF mount is still used on Canon SLRs, including digital models. Canon's previous FD mount lenses are incompatible with EOS bodies.

Canon's first EOS camera had the latest technologies, including a microprocessor and a Canon-developed BASIS sensor for high-precision AF. Canon claimed incomparable autofocusing for the EOS 650. A range of high-precision Ultrasonic Motor (USM) EF autofocus lenses were also developed successfully for the 650.

An EOS 650 was used in 1992 to take the first photographic image that was uploaded on the World Wide Web, a picture of the band Les Horribles Cernettes.[5]

The EOS 5D Mark III DSLR was announced on the 25th anniversary of the announcement of the EOS 650.

The more advanced EOS 620 followed in May 1987, and the EOS 630/600 in March 1989. The 620 was equipped with multiple exposure and auto-bracketing capability, and a higher flash sync speed of 1/250 and shutter speed of 1/4000. The 630 had interchangeable viewing screens and faster autofocus, and was capable of faster film transport at 5 frames per second over the 650's 3 fps.

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 Oita Canon—where production is under high-product quality management.

Developed as the top-of-the-line T-series camera, the T90 is a multi-mode SLR with built-in motor drive. The form of the pentaprism hump is a distinct characteristic. Instead of being sharp-edged like on previous cameras, it is rounded with smooth curves. The camera was designed to lessen the picture-taking burden on the user via automation. It aimed for seamless operation to respond to the user’s will. A lot of top-notch technology and thought went into the camera.

The camera has three metering systems to suit diverse shooting conditions. Eight autoexposure modes and two manual exposure modes also make the camera highly versatile. Drive operations are divided among three small coreless motors to consume less power. With four size-AA batteries, the built-in motor drive can shoot at a maximum of 4.5 fps. It was truly a top-of-the-line camera. In Japan, the camera’s nickname was “Tank.”