 Logo | |
.jpg) Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024) | |
| Product type | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Canon Inc. |
| Produced by |
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| Country | Japan |
| Introduced | March 2, 1987; 38 years ago (1987-03-02) |
| Related brands | |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is a series ofcameras withautofocus capabilities produced byCanon Inc. The brand was introduced in 1987 with theCanon EOS 650, asingle-lens reflex camera. Since then, EOS has become Canon's flagship series ofinterchangeable-lens cameras, with one or more new cameras released each year. All EOS cameras used35 mm orAPS-formatfilm until Canon introduced theEOS D30, the company's first in-housedigital single-lens reflex camera, in 2000. Since 2005, all newly announced EOS cameras have used digitalimage sensors rather than film, with EOSmirrorless cameras entering the product line in 2012. Since 2020, all newly announced EOS cameras have been mirrorless systems.
EOS cameras are primarily characterized by boxy black camera bodies with curved horizontal grips; the design language has remained largely unchanged since the brand's inception. The EOS series previously competed primarily withNikon SLR cameras and as of September 2025[update] primarily competes withSony mirrorless cameras.[1] The series was conceived as a camera system built around autofocus as a core feature. To that end, the EOS series was introduced alongside the electrically-driven and autofocus-centeredEF lens mount, which replaced the previous mechanically-driven and primarily manual-focusFD lens mount. The EF mount and its variants were the primary lens mounts for EOS cameras for decades, eventually being replaced by theRF lens mount in 2018, which was designed for mirrorless cameras and has now become the standard lens mount for the series.
As the EOS series has evolved over time, the products have received frequent naming system changes and concrete updates in components such as autofocus, exposure metering, and flash metering. The system has contributed to the popularity of autofocus cameras and the prevalence of video recording features in consumer cameras, and has been used by numerous professional photographers and cinematographers.
The naming conventions used for Canon EOS cameras largely follow two general rules: the fewer digits in a camera's model number, the higher-end the camera'smarket segment (e.g. theEOS 5D is a more expensive and powerful camera than theEOS 30D); and the smaller the model number within a given number of digits, the more powerful the camera (e.g. theEOS R1 is considered higher-end than theEOS R8).[2] In addition, newer revisions of a given camera model are often given Mark designations, such as theEOS-1Ds Mark III.[3] For mid-range and entry-level EOSDSLR cameras with two or more digits in the model number, the latter rule was different: the greater the model number within a given number of digits, the newer or higher-end the camera.[2] These rules hold for most EOS cameras, with some major exceptions including theEOS 100D,200D, and250D, which occupied a different market segment than the other three-digit DSLR models;[4] and all mirrorless cameras that utilized theEF-M lens mount, which did not follow any consistent naming scheme.[5]
EOS camera model names often include prefixes and suffixes that detail important aspects of a camera, both general and specific. For example, EOS cameras with the prefix or suffixD are digital SLRs, cameras with the prefixM aremirrorless cameras that utilize theEF-M mount, and cameras with the prefixR areRF mount mirrorless cameras.[2] Cameras modified forastrophotography, such as theCanon EOS 60Da, use the suffixa.[6] Some EOS cameras, such as theEOS R5 C, have used the suffixC to mark the inclusion ofCinema EOS features or operating modes.[7] TheV suffix, intended to markvlogging-oriented cameras, has been used for theEOS R50 V.[8]
Beginning with theEOS 630/600 film SLR, some EOS cameras have been marketed under different names in different parts of the world.[9] The most significant name changes occurred with theEOS 1000, marketed as theEOS Rebel in North America; and theEOS 500, marketed as theEOS Kiss in Japan and the EOS Rebel XS in North America. Starting with these two cameras in their respective markets, the majority of entry-level EOS film and digital SLRs have used the EOS Rebel brand in North America and the EOS Kiss brand in Japan, with the actual camera specifications being identical to their global counterparts.[10][11] This practice ceased with the introduction of theEOS R50, the first entry-level EOS camera since the introduction of the Kiss and Rebel names to use the same name in all markets.[12][13]
Canon first experimented withautofocus in 1985 with theT80, asingle-lens reflex camera that utilized135 film. The T80 featured Canon's existingFD lens mount, designed for manual focus, with the addition of electrical contacts that allowed communication between the camera body and focusing motors within the attached lens.[14] This system, wherein the lens focuses itself using information from the camera body, was promising enough for Canon to continue development on a more refined version, despite Canon's internal dissatisfaction with the T80's autofocus performance when compared toNikon andMinolta's autofocus cameras.[15]
Shortly after the release of the T80, Canon's camera team made the decision to create a new lens mount using recent advances in microelectronics. Unlike the FD lens mount, which was designed for manual-focus cameras with focusing motors in the camera body, this new lens mount would be fully electronic and would only support lenses with internal motors. This would both improve autofocus performance and allow more flexibility in pairing lenses and camera bodies. In a retrospective interview, Canon camera developer Yasuo Suda stated that the team "felt that the future of next-generation cameras hinged on the development of a new, fully-electronic mount."[16]
The EOS system was introduced in 1987 with theCanon EOS 650, asingle-lens reflex camera that utilized35 mm film. The camera broke compatibility with the FD lens mount by fully removing all mechanical linkages between the moving parts in the lens and in the camera: the correct aperture and focus are determined by the camera body and transmitted electronically to the lens, which makes the required adjustments using internal motors. Canon named this new lens mount theEF mount, short for "Electro-Focus". Alongside the bayonet-style lens mount, the EOS 650 featured a new focusing sensor and a microprocessor, and was paired with lenses withultrasonic motors—the first instance of this technology being used for consumer photography.[17] According toPopular Mechanics, the EOS 650 and the improved EOS 620 had the fastest autofocus performance of any camera available in the year they were released.[18]
In 1989, Canon released the first EOS camera marketed to professionals, theEOS-1. The camera was intended to compete with theNikon F4 released one year prior. The EOS-1 was released in tandem with new professional-grade lenses for the EF mount and established theEOS-1 series of cameras.[19] In a 2019 interview, Canon principal engineer Toshio Matsumoto stated that "major principles for the EOS-1 series from the beginning have been durability, reliability, speed and control."[20] The EOS-1 received two revisions, theEOS-1N[21] and theEOS-1V.[22] TheEOS 1000 followed the EOS-1 in 1990; this became the EOS line's first successful budget SLR. The EOS 1000 was marketed as the EOS Rebel in North America, a name which continued to see use for the majority of entry-level Canon SLRs and DSLRs.[23]
1992 saw the introduction of theEOS 5, a replacement for the EOS 10. This camera introduced Canon'sEye-Controlled Focus (ECF) system, which saw further adoption across other cameras in the EOS series at the time.[24] Four years later, Canon released theEOS IX, anAPS-format SLR.[25] The EOS line of film cameras continued to be iterated upon until the release of the EOS 300X in 2004, which was the last film-based SLR designed by Canon.[26] The last EOS film SLR to end production was the aforementioned EOS-1V, which released in 2000; the camera was actively manufactured until 2018, though it continued to see official repair service until late 2025.[22]
Prior to designing their owndigital single-lens reflex cameras, Canon worked withKodak to produce digital cameras in the EOS line, starting with theEOS DCS 3 in 1995. These cameras used adigital camera back with the image sensor and associated electronics designed and built by Kodak together with modified internals of theEOS-1N film SLR.[27]
The first digital EOS SLR camera wholly designed and manufactured by Canon was theEOS D30, released in 2000. While the majority of Canon's existing SLR lineup utilized35 mm film, which would equate to a digital sensor with dimensions of 36×24 millimeters, the EOS D30 instead utilized the smallerAPS-C sensor format with a 1.6×crop factor.[28] Canon's use ofCMOS technology to fabricate the sensor helped drive costs down, and the camera's listed launch price of US$3000 made it more accessible to consumers than competingCCD-sensor DSLRs fromNikon and Kodak.[29]
In 2001, Canon followed up their entry into the DSLR market with theEOS-1D, a successor to their EOS-1 series of flagship professional film cameras. The EOS-1D was designed using the film-basedEOS-1V (released one year prior) as a base, and utilized an externally manufactured CCD sensor, as Canon's ownactive-pixel sensors could not yet reach the readout speeds required for the camera's fast burst rate.[30] The sensor had a 1.3× crop factor (APS-H): larger than the APS-C sensor used in the D30, but smaller thanfull-frame 35 mm.[31] One year later, in 2002, Canon released theEOS-1Ds, the company's first DSLR to utilize a full-frame CMOS sensor. The camera's sensor featured 11megapixels of effective resolution, much higher than competing cameras such as theNikon D1X.[32]
In order to produce more compact and lightweight lenses for digital cameras withAPS-C sensors, Canon created the EF-S lens mount and introduced it in 2003 with theEOS 300D. EF-S lenses feature a smallerimage circle and a shorter distance between the lens mount and image sensor than comparable EF lenses. The EOS 300D was Canon's first entry-level autofocus DSLR and one that competed against more expensive prosumer cameras due to sharing the same APS-C CMOS sensor as Canon's enthusiast-segmentEOS 10D. The EOS 300D was the first Canon DSLR to use the Rebel brand in North America, being named the EOS Digital Rebel in those markets.[33] When asked in 2024 what the most significant camera of the previous 25 years had been, Canon executive Go Tokura chose the EOS 300D.[34]
In 2005 theCanon EOS 5D was announced. It offered a full-frame sensor comparable to that of the flagshipEOS-1Ds Mark II within a body only slightly larger than that of the enthusiast-segment crop-frameEOS 20D.[35] Canon continued to iterate on the EOS 5D in the following years. TheEOS 5D Mark II was notable in that it was Canon's first EOS DSLR to offer video recording; it followed theNikon D90, which was the first ever video-capable DSLR.[36] However, unlike the D90, the 5D Mark II supported1080p video recording. The ability to record high definition video led the 5D Mark II to find use in the cinema industry, both as a "crash camera" for action shots in films such asIron Man 2 and as an A-camera in television shows such asHouse andDexter.[37] The final revision of the EOS 5D was theEOS 5D Mark IV, which released in 2016.[38] PhotographerPete Souza used cameras in the EOS 5D series while working as theChief Official White House Photographer for formerPresident of the United StatesBarack Obama.[39]
Later in 2005, Canon released theEOS 20Da, an EOS camera specially designed forastrophotography. This variant of theEOS 20D featured two major changes: a modifiedinfrared blocking filter in front of the sensor that allows greater sensor response fordeep-red wavelengths, and alive preview mode for the rear LCD to allow more precise star tracking than could be accomplished with theviewfinder.[40] In live preview mode, the camera's primary reflex mirror flips up into a locked position so that the primary image sensor is exposed directly to light, and the sensor continuously scans images to be viewed on the camera's integrated display. In single-lens reflex cameras, live preview allows numerous benefits such as exposure simulation and digital zoom for focus assistance. Live preview has since become nearly ubiquitous in interchangeable-lens camera models.[41] Though the EOS 20Da was discontinued less than one year later without a direct successor planned, Canon eventually released one in the form of theCanon EOS 60Da seven years later.[42]
Until 2012, Canon had continued to release revisions of both the crop-frame EOS-1D and full-frame EOS-1Ds flagship DSLRs. That year saw the merging of these two product lines in the form of theEOS-1D X, which combined the full-frame sensor size of theEOS-1Ds Mark III and the fast burst speed of theEOS-1D Mark IV.[43] The release of this camera marked the end of Canon's APS-H DSLR camera line, as full-frame image sensors no longer held a significant readout speed disadvantage when compared to smaller image sensors and the increased resolution of newer sensors could overcome the decreasedtelephoto reach of the full-frame sensor format.[44] The EOS 1D X received two revisions, culminating with theMark III, released in 2020.[45] PhotographerSebastião Salgado used an EOS 1D X camera during an expedition in theAmazon basin.[46]
Additionally, 2012 saw the release of theEOS 650D, the first DSLR to feature atouchscreen interface[47] and the first Canon DSLR to feature continuous autofocus in both live view and video mode.[48] Canon introduced the entry-level APS-CEOS M shortly after, a derivative of the 650D and the first EOSmirrorless camera.[49] Unlike DSLRs, which have optical viewfinders that use a mirror and prism system to show the view through the camera lens, mirrorless cameras tend to include anelectronic viewfinder that works using the same principle as the live preview mode: the image seen through the viewfinder is scanned out directly by the image sensor.[50] Through the elimination of the reflex mirror and optical viewfinder assembly, mirrorless cameras can thus be made smaller and lighter than comparable DSLRs.[51] The EOS M also introduced theEF-M lens mount to take advantage of the shorterflange focal distance that could be achieved via the removal of the mirror system. Existing EF and EF-S lenses could be mounted using a separately-sold adapter.[49]
Canon continued to release new DSLR camera models in the following years, alongside entry-level mirrorless cameras using the EF-M lens mount. The final EOS DSLR to be released was the midrange APS-CEOS 850D, launched in 2020.[52] One year later, Canon confirmed that they would no longer be releasing new digital SLR camera models as they pivoted fully tomirrorless technology.[53] As of October 2025[update], Canon continues to manufacture some EOS DSLR cameras, with theEOS 2000D and5D Mark IV absent from the company's list of discontinued products.[54]
The most advanced camera that utilized the EF-M mount was the midrange APS-CCanon EOS M5, which was released in 2016. The EOS M5 was Canon's first mirrorless camera to feature an integrated electronic viewfinder. It featured the same 24.1 megapixel sensor as its EOS DSLR equivalent, theEOS 80D, and was claimed to provide image quality equal to or greater than that of the 80D. News outlets such asThe Verge andCNET considered the EOS M5 to be Canon's first serious attempt at a mirrorless EOS camera.[55][56]
By 2018, Canon was under significant pressure to release afull-frame mirrorless camera—Sony had released theSony A7 and A7R five years prior.[57] That year, Canon introduced the RF mount, a lens mount designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The RF mount retains the 54 mm inner diameter of the EF mount while increasing the number of connective electrical pins from 8 to 12 and reducingflange focal distance to 20 mm from the EF mount's 44 mm. These changes allow for more advanced and compact lens designs than could be achieved with the EF mount, though this comes at the cost of compatibility with EF mount lenses. To address this, Canon released an optic-free adapter for the RF mount that allows usage of EF and EF-S lenses, though the shorter flange focal distance of the EF-M mount meant that EF-M lenses could not be adapted for use with the RF system.[58]
The first RF mount camera was theEOS R, Canon's first full-frame mirrorless camera. According to camera designer Hironori Oishi, Canon's goal with the EOS R was "to carry on the traditional parts of EOS but then bring in new innovation at the same time," which resulted in a camera with ergonomics similar to existing EOS DSLRs but with modified and simplified controls.[59] The camera garnered somewhat negative reception withPhotography Life criticizing the camera's poor handling and lack of available lenses[60] andDigital Photography Review assessing the camera's specifications as being behind comparable mirrorless cameras from Sony and Nikon.[58] A smaller and lighter derivative, theEOS RP, released in 2019.[61][62]
In 2020, Canon released the full-frameEOS R5 andEOS R6, mirrorless successors to the EOS 5D and EOS 6D series respectively.[63] Compared to the EOS R, both featured a new autofocus system, a new image processor, in-body image stabilization, and much greater shutter durability, among other improvements. In an interview, Oishi stated that the team "valued the handling and operability developed in the EOS 5D series, and aimed to design something that would feel natural to users" when designing the EOS R5.[64] The R5 was received well by Digital Photography Review, who called the camera "one of the best cameras on the market."[65] Both cameras have received Mark II revisions, with theEOS R6 Mark II announced in 2022[66] and theEOS R5 Mark II announced in 2024, which resolved an overheating issue with the original EOS R5.[67]
One year later, Canon released theEOS R3, a professional-grade full-frame camera with Canon's firststacked CMOS sensor in an EOS camera. The R3 featured a vertical grip and large body similar to Canon's flagship EOS-1D Mark III DSLR released one year prior, but with a smaller and lighter body. The fast image readout speeds provided by the camera's sensor, along with other features such as itsHDR-capable viewfinder and eye-controlled focus, led the EOS R3 to receive positive reviews for its wildlife and sports photography capabilities fromPCMag.[68]
In 2022, Canon released the first APS-C cameras to use the RF mount, the midrangeEOS R10 and the enthusiast-gradeEOS R7. These served as successors to the EOS 850D andEOS 7D Mark II DSLRs respectively. Both cameras featured the same image processor and subject-detection autofocus system as Canon's high-end EOS mirrorless cameras such as the EOS R5 and R3. Compared to the cheaper EOS R10, the EOS R7 featured in-body image stabilization and weather sealing, though it lacked the EOS R10's in-body flash. Alongside these cameras, Canon introduced new "RF-S" lenses designed for APS-C RF mount cameras.[69][70] These lenses have a smaller image circle with APS-C sensor coverage, allowing them to be lighter and more compact, but utilize the same RF mount as existing RF lenses. Unlike EF-S lenses, which required an adapter to be used with EF mount cameras, RF-S lenses can be used on full-frame RF mount cameras; the camera body automatically crops the frame to only use an APS-C sized portion of the sensor.[71]
Until this point, Canon had supported both the EOS M system and the EOS R system of mirrorless cameras; however, with the release of the entry-level RF mountEOS R50 andR100 mirrorless cameras in 2023, Canon officially discontinued the EOS M system camera models and lenses.[72][73]
In 2024, Canon released its first flagship mirrorless camera, the full-frameEOS R1. Targeted towards sports photography, the EOS R1 featured many improvements over the EOS R3: faster image readout speeds, improved image stabilization and eye-tracking autofocus, raw video recording, a supplementary processor to further improve autofocus subject tracking, and improved durability. The EOS R1 received critical acclaim from photography reviewers such asDigital Camera World andAmateur Photographer.[74][75][76] As of October 2025[update], Canon's most recently released mirrorless camera is theEOS R50 V, a vlogging-focused variant of the EOS R50 and the first EOS V series camera. The EOS R50 V omits the electronic viewfinder and built-in flash of the EOS R50 and gains improved connectivity and video recording capabilities.[8]
All Canon EOS cameras areautofocus-capable. The first EOS camera, theEOS 650, contained Canon's first implementation ofphase-detection autofocus in a single-lens reflex camera.[77] In phase-detection systems, incoming light from the camera lens is split into two beams by the primary mirror; one travels towards theviewfinder, and another travels to a digitalimage sensor with one or more sensitive areas. The data collected by the sensor is processed to determine how far thefocal point must be moved, and in what direction, to achieve correct focus.[78] The EOS 650's autofocus system only contained one horizontally-oriented autofocus point; future EOS cameras contained more points with other orientations.[77] Before the replacement of traditional phase-detection autofocus in the EOS series, top-line EOS cameras had either 61 or 65 user-selectable autofocus points.[79]
The addition oflive preview andvideo recording to the series created new challenges. As both features require the primary mirror of the camera to be folded such that the image sensor is always exposed to light from the lens, the secondary image sensor used for phase detection receives no light and cannot be used to achieve focus. To resolve this issue, Canon introduced acontrast-detection autofocus system—wherein the primary image sensor utilizes thehill climbing method to find the focus distance with peak contrast and thus correct focus—specifically for these modes.[80] This was later refined with the introduction of Canon's proprietary Hybrid CMOS AF system, which utilized phase-detection pixels within the primary image sensor to perform coarse focus-finding, followed by contrast detection hill-climbing to refine focus.[81] In both cases, secondary-sensor phase-detection was still used for viewfinder-based still photography. Subsequent iterations of Hybrid CMOS AF increased frame coverage and focus accuracy.[80]
With theEOS 70D, Canon integrated phase-detection autofocus into the primary sensor with the proprietaryDual Pixel CMOS AF system. In this system, each pixel in the focus area on the primary sensor is split into twophotodiodes that can be read independently for autofocus and simultaneously for capture, which allows high autofocus frame coverage with no penalty to image quality.[82] The introduction of DPAF brought autofocus performance during live preview and video mode in line with secondary-sensor phase detection autofocus methods and provided a robust autofocus method for Canon's then-emerging EOSmirrorless cameras. Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, introduced with the mirrorlessEOS R5 andR6, increased autofocus frame coverage from 80% to nearly 100%.[83]
Through thetracking of eyeball movements, EOS cameras equipped with eye-controlled focusing (ECF) are able to select the desired autofocus point in the scene based on where the user is looking in the viewfinder frame. ECF is especially useful in sports photography where the subject may shift its position in the frame rapidly.[84]
TheEOS 5,EOS 50E, EOS IXe,EOS-3, andEOS 30 film SLRs all featured an ECF system. TheEOS 30V was the last EOS SLR to have the feature. Due to issues with accuracy and usability, Canon did not continue development of its eye-controlled focusing system for EOS digital SLRs. However, the feature eventually returned with the release of the mirrorlessEOS R3 in 2021, where the camera's increased autofocus frame coverage and ability to show the eye's focus point on the electronic viewfinder made the feature viable to include.[85] Canon has continued to add this functionality to new high-end EOS cameras such as theEOS R1 andR5 Mark II.[86]
When initially released, EOS cameras supported twoflash metering systems, named TTL (forthrough-the-lens) and A-TTL (Advanced TTL). The former fires the primary flash only as long as is required to achieve sufficient exposure as determined by flash sensors inside the camera's body,[87] while the latter utilizes an additional low-power flash to aid in adjusting the camera's aperture for proper exposure. All EOS film cameras supported A-TTL metering.[88] A new metering system named E-TTL (Evaluative TTL) was introduced in 1995; this system allowed correct exposure to be achieved without requiring active monitoring of the flash's output. E-TTL II, which was an enhancement in the camera'sfirmware only, replaced E-TTL from 2004.[89]
Canon Speedlite-brand flashes have evolved alongside the cameras. The EZ series of Speedlite models, which was introduced alongside the first EOS cameras, supported both TTL and A-TTL metering;[88] the release of E-TTL metering on EOS cameras prompted the release of the E-TTL compatible Speedlite EX series.[90] Canon also produces Speedlite accessories, including the OC-E3 Off-Camera Shoe Cord,[91] which can be used to hand-hold the flash while allowing the camera to control it through the cord.
