This is the EOS 650, the first EOS camera introduced in 1987. The 650 was aimed at the “Enthusiast” market and contained many features we accept today as standard. In use, this camera will feel very familiar to any Canon digital DSLR user.
EOS FILM CAMERAS
The Beginning of the End of Film
It is often forgotten in the age of EOS digital and mirrorless cameras that when the EOS lens mount was introduced in March of
1987 it was on a film camera, the EOS
650, and that it was not until July of 2004,
21 years and over 25 models later, that
the last of the EOS SLR film cameras was introduced. And the joy of it is that all
of these cameras will mount all of the fine EF lenses we have today and we can shoot film with them!
Autofocus, TTL metering, exposure bracketing, and many other advanced features predate the digital revolution.
The problem with this chart is that all of the EOS film cameras are lumped into one basket. This is confusing because the cameras were targeted to specific markets which is not obvious here. And the dates of introduction are somewhat hard to visualize.
Another way to look at this chart is to divide the cameras by target market and then show the dates of introduction graphically. This gives a chart that is much more easily grasped. As you work your way through the EOS film cameras you will refer to this chart often to see where particular cameras fit in. Click on the chart to enlarge it to see it clearly.
Some Naming Conventions
When I began to figure out the naming conventions of the new EOS film cameras I found it very confusing. The cameras before EOS had simple names that everyone knew them by. But with EOS it was irritatingly complex. First of all, for marketing reasons that escape me, the cameras were given different names in Japan, North America and Europe/Asia. And then there are the suffixes. What do all those letters mean?
The different names are set out in the chart above. As for the letters, here’s what I have found:
| S | S signifies a model with a built in flash |
| F | F is for a camera with a flash in the European market |
| N | N is used to indicate a newer or improved model |
| QD | Stands for Quartz Date which is a feature that imprints dates on the film |
| P | P stand for Panorama which is a feature for producing panorama shaped images (this is a bit tacky because all it does is block the film top and bottom) |
So the “Rebel S” is a Rebel with a built in flash. An EOS “1000F QD” is a European named Rebel camera with built in flash and a back that can imprint dates on the film. So, as you can see, it does make a certain amount of sense. Although not too much.
The “QD” cameras a have a sepecial back for imprinting date right on the negative. Some of these backs were affixed and not user removeable which meant that “QD” is in the name of the camera. But some were add ons that you could purchase. So this feature may be found on some cameras that do not have “QD” in their name. These backs are discussed in the Accessories section under Date/Data Backs.