Canon Model Naming

I'd sure like to understand Canon's model numbering scheme ...

 

The 20D was better than the 10D. I suspect the 5D isn't worse than the

10D ...

I think Canon uses lower value in digits to indicate a lower price level (features) in general: Hence EOS 1/3/7/2000 and in digital 1D/5D/20D/10D/300D(350D). And yes you have a point with the oddity that is 20D-10D, but I guess a launch of 10D left canon without 2 digit names for a similar class of camera, so they used 20D.

 

Maybe single digit camera are a different class than the two digit ones and so on with three digits etc.

 

- Harman

Roughly:

 

Single digit 1 names are PRO; <br>

Single digit other than 1 (3, 5, etc) are SEMI-PRO<br>

Double digit (20D, D60) are PROSUMER<br>

Tripple digit (300D, 350D, etc) are CONSUMER<br>

<p>

there are exceptions... but that's the rule of thumb...

<a href="http://photonotes.org/articles/beginner-faq/cameras.html#marketlevel">This page at PhotoNotes.org </a> backs up Neil's answer.

to matters clearer...yet more confusing the semi-pro and amateur models get better as the numbers get bigger (10D, 20D, D30, D66, 300D, 350D) whereas the PRO models go backwards, from the "1" series down (EOS 1, EOS 3, EOS 5, 1D, 5D)

The nomenclature is perfectly comprehensible. There is a descent in the following order: the pro bodies are always 1 (+ variable), the semi pro bodies have numbers up to ten (e.g. Eos 3, Eos 5 and now Eos 5D), the prosumer bodies up to hundred (e.g. Eos 50, Eos 30, Eos 10D, Eos 20D,...), the consumer bodies up to thousand (e.g. Eos 300, Eos 500) and the cheapest plastic bodies up to ten thousand (e.g. Eos 3000, Eos 5000).

 

Interestingly the non-european designations are different and as I understand a market strategy (e.g. the Eos 30 becomes Elan 7 which puts it into another segment - would make sense, too, since it is not inferior to the Eos 5).

The non-number names are also inscrutable.

<P>

If it helps, EOSDOC has a useful index of all the Canon EOS body

names in different markets:<BR>

<a href=

http://eosdoc.com/manuals/?q=Bodies

>http://eosdoc.com/manuals/?q=Bodies</a>

It makes no sense to compare the Elan 7 with the 5, since the two were released nine years apart (2001 versus 1992). The 5 was marketed as a prosumer camera and the Elan 7 as a consumer camera.

 

Actually the 5 was such a well-spec'd camera for its time that even in 2001 some people recommended it over the 7.

 

The Elan 7 was really an upgrade of the Elan II, which pretty much blows the numbering scheme with respect to the Elan cameras.

 

I worked in product development in the software industry for many years. When it comes to naming products, if you could get the same answer out of two different marketing people in the same week it was a minor miracle. They're just making it up as they go along.

Actually, there are linguists involved in the process of name finding (onomatology), or at least should be, regarding semantics of other languages. Else, things happen like the unsuccessful attempt to bring the pin curler "Miss Sticks" to the German market - that sounded just like "Bastard";-)

 

I think the folk at Canon put some thought into the naming process - I cannot imagine "Elan" would sell in Europe.

The II and 7 in the Elans are not the "numbers" we are talking about here. The Elans are U.S. names. The Elan II was internationally known as the EOS 50, the Elan 7 was the EOS 30, it makes perfect sense.

 

Howard

"The Elan II was internationally known as the EOS 50, the Elan 7 was the EOS 30, it makes

perfect sense."

 

Are you sure? Thye Elan 7E Date/30 Date is simply called called the EOS 7 in Japan...

To quote Neil:<br>

<br>

Roughly: Single digit 1 names are PRO;<br>

Single digit other than 1 (3, 5, etc) are SEMI-PRO<br>

Double digit (20D, D60) are PROSUMER<br>

Tripple digit (300D, 350D, etc) are CONSUMER<br>

<br><br>

This convention was more or less followed in the film days. At one point, Canon had:<br>

<br>

Pro: 1N <br>

Semi-pro: 5 (A2, A2E in the US)<br>

Prosumer: 50 (Elan II)<br>

Consumer: 500 (Rebel)<br>

<br>

At another point (even now):<br>

<br>

Pro: 1V<br>

Semi-pro: 3<br>

Prosumer: 30 (Elan 7)<br>

Consumer: 300 (Rebel 2000)<br>

<br>

(there are some newer models I am not keeping track of).<br>

<br>

In the digital line-up, the D30, D60 were odd balls. Now, Canon seems to have settled back to the old convention:<br>

<br>

Pro: 1D, 1Ds, 1D mark II<br>

Semi-pro: 5D<br>

Prosumer: 20D<br>

Consumer: 300D, 350D<br>

<br>

If one were to take this seriously, in the film line-up, all the levels below the Pro level start with the same digit. Since the 5D is the first semi-pro digital, then we can predict that the next prosumer and consumer models should be <b>50D</b> and <b>500D</b> (remember you heard it here first!)<br>

<br>

Howard<br>

Yes, I am sure:

 

http://www.eos-magazine.com/EOS%20system%20folder/EOS%20system/Film%20cameras/directoryUS.html

 

I was a little off -- the Elan 7 is EOS 33, the Elan 7E is EOS30, but not far off.

 

Howard

I remember the F-1, A-1, AE-1, AV-1, AT-1.... Keep your catalogs!

What about the EOS 600, 620, 630, 650, 750, 850, RT, IX, etc. The names aren't always very logical. See the <a href="http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/index.html">Canon Camera Museum</a>.

It makes perfect sense? Imagine how long this thread would be if it didn't.

"to matters clearer...yet more confusing the semi-pro and amateur models get better as the numbers get bigger"

 

Except that this does not always apply, eg the EOS500 film was a down spec version of the EOS300.