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Canon Celebrates EOS-1 Anniversary With Design, Tech Interviews
21 August 2014
Canon Professional Network has published its interviews with the two men behind the company's EOS-1, the flagship SLR celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Canon's EOS series launched in 1987 with the EOS 650, the first autofocus SLR with a fully electronic lens mount system that could control AF and aperture with electrical signals. Two years later in 1989, Canon introduced its first professional EOS model, the EOS-1 with "cutting-edge technologies, class-leading levels of performance, new levels of ergonomics, high durability and reliability."
Yoshiaki Sugiyama and Tsunemasa Ohara were two of the key people behind the development of the EOS-1 system. Links to each interview are in the first paragraph of our highlights below.
SUGIYAMA
Yoshiaki Sugiyama has worked on the design of Canon SLR systems since 1978, including the T90 (1986), the EOS 650/620 (1987) and the EOS-1 (1989) cameras. In the Sugiyama interview, he discusses the history and development of EOS-1 series SLR designs.
I believe that the best results come from people with comparatively small hands designing for people with larger hands.
Discussing the optimum size for a camera, Sugiyama said, "There is no 'better too big than too small' proverb in the camera world. This is my own personal opinion, but I believe that the best results come from people with comparatively small hands designing for people with larger hands. I believe that the optimum size among Canon cameras is the AL-1."
While he predicts the entire EOS system will become lighter, he listed the problems to be addressed. "The technical challenges are: lighter, stronger materials; glass materials with a high refractive index and high permeability; improvement in low power consumption design and compact, high-capacity battery; electronic parts with a higher degree of integration."
OHARA
Tsunemasa Ohara has worked on the technical development of EOS System since 1984, leading the EOS Digital Project, the EOS-1D X Project and the EOS Professional Business Project. In the Ohara interview, he discusses the history and development of EOS-1 series SLR technologies.
The move to digital has enabled high sensitivity that was unthinkable during the film era.
The biggest advance in the EOS-1 system? That's easy. "The biggest advancement in the EOS-1 series over 25 years has been the change to digital," he said. "The move to digital has enabled high sensitivity that was unthinkable during the film era. This has made it possible to shoot in a vastly wider variety of situations. I believe the latest EOS-1D X has achieved the greatest advancements in shooting functions in the series."
He explained why the EOS-1 has always concentrated on autofocus and focus speed. "No matter how good an image sensor or lens is in terms of image quality, if the focus is off, even a little bit for a decisive moment, the sharpness of an image will drop."
But that isn't the whole story. "It's impossible to separate the two technologies of the CMOS sensor and imaging engine that processes signals to convert into images," he added. "Every part of the interior of the CMOS sensor is designed to be closely linked with the imaging processor, making excellent image quality and high-speed performance possible. Because all of these components are developed within Canon, it is possible to create a high-performance product."