Canon EOS Resources |
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CANON EOS 650 QD (Quartz Date) film-based 135mm (36 x 24mm) format AF-SLR camera,
Approx. Product Cycle: 1987 ~ 1989
The EOS 650 is totally unlike any other autofocus 35mm SLR on the market when it made its debut at the 1987 PMA Show. The camera marked the beginning of a new era for Canon. It was the first of a whole new series of AF 35mm SLR cameras designed from the ground up from an entirely new concept as conceived by Canon, where the camera, lenses and system accessories are fully integrated with one another through a new, fully electronic lens mount interchange for the first time. The EOS (Electro-Optical System) concept is a very thoughtful, two-tiered approach to camera development. It involves finding the best way to integrate creative power into the camera, making it easier for the user to put that power to work. So, like its namesake, the Greek Goddess of Dawn, the EOS concept marked a new beginning, in this case the making of new technological advances and creative power to be easily accessible for beginners, amateurs, advanced amateurs and professionals alike.
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The design of the EOS 650 clearly reflected this concept as pioneered by Canon (the EOS 650 clearly inherited a design similar to the trend setting Canon T90 of 1986, a short-lived but very influential non-AF Canon 35mm SLR camera that was launched in 1986). For example, the operating buttons have been kept to a minimum and the camera body is incredibly comfortable in the hand. There is nothing to frighten away the inexperienced photo enthusiast or divert the user's attention during operation. While most of the autofocus SLRs at that time were models featuring conventional designs and technology, the EOS 650 represented a revolutionary approach to camera development especially in the area of autofocus operations and ease-of-use to anyone picking up an AF 35mm SLR for the first time. Its autofocus system is an integral part of the total design concept Canon had envisioned for the EOS System.
Primarily aimed at first time SLR camera buyers and the average amateurs, the EOS cameras are not compatible with Canon's older, manual focus FD-mount system of lenses. The innovative electronic input dial was the singularly most important operative sequence of modern camera design. First used on the Canon T90, it proved to be a hit among owners of this remarkable camera so it was appropraite for Canon to include this breakthrough design not only on the EOS 650 but on every EOS model that comes along including those designed for the APS and the digital series. It is a very successful concept as the main dial design is also much copied by the competitions with some having evolved into other variations too (left/right rotation as opposed to Canon's up/down rotation design) but the concept is the same.
CANON'S UNIQUE LENS-INTEGRAL DESIGN The biggest difference of the EOS system as compared with other body integrated AF system available during that time was the way how the autofocus mechanism devised by Canon works. As for the camera, the most striking visual difference between the EOS cameras and the older manual focus Canon bodies is the oversized, new three-lug bayonet mount. This new lens mount has a very large diameter and permits the design of very fast lenses with large rear elements. Gone are the mechanical lugs and pins for mechanical linkage between camera and lenses for exposure control and information transfers between camera bodies and lenses. Virtually all the AF SLR cameras available during the period that the EOS 650 made its debut had utilized body-integral motors for lens drive and control. But only Canon had the foresight of having opted for a lens-integral design. Two high-precision motors are integrated into each of Canon's EF lenses to control lens action (one for focusing, and one for aperture control). So, Canon was the first 35mm camera manufacturer to use a entirely new, electronically-controlled lens mount in which a motor in the lens moved the diaphragm blades and another one to drive the AF mehanism for high-speed focusing. This concept has since been adopted by other manufacturers as well such as Contax N series, Olympus 4/3 Digital System and Sigma's SD9 and SD10 Digital SLRs that employed Foveon's CMOS sensors.
This design necessitates that one motor with one set of specifications serve the vastly differing power/torque requirements of various lenses. As a result, ultra fast focus response with telephoto lenses makes it exceptionally quick for EOS cameras to achieve focus when shooting fast-moving subjects.
| Instruction Manual for EOS620/650 - External Link |During the initial stage of the EOS Sysem, Canon used a motor called "AFD", for Arc Form Drive, a conventional small DC electric motor that designed in an arc-shape to fit into the barrel for the majority of their consumer-grade EF lenses. The USM or Ultrasonic Motor lenses were found in the more expensive L-series professional grade lenses. USM driven lenses can focus faster than those with AFD. Inside each of the USM lens, the motors are comprised of two metal rings, one annexes to the lens barrel while another is connected to the focusing helical. It uses simple but practical theory to achieve reliable, efficient and virtually silent operation. Canon has improved the USM technologies over the years and the latest was the Micro-USM which had replaced the AFD version on the newer series of consumer-grade of EF lenses. The latest L-series as well as most of the midrange type of EF lenses have also been ugraded to the next generation of USM, which utilize FT-M (Full Time Manual) focusing, enabling photographers to perform manual focusing adjustment immediately should the AF operation not able to find focus on the targetted subject.
A Pictorial Illustration of various early EF lenses Series (700k pdf file)
Additional information on other EOS AF-SLR Models:
EOS-650 (1987.2) | EOS-620 (1987.5) | EOS-750QD (1988.10) | EOS-850QD (1988.10) | EOS-630QD (1989.4) | EOS-1 (1989.9) | EOS-RT (1989.10) | EOS-700QD (1990.3) | EOS-10S QD (1990.3) | Canon T-60 | EOS-1000F /RebelS QD (1990.9) | EOS-100 / Elan QD (1991.9) | Canon EF-M (1991.9) | EOS-5/A2E QD (1992.10) | EOS-1000FN /Rebel S II QD (1992.4) | EOS-500 / Rebel XS / KISS (1993.10) | EOS-1n (1994.9) | EOS-888/5000QD (1995.1) | EOS-1n RS (1995.3) | EOS-50/50E / Elan II(E) /EOS 55 (1995.9) | EOS -500N / Rebel G / KISS II (1996.9) | EOS-IX (1996.10) / EOS-IX Lite /IX-7 (1996.3) | EOS-3 (1998.11) | EOS-88/3000 (1999.3) | EOS-300 / Rebel 2000 QD / KISS III (1999.4) | EOS-1v (2000.3) | EOS-30 / EOS-7 / EOS Elan 7E (2000.10) | EOS-3000N /EOS-66 / Rebel XS-N (2002.2) | EOS-300V / Rebel Ti / KISS V (2002.9) | EOS 3000V / Rebel K2 / KISS Lite (2003.9)
Canon Autofocus EF Lens Resources
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Technical Specifications - EOS 650
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