Canon EOS 650 (1987)

The Canon EOS 650 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera. It was introduced on 2 March 1987, Canon's 50th anniversary, and discontinued in February 1989. It was the first camera in Canon's new EOS series, which was designed from scratch to support autofocus lenses. The EOS system features the new EF lens mount, which uses electrical signals to communicate between the camera and the lens.[4] Focusing and aperture control are performed by electric motors mounted in the lens body. The EF mount is still used on Canon SLRs, including digital models. Canon's previous FD mount lenses are incompatible with EOS bodies.

Canon's first EOS camera had the latest technologies, including a microprocessor and a Canon-developed BASIS sensor for high-precision AF. Canon claimed incomparable autofocusing for the EOS 650. A range of high-precision Ultrasonic Motor (USM) EF autofocus lenses were also developed successfully for the 650.

An EOS 650 was used in 1992 to take the first photographic image that was uploaded on the World Wide Web, a picture of the band Les Horribles Cernettes.[5]

The EOS 5D Mark III DSLR was announced on the 25th anniversary of the announcement of the EOS 650.

The more advanced EOS 620 followed in May 1987, and the EOS 630/600 in March 1989. The 620 was equipped with multiple exposure and auto-bracketing capability, and a higher flash sync speed of 1/250 and shutter speed of 1/4000. The 630 had interchangeable viewing screens and faster autofocus, and was capable of faster film transport at 5 frames per second over the 650's 3 fps.

Production of the EOS series began in what was then Canon’s Fukushima plant and now takes place at a variety of locations—including Taiwan, Miyazaki, Nagasaki and Oita Canon—where production is under high-product quality management.