What the heck does RF actually stand for?: Canon EOS R Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review (2024)

4

Does anyone have an idea as to the meaning behind the abbreviation? Here are a of my guesses, some of which are much worse than others (retina).

• Revolutionary
• Rapid
• Resolving
• Redesigned
• Reliable
• Refined
• Ring
• Rear

Perhaps the most likely, however, is the somewhat unwieldy shoRt back Focus. Thoughts?

1

11

1

Desperadude wrote:

Roger Federer 😆

3

Ridiculous

What does EF stand for?

What does EOS stand for?

Should we care?

2

If I remember correcty EOS = electro-optical system

16

nitram_a wrote:

Does anyone have an idea as to the meaning behind the abbreviation? Here are a of my guesses, some of which are much worse than others (retina).

• Revolutionary
• Rapid
• Resolving
• Redesigned
• Reliable
• Refined
• Ring
• Rear

Perhaps the most likely, however, is the somewhat unwieldy shoRt back Focus. Thoughts?

First, some history ...

Canon Lens Mounts:

1959: R Mount (Reflex Mount) was introduced with the Canon Canonflex, Canon's first SLR Camera.

1964: FL Mount (Focus Linked) was introduced with the Canon FX SLR Camera.

1971: FD Mount (Focus Dual Linked) was introduced with the Canon F-1 SLR Camera.

1987: EF Mount (Electro-Focus) was introduced with the Canon EOS 650, Canon's first EOS (Electro-Optical System) Camera. The EOS 650 was as a matter of interest, mirrorless.

2003: EF-S Mount (Electro-Focus Small-Image-Circle or Small-Back-Focus) was introduced for Cameras with ASP-C Sensors, the first being the Canon EOS 300D.

2012: EF-M Mount (Electro-Focus Mirrorless) was introduced for Mirrorless Cameras with ASP-C Sensors, the first being the Canon EOS M, a miniaturized variant of the EOS 650D.

2018: RF Mount (R Focus) was introduced with the EOS R, Canon's first MILC (Mirrorless Inter-Changeable Lens) Camera.

So, the OP's question resolves down to what the R in EOS R stands for. Some might connect this R designation with the 5DS R.

In truth, while the EOS R was being developed, it was tagged R for Revert or Reborn, but when it went public and in production, Canon adapted Re-Imagined for the meaning of the R.

So, EOS R is Electro-Optical System Re-Imagined and RF is Re-Imagined Focus.

EOS = Electro Optical System or the Goddess of Dawn in Greek .

Canon = Kwanon = Kannon = the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy

EF = Electro Focus

Why would Canon choose to name it's mirror less system R ? I don't know . When you read the Roman letter R in Japanese it sounds like the Japanese verb to exist . Canon has a lot of symbolism in everything . Just as a curiosity . The number 5 in Japanese can be written like = 五 or 吉 . The name of one of Canon's founders and also the designer of Canon's first camera , Goro Yoshida , is written like this in Japanese = 吉田 五郎 . Notice the first character in his surname and given name .

Maybe Canon just got lucky by choosing to name it's mirror less system R . When Japan's new Emperor ascended last year , a new Imperial Era name was chosen , it's name Reiwa . It wouldn't mean much for most people , but depending on how you write a date it does . For example 2020/09/05 in Japan it's September 5th of the second year of the Reiwa era or R 2/09/05 . And you may ask , where would you write a date in such a way ? There are some places where they will abbreviate the Imperial Eras names by just using Roman letters as in : M = Meiji , S = Showa , H = Heisei , R = Reiwa . In Japan it isn't that common to use the Gregorian Calendar , instead most places use a calendar in conformity to the Imperial Era .

buellom wrote:

If I remember correcty EOS = electro-optical system

Yes... and EF = Electro Focus

The big revolution going from FD to EF was the fully electronic mount

Looks like the revolution now is Revolution itself

funjp wrote:

EOS = Electro Optical System or the Goddess of Dawn in Greek .

Canon = Kwanon = Kannon = the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy

EF = Electro Focus

Why would Canon choose to name it's mirror less system R ? I don't know . When you read the Roman letter R in Japanese it sounds like the Japanese verb to exist . Canon has a lot of symbolism in everything . Just as a curiosity . The number 5 in Japanese can be written like = 五 or 吉 . The name of one of Canon's founders and also the designer of Canon's first camera , Goro Yoshida , is written like this in Japanese = 吉田 五郎 . Notice the first character in his surname and given name .

Maybe Canon just got lucky by choosing to name it's mirror less system R . When Japan's new Emperor ascended last year , a new Imperial Era name was chosen , it's name Reiwa . It wouldn't mean much for most people , but depending on how you write a date it does . For example 2020/09/05 in Japan it's September 5th of the second year of the Reiwa era or R 2/09/05 . And you may ask , where would you write a date in such a way ? There are some places where they will abbreviate the Imperial Eras names by just using Roman letters as in : M = Meiji , S = Showa , H = Heisei , R = Reiwa . In Japan it isn't that common to use the Gregorian Calendar , instead most places use a calendar in conformity to the Imperial Era .

Is it only a coincidence that the second (cheaper) Canonflex model was the RP? (P for “Populaire”.)

Sittatunga wrote:

funjp wrote:

EOS = Electro Optical System or the Goddess of Dawn in Greek .

Canon = Kwanon = Kannon = the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy

EF = Electro Focus

Why would Canon choose to name it's mirror less system R ? I don't know . When you read the Roman letter R in Japanese it sounds like the Japanese verb to exist . Canon has a lot of symbolism in everything . Just as a curiosity . The number 5 in Japanese can be written like = 五 or 吉 . The name of one of Canon's founders and also the designer of Canon's first camera , Goro Yoshida , is written like this in Japanese = 吉田 五郎 . Notice the first character in his surname and given name .

Maybe Canon just got lucky by choosing to name it's mirror less system R . When Japan's new Emperor ascended last year , a new Imperial Era name was chosen , it's name Reiwa . It wouldn't mean much for most people , but depending on how you write a date it does . For example 2020/09/05 in Japan it's September 5th of the second year of the Reiwa era or R 2/09/05 . And you may ask , where would you write a date in such a way ? There are some places where they will abbreviate the Imperial Eras names by just using Roman letters as in : M = Meiji , S = Showa , H = Heisei , R = Reiwa . In Japan it isn't that common to use the Gregorian Calendar , instead most places use a calendar in conformity to the Imperial Era .

Is it only a coincidence that the second (cheaper) Canonflex model was the RP? (P for “Populaire”.)

Canonflex was Canon's first SLR camera, dating back to 1959 and had an R mount, not RF. When the Canon developers coined the definition of EOS R with the R meaning Revert, they did so in fun to imply reverting back to the original EOS camera, the EOS 650, which was mirrorless and the basis for the first EOS M camera. The Canonflex is a way too old non-EOS camera to have any meaning in this sense.

flyinglentris wrote:

Sittatunga wrote:

funjp wrote:

EOS = Electro Optical System or the Goddess of Dawn in Greek .

Canon = Kwanon = Kannon = the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy

EF = Electro Focus

Why would Canon choose to name it's mirror less system R ? I don't know . When you read the Roman letter R in Japanese it sounds like the Japanese verb to exist . Canon has a lot of symbolism in everything . Just as a curiosity . The number 5 in Japanese can be written like = 五 or 吉 . The name of one of Canon's founders and also the designer of Canon's first camera , Goro Yoshida , is written like this in Japanese = 吉田 五郎 . Notice the first character in his surname and given name .

Maybe Canon just got lucky by choosing to name it's mirror less system R . When Japan's new Emperor ascended last year , a new Imperial Era name was chosen , it's name Reiwa . It wouldn't mean much for most people , but depending on how you write a date it does . For example 2020/09/05 in Japan it's September 5th of the second year of the Reiwa era or R 2/09/05 . And you may ask , where would you write a date in such a way ? There are some places where they will abbreviate the Imperial Eras names by just using Roman letters as in : M = Meiji , S = Showa , H = Heisei , R = Reiwa . In Japan it isn't that common to use the Gregorian Calendar , instead most places use a calendar in conformity to the Imperial Era .

Is it only a coincidence that the second (cheaper) Canonflex model was the RP? (P for “Populaire”.)

Canonflex was Canon's first SLR camera, dating back to 1959 and had an R mount, not RF. When the Canon developers coined the definition of EOS R with the R meaning Revert, they did so in fun to imply reverting back to the original EOS camera, the EOS 650, which was mirrorless and the basis for the first EOS M camera. The Canonflex is a way too old non-EOS camera to have any meaning in this sense.

The EOS 650 was a film SLR camera from 1987. The first EOS M camera had the guts of the EOS 650D DSLR from 2012 but neither the reflex mirror not the pentamirror. It had a different shutter too, without the first curtain.

-- hide signature --

"If you are among those who believe that it has all been done already and nothing new can be achieved, you've murdered your own artistry before ever letting it live. You abort it in its fetal state. There is much that has yet to be spoken in art and composition and it grows with the passage of time. Evolving technologies, world environments and ideologies all drive change in thoughts, passion and expression. There is no way that it can all ever be done already. And therein lies the venue for the creative artist, a venue that is as diverse as the universe is unmapped and unexplored." - Quote from FlyingLentris
~
flyinglentris in LLOMA

1

I believe the name comes from a comment by a photographer who was shown an early prototype of EOS R: "What do you mean I have to Repurchase the F*cking lenses!?"

Somewhat more seriously, I recall the EOS R campaign talking about R standing for "Reimagination."

sorry the Canon EOS 650 was a SLR not mirrorless but was very advanced in terms of controls

https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film122.html

kev wilson wrote:

sorry the Canon EOS 650 was a SLR not mirrorless but was very advanced in terms of controls

https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film122.html

I misread my source. The 650 was SLR, but the EF Mount was used on both EOS SLR and EOS Mirrorless cameras, introduced in 1987 with the 650.