# What does the "D" in all camera bodies mean?



## Tiedtke (Sep 17, 2012)

I've been thinking about this for a little while now, but I still don't know the answer. 
What does the "D" actually mean in camera model names such as 5D, 7D, 6D, 550D, D7000, D800, D90 and so on?

/Michael


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 17, 2012)

Digital!
When we had film Cameras like the Rebel, there was no "D". Canon and others added the "D" to help users know it was digital.
Now that almost everything is digital, its really unnecessary, but in 1995, it was a good idea.


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## Tiedtke (Sep 17, 2012)

Aha. I see. Thanks!


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## RuneL (Sep 17, 2012)

Tiedtke said:


> I've been thinking about this for a little while now, but I still don't know the answer.
> What does the "D" actually mean in camera model names such as 5D, 7D, 6D, 550D, D7000, D800, D90 and so on?
> 
> /Michael



wow! I was really sure someone was just trolling  New in the game?


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## timkbryant (Sep 17, 2012)

I saw a comment somewhere (honestly can't remember) about the zzD line kind of nearing its end. As in we're at 60D now, with only 70, 80, 90 remaining.

Maybe Canon will go back to no 'D' when that happens so to restart the line.



Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Digital!
> When we had film Cameras like the Rebel, there was no "D". Canon and others added the "D" to help users know it was digital.
> Now that almost everything is digital, its really unnecessary, but in 1995, it was a good idea.


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## DzPhotography (Sep 23, 2012)

Nikon is doing the same, only putting the 'D' up front :


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## philsv77 (Sep 25, 2012)

D = damn


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## dr croubie (Sep 25, 2012)

DzPhotography said:


> Nikon is doing the same, only putting the 'D' up front :



But nikon already had F in theirs, F1, F2, F90, etc.
I think at the time it meant 'F for F Mount', but now it's just as easy to think of it as 'F for Film'


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## philsv77 (Sep 25, 2012)

Do I need to say what Nikon 'F' mean too?


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## marekjoz (Sep 25, 2012)

"D" is is the first letter of the whole acronym, which maybe in several years finally fully appears there. It's going slowly towards "DxO" word. 1 Dx is almost there, the rest still far away. Future models maybe finally will catch the desired standard.

Sleepy. Fooling around...


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## dirtcastle (Sep 25, 2012)

I look forward to the day when someone is at the store and the sales person asks, "would you like to see the 9D or the 90D?"

What... did I stutter??


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## gmrza (Sep 25, 2012)

dirtcastle said:


> I look forward to the day when someone is at the store and the sales person asks, "would you like to see the 9D or the 90D?"
> 
> What... did I stutter??



I'd like to know what will be the successor to the 90D ,which will probably launch in around 2025, if the period between x0D bodies is 4 years, and the successor to the 950D which will launch in 2019, assuming Canon launches a new xx0D body every year.

Maybe all the current members of the Canon product marketing department plan to be elsewhere by then.....


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## gferdinandsen (Sep 25, 2012)

DzPhotography said:


> Nikon is doing the same, only putting the 'D' up front :




Except that the D30/D60 have already been used. I still have my D30, I occasionally dust it off to see far we have come.


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## RLPhoto (Sep 25, 2012)

Darn.

Devious.

Digital.

;D


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## DB (Sep 25, 2012)

*D* is for *DECADENT* and if you want proof...then simply look at your sales receipt!


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## crasher8 (Sep 25, 2012)

I called an NFL ref and he said my camera was on 3rd down with 5 yards to go so I should kick.


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 25, 2012)

RuneL said:


> Tiedtke said:
> 
> 
> > I've been thinking about this for a little while now, but I still don't know the answer.
> ...



At some point, old technology is forgotten, what with the playstation and i-phone generation. Remember when music was on big black vinyl discs, and nobody bothered calling it 'analog'?? ;D


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## mystic_theory (Sep 25, 2012)

Tiedtke said:


> I've been thinking about this for a little while now, but I still don't know the answer.
> What does the "D" actually mean in camera model names such as 5D, 7D, 6D, 550D, D7000, D800, D90 and so on?
> 
> /Michael



Now seriously, my prof was used to say "there is no stupid question only stupid answers" but I think it was implied that one shouldn't push the limits of the statement. ;-)


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## tron (Sep 25, 2012)

gmrza said:


> I'd like to know what will be the successor to the 90D ,which will probably launch in around 2025, if the period between x0D bodies is 4 years, and the successor to the 950D which will launch in 2019, assuming Canon launches a new xx0D body every year.


91D, 90DMkII , whatever. As long as they produce better cameras...


gmrza said:


> Maybe all the current members of the Canon product marketing department plan to be elsewhere by then.....


 ;D


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## bkorcel (Sep 25, 2012)

D = Damn Expensive!


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## sagittariansrock (Sep 25, 2012)

Amazing that this thread got to be so long! (AND I am adding to it, too) :


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## DJL329 (Sep 25, 2012)

gferdinandsen said:


> DzPhotography said:
> 
> 
> > Nikon is doing the same, only putting the 'D' up front :
> ...



But, as Canon has shown us with the Powershot S100, they don't have a problem reusing model numbers. 

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/dcc/data/1986-2000/2000_ps-ixy-d.html?lang=us&categ=crn&page=1986-2000
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras/powershot_s100?selectedName=BrochuresAndManuals


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## TW (Sep 25, 2012)

D = Diddleysquat

Nowadays, since there isn't anything else.


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## JohanCruyff (Sep 25, 2012)

What if D stood for Desperate and M for Miserable?


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## KyleSTL (Sep 25, 2012)

DJL329 said:


> But, as Canon has shown us with the Powershot S100, they don't have a problem reusing model numbers.


And the S110 aswell. 



mrsfotografie said:


> At some point, old technology is forgotten, what with the playstation and i-phone generation. Remember when music was on big black vinyl discs, and nobody bothered calling it 'analog'?? ;D


You really don't have to specify a technology when another technology did not exist. Cameras used to use film, and one did not need that a camera was a 'film' camera, and music came on records, 4 tracks, 8 tracks, reel-to-reel, cassette tapes, all these are analog, but one does not have to state it when it preceeds the invention of digital means.

Now that we've all had a little fun with 'D', how about 'L'? I'll go first:

Ludicrous (as in prices, for 24-70 II, supertelephoto IS II versions, 24 IS, 28 IS)
Languish (as in interest, in lenses that take years to go from announcement to shipping)


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## clicstudio (Sep 25, 2012)

*D for Delicious! Hahaha*

 :  :-X


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## marekjoz (Sep 25, 2012)

*Re: D for Delicious! Hahaha*



clicstudio said:


> :  :-X



+1


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## tron (Sep 25, 2012)

D for Disney... (Mickey Mouse) camera ? ;D


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## Canon-F1 (Sep 25, 2012)

Droolover


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## crasher8 (Sep 25, 2012)

Well, according to the latest CR(1) rumor it means 'D End'


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 26, 2012)

crasher8 said:


> Well, according to the latest CR(1) rumor it means 'D End'


Dead End? I wonder what's next!


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