There are many enlightened people on here (clever buggers) but can anyone answer this

It has just become a thought, I have the Nikkormat FT2, EL, Asiah Pentax had the K1000, Canon EOS RT Pellix

The FT2 (which I know is the second hence 2 version of the FT but what was the FT for, same, K in K1000, EL and so on.

Just letters thought up.

E.g Canon EOS was and still is Electro-Optical System, hence Canon EOS "X", I doubt many today know that. The same as The "F" in Nikon F was selected from the term "re-f-lex"

Any ideas? Canon's web site says the flash has Radio Triggering so the RT probably does stand for Radio Trigger

????

 

I don't think they are that well thought out. Might be more interesting to have names than numbers together with a D for digital. Fuji came a cropper with S for second T for third, F for fourth then ... whoops V for fifth on their X100.

 

I have heard an alternative reason for the Nikon mount being called the F mount. It stems from the Nikon F which was designed by Nikon's chief designer, Mr. Masahiko Fuketa.
The "F' coming from Fuketa rather than the "f" in reflex.

 

I have a Canon FT.....

 

Like the M ( for Maitani) in Olympus OM? and presumably the D in OMD is for Digital?

 

While I can’t comment on the other suffixes- I’m sure I have a brochure from the very early EOS system back in the late 80’s, I’m also positive the EOS was referred to the God of Dawn, as in -The Dawn of a New Era. Later brochures used the Electro Optical System acronym.

 

Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an autofocus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650

 

Eos's mother was Theia who represented divinity and he father was Hyperion, representing brightness. Her brother was Helios (the sun) and her sister Selene (the moon). Eos married Astraeus (the stars) and gave birth to most of the original Greek pantheon. Like the rest of the Titans she was displaced by the new gods of Olympus. She was often referred to as "Rhododactylos" or "rosy fingered Eos".

The theory that the name is an acronym sounds like nonsense although it's possible that someone coined a backronym from the word.

 

and there was I thinking the rosy fingered lady was called dawn

 

It may well be worth considering that the letters don't have to mean anything.
I might guess that the Nikon FE stood for F (as in F mount) Electronic with FM being F Mechanical
The Pelix name comes from Pellicil a term for a part silvered mirror
The K in the Pentax camera series indicated that it was a K mount body as opposed to using an M42 mount, we can discuss why the K mount was so named later.

 

She is!

 

I won't try adding any photo related derivations, but will instead make a general comment on such things.
As the longest employed member of our lab staff I was recently asked what the initials that were part of our method numbers stood for. I'd never been told but offered a guess, which was then published as the meaning. Later I realized a different acronym was more likely as the three letters actually where those of a previous name for the company.

I'm sure a great many photographic names will have similar incorrect derivations making the rounds of folklore Many will just be down to someone in marketing thought it sounded good...

 

... or, as Homer would have it, 'Emos d’erigeneia phane rhododaktulos eos' - at least twenty times.

 

Quite right. I should have quoted the whole thing, as you did.

 

I an sure you are right, we already have two explanations as to why Nikon's mount is the F mount and one as to why the OM system was originally the M system. Both Nikon and Olympus having supposedly used the designers initials (in one explanation in Nikon's case).

Pentax had the M series, the K series and there was the LX. I would hesitate to suggest whether there was any significance in the letters except that L and M come after K in the alphabet, even if the LX was actually released after the MX! Later camera series went to A, P, S, Z then MZ if you can see any logic there I'll listen but I certainly can't see it. Anyway they are back at K!

Another point to consider is that in the USA many cameras have/had different model designation from those used elsewhere, for example some Nikons were NXXXX in the USA and FXXX in the rest of the world. I really think that trying to make sense of camera naming is a futile exercise, with the occasional interesting snippet lurking in the background.

 

I THINK the LX was called that as it was the 60th anniversary of something Pentax related.

 

Yes. Unfortunately, some people get attached to things they remember (or often misremember) and get a little unreasonable when alternative explanations are offered.

 

The LX was launched in 1980 but the name may have been applied earlier because Asahi Optical (Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kaisha) was founded in late 1919, making 1979 the 60th anniversary, so that does make some sense especially as the camera was probably announced in 1979.

 

Most people I suspect.