Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Canon Has Officially Stopped Using the Terms ‘Master’ and ‘Slave’

As protests against supposed "systemic racism" swept the globe this year, there have been calls by some photographers for ending the use of the terms “master” and “slave” in the industry. Now Canon has come forward as the first camera company to officially stop using those terms on its camera gear.

In photographic lighting, a “master” device is one that is able to control/trigger a “slave” device. While these terms have been standard in the industry for decades, some have argued that they’re unnecessary ones that could easily be replaced with alternatives (e.g. “transmitter” and “receiver”).

Photographer Jason Parnell-Brookes of Fstoppers reports that Canon began ending use of “master” and “slave” in 2017 and has officially discontinued their use moving forward across its product lines.

“Canon started to phase these [terms] out since the end of 2017,” a Canon Europe spokesperson tells Fstoppers. “[In] all new products and materials, these terms are no longer used.”

The change will only be found on new Canon gear, as the terms are permanently baked into existing gear.

“Products released before this time, and still available, will still have the term as it’s often a physical part of the LCD display so can’t be changed by firmware, etc,” Canon tells Fstoppers.

As Canon is the leading manufacturer in the camera industry, it seems likely that other brands, both big and small, will follow its lead, and that this change in naming conventions may be a permanent one in the industry moving forward.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I wonder what they'll rename the master cylinder in cars.........

Primary brake hydraulic unit?????

mjc925 Loc: SF Bay Area

Or a "Master's Degree".....Maybe "Better than a Bachelors, but not quite a PhD degree". Of course at some point Bachelors Degree will have to go as well....for obvious reasons.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Add Master Plumber and Master Electrician.........

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

We will no longer be able to master a task. It will be necessary to stay unskilled.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Some one really needs to inform them of the multiple definitions of "master" in the English language, most of them having been around since before slavery was introduced into the English Colonies in the 1600's. for instance the ratings of apprentice, journeyman and master in the trades. Or the use of master to show skill level as a Master Photographer or a Master of...

Retired history teacher who has to do some teaching. The 1619 project - they either don't know history well or are liars. When a Dutch slave trading ship put in to Jamestown for emergency repairs and supplies they were short on cash and offered slaves as payment. Slavery didn't exist in the British Empire's laws and hadn't for several centuries. But they did have Indentured Servants. Think of it as contract almost-slavery for a set number of years - but with some pay and the needed things to set up in life as a free person (tools, land etc) when the term was over. Depending on skills and therefore value the terms ranged up to 14 years I believe. Poor people sometimes sold themselves into a contract to get a new life and courts often sentenced people to be indentured (sometimes it was a choice X years in jail or X years indentured) the courts could make it indentured for life in serious cases. The contracts did have value and were bought and sold. Those first slaves from that Dutch ship became indentured servants for the maximum contract. When their time was up they got the same as any other indentured servant to start a new life. Some of them went home to Africa, some became farmers etc and a few even became planters with indentured servants and later slaves of their own.* (they did pass laws making slavery legal in Virginia in 1661). One of those Africans did get sentenced to "life time indenturement" by a court - but then today we also have life time prison sentences. While slavery was not good in anyway overall the conditions in what became the US were among the best in all slave owning parts of the world. One study on health and life spans in the early 1800's found that US slaves were overall healthier and had longer life spans than Irish Peasants of the time. That partly explains the huge flood of Irish who immigrated. As one folk song puts it "they could not stand the starving so they kissed Ireland goodbye"

*slavery was common in most of Africa - most of the slaves brought to the Americas were sold to the slave ships by other Africans, some tribes and "kingdoms" even made a regular business out of buying or capturing slaves and then selling them to the slave ships. The single European colony that got the most slaves was Brazil (Portugal) which in one study I read got 35% of them, the British Colonies in North America got 5-7% and the rest went to the Caribbean and Spanish colonies. But conditions in those places (esp Brazil) due to disease and poor diet meant those slaves often died (so did the colonists) and new slaves were replacements. In North America there was less disease and a better diet with overall better treatment so the population of African slaves actually increased through birth.

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Thanks Democrats.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

"Informing" them won't help, they have blinders and selective hearing.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Small airplanes are racist. They have 'Master' switches for the electrical system. Oh, the horror!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

It's not just any use of the word "master". It's the use of "master" and "slave" together.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Good, no one calls the brake cylinders slaves, so we can still use master cylinder???

IDguy Loc: Idaho

No limits to stupidity.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

We can only hope sanity will prevail. Of course it hasn’t for 160+ Years.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

🤪🤪🤪

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States