boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Can anyone please tell my why Canon uses TV and AV instead of simply S or A ? Shouldn't they want to make it easier for the new users t understand the settings. They don't use unique nomenclature on their lenses.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Same reason their mounts rotate backwards and their lenses zoom is backwards. They set out to be as different as the standard of the day as they could. The worldwide standard was Nikon, so Canon worked hard to become everything NOT Nikon.

tsilva Loc: Arizona

What's so hard about understanding time value or aperture value? Oh, it needs to be dumbed down for Nikon users, got it

Leitz Loc: Solms

To spell out Time Value and Aperture Value would require oversized dials, so they use abbreviations.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Maybe that's why Nikons feel so awkward, they are made backward.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

Not every camera system can be even somewhat standardized like micro four thirds.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Yes but they still use M and P for manual and full auto, instead of making up some other labels. Now that they are the market leaders why not change the silly labels. If Canon wants to not use Nikon designations why not use AP and SP

jim quist Loc: Missouri

you know what you can do with your micro 4 turds.

Leitz Loc: Solms

Fujifilm makes disposable cameras with a single button for those who find simple abbreviations overcomplicated.

wolfman

Maybe you should ask Canon this question.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Perhaps because Nikon was not the worldwide leader in all camera categories, and Canon like all companies wanted and needed to differentiate its products.

The use of Tv and Av (Time value and Aperture value) was introduced with A Series cameras which along with some others created a new generation of computerized electro-mechanical cameras, where there was no established leader for a new market segment. The AE-1 introduced in 1976 was by default shutter priority, the AV-1 was by default aperture priority (AV aperture value). In 1978 the A-1 was introduced as the top of the line which supported both shutter and aperture priority modes, indicated by the Tv and Av terminology. Canon has been consistent with that since 1978 through the T90 and EOS and Powershot product lines.

There is a very credible argument that can be made that Canon was and is the market leader in electronic SLR / DLSR cameras and that Nikon is the laggard in this segment. In which case the Use of Tv and Av would thus be the standard terminology, and keeping things consistent within product families makes a huge amount of sense. One reason that I have Canon DSLRs is because the user interface is remarkably similar to my T90 which was introduced in 1986, thus reducing the learning curve of new technology.

However, it shouldn't really matter. Anybody that cannot understand that 'Time value' refers to shutter priority and that 'Aperture value' refers to aperture priority is probably not smart enough to operate any modern camera.

However, if Nikon wishes to change everything to follow the established standard set by Canon, then it wouldn't inconvenience me in any way!

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

To me, that's a good question. Having done mostly U/W photography first with land photos using a 35mm Olympus XA, I went shopping for my first film SLR in 1995. This might sound silly now, but back then to me, as a neophyte, I couldn't figure out what the hell those letters stood for, so I dismissed Canon altogether, thinking of it as non-intuitive. I then proceeded to the Nikon vs Minolta debate (sorry, didn't even think about Yashica, Pentax, or Konica.)

lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.

Well, well, Peterff, ain't we two a solipsistic pair?!

I am not debating at all whether you're correct about Canon or their thinking at all. I've read a bit of what you've posted here and you're obviously well-informed ... BUT if I reiterated the excerpt from above right here, I'd have only one response: (as Steve Martin would say) Well, EXCUSE ME! Maybe you wrote that flippant remark by chance and you just got off to a bad start today. It happens. But come on! Did you really mean that?

As I just posted in this thread, I was a neophyte in 1995 when I shopped for my first SLR camera. One might wonder why I was so moronic as to not ask a salesman to explain those two-letter designations to me, but gee, I did a pretty decent technical job, if nothing else, of taking photographs with my Aperture-priority Olympus XA. I subsequently was able to adapt easily to my first SLR.

Yes, I understand you employed the qualifier "probably," but that doesn't sufficiently weaken the concept, imo. Mind you, I'm not insulted. But you really think one's not understanding what certain initials stand for, even when the words are subsequently spelled out, means that an individual probably couldn't understand how to operate a modern camera? If you feel I'm misconstruing what you wrote, I apologize. But that's how that statement came across to me.

Just a little friendly-type banter. HAGD! 😀😎

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

I'm left-handed and my Nikons seem just fine. Wait a minute, maybe it's ME that's backwards. Oh no!!!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

You are correct that I was being flippant or tongue in cheek, and also doing so intentionally to make a point.

To clarify, the operative words were "cannot understand", meaning incapable of understanding, not "does or did not know" what the acronyms stand for. Ignorance is something that applies to all of us in some capacity or other, and ignorance can usually be cured if people are interested in achieving some level of understanding. On the other hand stupidity as in "not having the ability to understand" is a much more difficult condition to deal with.

So you clearly are capable of understanding, and thus can deal with the complexities of modern electronics. There are people who are unable or unwilling to pass such as simple test, even when the details are spelled out in simple terms and multiple times.

As for 'solipsistic pair', I can only speak for myself! :lol: :lol:

Thanks for your comment, take care!