Among Canon's professional cameras, the EOS-1N has a well-deserved reputation for being almost indestructible. All controls are protected from moisture either by sturdy rubber caps or internal seals. Its frame is metallic, and it is covered with a non-slip coating. It is designed to handle at least 100,000 shutter actuations.

There are few visible buttons on the body; only the controls essential for shooting remain. By opening the selector panel on the side, you can access the configuration buttons for selecting custom functions and motor drive modes, as well as the battery check button.

The viewfinder, which offers 100% coverage of the image, also displays the setting parameters. The user can adjust settings without taking their eyes off the image. Although it does not feature eye-controlled focus, like the EOS 5, it does have five autofocus points. The camera automatically selects the focus point that corresponds to the foreground subject. This system can be manually overridden. Light metering is coupled with the autofocus sensors through Canon's AIM (Advanced Integrated Multi-point control) system.

Several power sources provide different operational options for the body:
- The simplest option is the internal 2CR5 battery.
- The intermediate option is the BP-E1 power pack, which uses four AA batteries and a 2CR5 battery, selectable via a switch. This configuration is known as the EOS 1N DP.
- The most advanced option is the "Power Booster" PB-E1, which uses eight AA batteries and includes additional shutter release and memory buttons, allowing up to 6 frames per second. This configuration is known as the EOS 1N HS.

It is noteworthy that the EOS 3 can also be powered by these sources.

There is a special version of the 1N, called the 1N RS, which features a fixed transparent mirror. This allows for continuous viewing and a shooting rate of 10 frames per second.

The EOS 1N was introduced at Photokina 1994.