The History of Canon
Canon Inc.has a history dating back nearly a decade. With its roots in Tokyo, the world’s largest camera manufacturer was originally formed in 1933 as Precision Optical Industry Co. Ltd., a small Tokyo workshop that was operated by Goro Yoshida. Canon’s history is as diverse, innovative, and adaptive as one could imagine with fascinating transitions over the next 80+ years that would bring this small company into a world dominant, camera and videography, powerhouse.
The Roots
Early beginnings for Canon were established in Tokyo in 1933. The opening of Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, founded for the purpose of conducting effective research into precision camera equipment, was just 1 year prior to the first 35mm prototype that the company released known as the Kwanon. Precision Instruments would apply for the Canon trademark 1 year later in 1935. Over the next 50 + years Canon products including the production of the Serenar Lens and Japan’s first X-ray camera as well as several focal-plane-shutter 35mm cameras would take place in their engineering locations in Japan. Several firsts took place between the inception of the Canon trademark in 1934 and the completion of the company’s main factor, the Toride Plant is completed in 1961, including:
● 1949 – Canon’s first introduction of shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
● 1949 – Canon’s first national camera exhibition win in San Francisco for the Canon II B.
● 1952 – The world’s first speed-light synchronized 35mm flash-and-shutter camera, Canon IVsb, is released.
● 1954 – Canon works with NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories to begin television broadcasting.
● 1955 – The first opening of Canon’s New York office.
● 1956 – The first Canon 8mm cinecamera is released.
● 1957 – Canon’s products (Canon L1 still and Canon 8T 8mm cine-camera) win the Good Design product affiliation
● 1958 – The first field zoom lens is released by Canon for television broadcasting.
● 1959 – Canon begins marketing magnetic heads, and Canon Flex, the first SLR camera is introduced along with the first Synchroreader.
● 1961 – Canon launches a rotary microfilm in Japan.
The Next 20 Years of Canon
Over the next 50 years, Canon’s history continues to be one of adaptation and innovation. Canon entered the business machine market in the 1960s which would lead to the production of the 10-key electronic calculator, the Canofax 1000 copying machine, and the initiation of Canon’s 30th-anniversary slogan in 1967 – “Cameras in the Right Hand, Business Machines in the Left.” During this time, Canon was also establishing national roots with manufacturing facilities being built in the USA, Latin America, and Amsterdam.
During the 1970s, Canon would find continued innovation to be key to success for the brand. An award-winning macro zoom lens for cinematography shines the spotlight on Canon in 1973 at the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Canon continues to venture into the production of business machines including the Canonac 100 and 500 office computers which were released in 1974. Later that year, the corporate giant would also release products targeting those with disabilities including the Optacon electronic reader for the blind and the Communicator, a portable tape-writer for those who were speech impaired.
At the turn of the 1970s, in 1975 Canon establishes roots in France and develops the world’s first laser printer. Entrance into the world facsimile machine market would be under Canon’s radar in 1976 alongside the corporation’s introduction of the AE-1 SLR camera and the CR-45NM which represented the world’s first nonmydriatic retinal camera. Through the remainder of the 70s roots would grow worldwide into Australia and Singapore while product growth would include the introduction of the world’s first retention-type copying machine and a mask aligner with laser-focused automatic alignment. To round the decade out, Canon introduces the mini floppy disk drive in 1979.
Canon in the 80s
Canon continues to innovate and launch new products throughout the 1980s. Beginning with the Canoword 55 Japanese language word processor. In 1981, the company introduces it’s first ultrahigh-speed copier which offers businesses the capability to create 135 copies per minute; the CVC video system is also launched at this time. Continued production in the 1980s would include:
● The PC-10 and PC-20, personal copy machines that include replacement ink.
● The AS-100, a 16-bit person computer.
● The Crib-o-Gram which tested infant vision.
● Personal word processors including the CanoWord Mini 5.
● Smaller, credit card-sized, calculators.
● Laser fax machines.
● Still video camcorders.
● Zoom lenses for high-definition TV.
● Inkjet printers and electronic filing systems.
● An 8mm video camcorder, the Canovision 8 VM-E1.
● The Auto Keratometer RK-1 which has capabilities to measure refractivity and corneal shape.
● Digital full-color copying.
● The first EOS link of autofocus SLR cameras, introduced in 1987.
Canon in the 1990s
Canon keeps launching more worldwide facilities and manufacturing locations throughout the 1990s. High tech growth becomes the primary focus of the world’s largest manufacturing of camera products throughout this century. High-speed copying machines with fuzzy logic, electronic filing systems that utilize magneto-optical disks, and many other innovations will take place. In 1991, Canon develops the first FLCD display, the technology that would continue to adapt over the next 30 years. Additional historic launches in the 1990s included:
● Increased laser printer production would reach more than 10M units in 1992.
● Increased toner cartridge production would reach more than 100M units also in 1992.
● Advanced digital image compression scheme with the first 1-chip LSI.
● Hi-vision formatting and high-speed camera production.
● Eye controlled camera production, including the EOS 5 in 1992.
● EOS REBEL production in 1993.
● A 1995 jump back into binocular production which had previously been stagnant for the business for 34-years.
● Entrance into the digital video camcorder market in 1997.
● Marketing of the x-ray digital camera in 1998.
2000 and Beyond
The opening of a new century welcomed ongoing growth and change for Canon as world domination of the camera equipment and videography niches continued. Throughout the 2000s Canon has continued to launch digital products including digital compact cameras, addition EOS lines, and advanced technologies that make consistent improvements in cinematography possible with their equipment. Notable historic events since the turn of the century include:
● Launch of the EOS-1Ds pro digital SLR camera in 2002.
● The world’s highest zoom lens range, the DIGISUPER 100 xs broadcasting lens in 2003.
● The EOS DIGITAL REBEL launch in 2003.
● The PowerShot SD800 DIGITAL ELPH launch in 2006.
● The HV10 HDV camcorder launch in 2006.
● A 5fps maximum shooting camera with a 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, the EOS-1Ds Mark iii camera is introduced in 2007.
● The HG10 HD camcorder with a built-in hard disk is launched in 2007.
● The first camera to include HD video, the EOS 5D Mark II is introduced in 2008.
● 8fps digital camera the EOS 7D digital SLR is launched in 2009 along with the CX-1 hybrid retinal camera which uses both mydriatic and non-mydriatic modes.
● The world’s slimmest digital camera with full HD video is launched in 2010.
In 2011 Canon enters the world of motion picture technology and begins manufacturing an entire line of cinema camera systems and lenses. The Cinema EOS system is launched just before the use of mixed reality systems comes into the market in 2012. Canon continues to work hard producing camera equipment, copying machines and business office equipment, and cinematography gear. Innovative technologies continue to drive this corporation to new levels of success throughout the next decade. Launches of digital video camcorder products, 4K television and display technology, industrial cameras for inspection devices, and state-of-the-art functionality add to the business growth.
With hundreds of product launches over nearly an entire century of business, Canon’s history is diverse and well established. There’s literally no telling what they’ll think of next!