Canon Inc. (Japanese: キヤノン株式会社; Hepburn: Kyanon kabushiki gaisha) is a Japanese company based in Ōta, Tokyo. It creates products related to optics, imaging, and industry, such as lenses, cameras, tools for police work, scanners, printers, and equipment used to make computer chips.
Canon is mainly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is included in the TOPIX Core 30 and Nikkei 225 indexes. The company once had a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
Name
The company was first called Seikikōgaku kenkyūsho (Japanese: 精機光学研究所, meaning "Precision Optical Laboratory"). In 1934, the company created the Kwanon, which was a model for Japan's first 35mm camera with a special type of shutter. In 1947, the company's name was changed to Canon Camera Co., Inc. The name was later shortened to Canon Inc. in 1969. The name Canon is inspired by the Buddhist bodhisattva Kannon (Japanese: 観音, meaning "Guanyin"), which was previously called Kuanyin, Kwannon, or Kwanon in English.
History
Canon was founded in 1933 in Japan as the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory by Takeshi Mitarai, Goro Yoshida, Saburo Uchida, and Takeo Maeda. In 1937, the company became known as Precision Optical Instruments, Co., Ltd. During its early years, the company did not make its own optical glass, and its first cameras used Nikkor lenses from Nippon Kogaku K.K., which later became Nikon Corporation.
Between 1933 and 1936, the company developed a prototype camera called "The Kwanon," which was a copy of the Leica design and Japan's first 35 mm focal-plane-shutter camera. In 1940, Canon created Japan's first indirect X-ray camera. In 1958, Canon introduced a field zoom lens for television broadcasting, and in 1959, it launched the Reflex Zoom 8 and the Canonflex.
In 1961, Canon released the Rangefinder camera, Canon 7, and a 50mm 1:0.95 lens with a special bayonet mount. In 1964, Canon introduced the "Canola 130," the first Japanese-made 10-key calculator, which improved upon the design of the British Bell Punch company's earlier calculator. In 1965, Canon launched the Canon Pellix, a single lens reflex (SLR) camera with a semi-transparent mirror that allowed pictures to be taken through the mirror.
In 1971, Canon introduced the Canon F-1, a high-end SLR camera, and the FD lens range. In 1976, Canon launched the Canon AE-1, the world's first camera with a built-in microcomputer.
In 1985, Canon introduced an inkjet printer using bubble-jet technology, one year after Hewlett-Packard. In 1987, Canon launched the Canon Electro-Optical System (EOS), named after the goddess of the dawn, along with the Canon EOS 650 autofocus SLR camera. The Canon Foundation was also established in 1987. In 1988, Canon introduced the "Kyosei philosophy." In 1989, the EOS 1 Flagship Professional SLR line was launched, and the EOS RT, the first AF SLR with a fixed, semi-transparent pellicle mirror, was unveiled.
In 1992, Canon released the Canon EOS 5, the first camera with eye-controlled autofocus, and the PowerShot 600, its first digital camera. In 1995, Canon introduced the first commercially available SLR lens with internal image stabilization, the Canon EF 75-300mm lens f/4–5.6 IS USM. The Canon EOS-RS was the fastest AF SLR camera at the time, with a continuous shooting speed of 10 frames per second. In 1996, Canon launched a pocket-sized digital camera with the Advanced Photo System, named ELPH in America and IXUS in Europe. Canon entered the digital video camcorder market in 1997.
In 2004, Canon introduced the XEED SX50 LCD projector. In 2005, Canon launched its first high-definition camcorder.
In November 2009, Canon made a €730 million (US$1.1 billion) all-cash offer for the Dutch printer maker Océ. By the end of 2011, Canon completed the acquisition of all Océ shares. In 2010, Canon acquired Tereck Office Solutions, Inc. On March 16, 2010, Canon announced plans to acquire the .canon domain, which it used for the first time on its global website in May 2016.
In the third quarter of 2012, Canon held a 20.90% global market share for printers, copiers, and multifunction devices. In early 2013, Canon USA moved into a new US$500 million headquarters in Melville, New York.
In February 2014, Canon announced the acquisition of Texas-based Molecular Imprints Inc., a developer of nanoprint lithography systems, for about US$98 million. On June 13, 2014, Canon acquired Milestone Systems, a Danish IP surveillance software company. Milestone will operate as a separate entity.
On February 10, 2015, Canon announced plans to buy Swedish security camera maker Axis Communications for US$2.83 billion. The purchase was completed in April 2015. On April 24, 2015, Canon Europe acquired the London-based family photo sharing startup Lifecake. In November 2015, Canon USA filed lawsuits against several retailers to prevent the sale of gray-market camera gear.
In March 2016, Canon acquired Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation for US$5.9 billion. On March 28, 2017, Canon Europe acquired the London-based printing startup Kite. On April 2, 2019, Canon introduced two new UHDgc 2/3-inch portable zoom lenses for 4K UHD broadcast cameras.
In July 2020, Canon recorded its first quarterly loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, Fujitsu provided Canon with a Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000 unit to support its no-prototype development manufacturing initiative. In December 2020, Canon ended its photographic-equipment print-ad series named "Wildlife as Canon Sees It," which began in 1981 in National Geographic magazine.
In October 2023, Canon introduced new nanoimprint lithography manufacturing systems, which it claims are simpler and more affordable than ASML's extreme ultraviolet lithography systems. These systems can print circuit patterns directly onto silicon wafers and produce circuits as small as 5 nm.
Products
Canon makes many products, including cameras (such as compact digital cameras, video cameras, film SLR, and digital SLR), camcorders, lenses, broadcasting equipment, professional displays, projectors, manufacturing equipment (like photolithography tools such as steppers and scanners), printers, photocopiers, image scanners, digital microfilm scanners, fax machines, binoculars, microscopes, medical equipment (including diagnostic systems like ultrasound, X-ray, CT, and MRI scanners, and ophthalmic tools), CCTV solutions, image sensors, calculators, high-precision positioning and measurement devices (such as rotary encoders), custom optical components, handy terminals, mixed reality systems, software, and space satellites.
Canon has made and sold digital cameras since 1984, starting with the RC-701. The RC series was followed by the PowerShot and Digital IXUS series. Canon also created the EOS series of digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, which include high-end professional models.
Because many consumers began using smartphones instead of compact cameras, Canon’s operating profit in the first quarter of 2013 dropped by 34% compared to the same time the previous year.
Canon makes a variety of high-output flash units for its DSLR cameras, including the 270EX II, 320EX, 430EX II, 430EX III-RT, 470EX-AI, 580EX, 580EX II, 600EX-RT, 600EXII-RT, EL-1, and EL-5 Speedlites. It also makes macro flash units, such as the Macro Twin Lite and Macro Ring Lite.
Canon designs and builds CMOS image sensors for its imaging products. It has three dedicated manufacturing plants in Japan. In 2016, Canon, the fifth-largest image sensor maker in the world, decided to sell its sensors to other companies. However, it does not plan to sell sensors used in smartphones, focusing instead on niche markets like industrial and space observation.
Although Canon stopped competing in the “pixel count race” in the 2000s, it has recently been at the forefront of image sensor resolution. A demo of a 250MP image sensor was shown in 2015 and was expected to be released in 2020. In 2018, Canon launched a 120MP image sensor as part of its latest business-to-business offerings.
For many years, Canon was the main maker of print engines used in industry-standard laser printers. The first Apple LaserWriter and similar HP products used the Canon LBP-CX engine. Later models, such as the LaserWriter II and LaserJet II series, used the Canon LBP-SX engine. Later versions used the Canon LBP-LX, LBP-EX, LBP-PX engines, and other Canon print engines.
After buying the Dutch digital printing company Océ in 2010, Canon continued to develop and make printing systems, initially under the Océ brand. On January 1, 2020, the company Océ was officially renamed Canon Production Printing.
Canon was sued for intentionally designing all-in-one printers that cannot scan when the printer is low on ink. The company settled the lawsuit in 2023 without admitting fault.
Canon’s largest revenue-generating division is its multifunction copier division. It sells consumer and home office imageCLASS products through retail stores and distributes professional-grade imageRUNNER systems through its subsidiary Canon Solutions America and independent distributors. The professional-grade series includes small tabletop models and large digital presses.
Canon makes a wide range of flatbed scanners, film scanners, and document scanners for home and business use, including the Canon CanoScan 8800F. Some scanners use LED inDirect Exposure (LiDE) technology, which allows them to operate using only a USB port without needing extra power.
Current printers use a proprietary BJNP protocol (USB over IP port 8611).
Canon produced calculators for different uses, including handheld, desktop, printing, and scientific models. One example was the 1964 Canola 130, which had 13 digits. This was based on marketing research for the Japanese central bank, as the low value of the Japanese Yen required 13 digits for accurate calculations. The calculator used germanium transistors and a light pipe display, which created an unusual format.
Canon makes a variety of projectors and offers wireless presenters, ranging from advanced green laser models with back-lit screens to basic red laser clickers.
Canon is developing a prototype virtual reality headset (Canon VR) with a wider viewing angle (120°) than other VR devices. However, it uses handles instead of a head strap and is not yet available for sale. As of 2020, Canon produces and sells high-end augmented reality (AR) headsets for enterprise users.
Canon is one of the world’s top producers of semiconductor and display manufacturing equipment. Its subsidiary, Canon Tokki, leads the market for material deposition equipment and tools used to make OLED displays. Canon is also the leading manufacturer of display photolithography equipment and one of the top three companies in the semiconductor lithography machine market. Once a leader in semiconductor lithography alongside Nikon, Canon’s market share has decreased significantly due to competition from ASML. As of 2017, Canon’s share of the overall market was less than 5%.
Discontinued products
In 1983, Canon launched two MSX home computer models, the V-10 and the V-20. Both computers included only the basic features required by the MSX standards and did not have any extra functions. The V-20 could receive shooting data from the T90 Canon camera when paired with the Data Memory Back T90 expansion.
Canon also sold a computer called the Canon AS100 PC. This computer was available with either a color or black-and-white screen and was released shortly after the IBM PC. It used the Intel 8088 processor and ran on CP/M or MS-DOS. One option for the computer was an 8 MB hard drive.
Operations
As of 2020, Canon operates in four main business areas.
Canon Inc. has 383 subsidiaries as of 31 June 2017. This count includes second-generation subsidiaries, such as Canon IT Solutions Inc.
Canon’s global headquarters is at 30-2 Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo 146–8501, Japan. Canon also has regional headquarters in America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, Asia, and Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand). In Europe, Canon has two main subsidiaries: Canon Europa NV (based in Amstelveen, Netherlands) and Canon Europe Ltd. (based in Uxbridge, UK).
On 26 December 2003, Canon Inc. announced plans to reorganize three domestic Canon Group companies. The plan included combining two companies and separating one.
In 2011, Canon made total sales of US$45,608 million. The Office Business Unit contributed 53.9% of this revenue, the Consumer Business Unit contributed 36.9%, and the Industry and Others Business Unit contributed 11.8%. In the same year, 31.3% of revenue came from Europe, 27.0% from the Americas, 22.2% from Asia and Oceania (excluding Japan), and 19.5% from Japan.
In 2011, Canon spent US$3,946 million on research and development, which was 8.7% of its total sales. That year, Canon received 2,813 patents in the United States, the third-highest number among all companies (after IBM and Samsung Electronics).
Environmental record
A report by the environmental group Clean Air-Cool Planet places Canon at the top of a list of 56 companies that the survey identified as environmentally responsible.
Canon has introduced three new calculators in Europe, named "Green Calculators," which are partly made from recycled Canon copiers.
The Canon Group has an environmental charter that focuses on "providing products with less harm to the environment by using resources more efficiently, while stopping activities that harm human health, safety, or the environment." In 2020, Canon became an official partner of WIPO GREEN, an organization working to solve climate change issues.
Although Canon's main office is dedicated to reducing global warming, its subsidiary, The Canon Institute for Global Studies (CIGS), has hired Taishi Sugiyama, a person who questions the role of human activity in global warming, as its research director. CIGS has shared ideas that doubt the effects of human-caused climate change and oppose renewable energy. When asked by The Guardian, Canon stated that CIGS is not a business part of the company and that it cannot comment on the institute's work. However, CIGS was created in 2017 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Canon Inc., and its chairman is Canon's CEO. This has led to criticism from the group Action Speaks Louder and photographers participating in a contest called "Cameras Don't Lie."
Charitable activities
In 2008, Canon gave money to help the about 5 million people who had to leave their homes because of an earthquake in China's Sichuan province in May 2008. Canon gave RMB 1 million to the Red Cross Society of China soon after the earthquake. Later, Canon Inc., Japan, gave an additional RMB 10 million.
Sponsorships
In 1983, Canon became the first main sponsor of the English football league, known as The Football League. During this time, the league was called The Canon League until 1986, when the sponsorship was taken over by Today newspaper. Canon also supported the Italian football club Hellas Verona FC from 1982 to 1986, including during the 1984–85 Serie A season, which the club won.
From 1985 to 2002, Canon was the main sponsor of the Greater Hartford Open, now called the Travelers Championship. In Formula One, Canon sponsored the team Williams from 1985 to 1993. During this period, Williams won the World Drivers Championships with Nelson Piquet (1987), Nigel Mansell (1992), and Alain Prost (1993). The team also won four World Constructors Championships in 1986, 1987, 1992, and 1993. In the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix, Canon sponsored Brawn GP. Between 1992 and 1997, Canon also supported the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Since 2006, Canon has helped the Red Cross by providing support to 13 Red Cross National Societies across Europe, with an emphasis on youth projects. This support includes financial contributions, donations of imaging equipment such as cameras, copying machines, and digital radiography devices, as well as volunteer activities.
Canon Europe has partnered with World Press Photo for 16 years. World Press Photo encourages high standards in photography, hosts the largest international contest for professional photojournalists, and serves as a global platform for press photography.
Canon Asia sponsored many competitions, such as the Canon Photomarathon and the reality TV show Photo Face-Off. Photo Face-Off is a reality TV show where professional photographer Justin Mott is a judge and competes with amateur photographers. Mott began filming season 3 in April 2016, and that season aired at the end of the same year.