Canon Inc.

is a Japanese company that makes imaging and optical products. These include cameras, film, image scanners and computer printers. The company was started in 1937.

Canon Inc.
(キヤノン株式会社)

Type	Public (TYO: 7751, NYSE: CAJ)
Industry	Imaging
Founded	Tokyo, Japan (10 August 1937)
Headquarters	Ōta, Tokyo , Japan
Key people	Fujio Mitarai, Chairman & CEO Tsuneji Uchida, President & COO
Products	Print and document solutions, photographic equipment including printers, scanners and digital and SLR cameras. Binoculars, calculators and medical, optical, broadcast and IT imaging equipment.
Revenue	4,481,346 million Yen (FY 2007)
Number of employees	23,429 (2008)
Website	www.canon.com

History

Canon began as the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory. In 1934, the first Japanese 35mm focal plane-shutter camera prototype was made. It was called the "Kwanon". In the next few years, Canon became very important in creating new camera products and making them better.

Today, Canon creates everything from digital cameras and camcorders to laser printers and film.

Name origins

The name Canon came from the company's first 35 mm camera. It was named "Kwanon" after the Buddhist goddess of mercy.

Locations

Canon is now an international company. Canon has buildings in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the South Seas.

Canon Inc. Media

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  AE-1 Film Camera. AE stood for Automatic Exposure.

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  Canon sponsored Williams FW14.

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  A logo from 1934 depicting Bodhisattva Kwan'on

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  Kwanon camera (replica) with the Kasyapa lens

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  Hansa Canon with the Nikkor 50mm f/3.5 lens

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  Canon 7 with the Canon 50mm f/0.95 lens

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  Canon pellix w/FL 35mmF3.5

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  Canon F-1 SLR camera

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  Canon AE-1 camera with FD 50mm f/1.8 S.C. II lens (with 1976 Olympics front cap).