Canon is one of the leaders in the single lens reflex (SLR) market and has a long history of innovation with both cameras and optics. In 2009 Canon celebrated the 50th anniversary of the release of its first SLR camera. Since that release, Canon has gone on to become synonymous with sports photography. Many of Canon's innovations from its film cameras have been incorporated into its digital SLR line, which continues to offer excellent options for both the professional and amateur photographer.
Origins
Canon as a company originated in the 1930s. Canon was founded in 1933 as Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory and introduced its first camera, the Kwanon, as a prototype, in 1934. The Hansa Canon, the first 35mm camera in Japan, was released in 1935. Ironically, it came packaged with a lens made by its competitor Nikon, since Canon hadn't yet started to build its own lenses.
First SLR
The first Canon SLR, the Flex, was released in May 1959. The camera featured a breech-lock bayonet mount for its lenses and several other innovations that took hold in the 1960s. Canon followed that with the introduction of the Flex R2000 in 1960; this camera had an impressive shutter speed up to 1/2000 of a second.
Innovations
Canon introduced its F series in 1964 with the release of the FX; it had a slightly simpler mount for its lenses. The FT QL, which featured an automatic quick-load system for the film, was introduced in 1966.
Canon released its first professional-grade model, the F-1, in 1971, which provided full through-the-lens (TTL) metering. Just before the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Canon introduced a high-speed version of the F-1 that could shoot nine frames per second. The F-1 reached its apotheosis in 1984 with the release of an upgraded model for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles that could shoot up to 14 frames per second.
In 1976, Canon introduced the use of a central processing unit (CPU) into camera technology with the release of the AE-1; this camera had a fully automatic flash system.
The EOS
Canon's EOS system, which still exists today with its digital cameras, was first released in 1987. The system offer an improved autofocus system and had a new EF (electro-focus) mount for its lenses. While innovative, it is incompatible with older Canon lenses. The first EOS Rebel camera, the Rebel XS, was released in 1993 and proved to be immensely popular with amateur photographers.
Digital SLR
Canon introduced its first proprietary digital SLR in 2000 with the release of the EOS D30. Prior to that, Canon had been co-producing digital SLRs with Kodak for five years. The company sought to improve greatly on digital with the introduction of CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) full-frame sensors, which are the same size as 35mm film, and its DIGIC (Digital Imaging Core) processor.
Current Lineup
Canon has nine cameras in its SLR lineup, from the entry-level Rebel XS to the full-featured 1Ds Mark III. The 1Ds Mark III and the 5D both have full-frame sensors. The other models use APC-S sensors; these sensors introduce a 1.5x crop factor on any lens put on the camera, so it increases telephoto while substantially decreasing wide-angle capability and reducing depth-of-field in the shot. The 5D also offers the added benefit of being able to film high-definition video, a substantial innovation when coupled with Canon's excellent lens quality.
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