Canon, based in Japan, is one of the largest camera and lens manufacturers. Its lineup includes advanced SLRs as well as point-and-shoots. Unlike its chief rival Nikon, Canon also sells printers, copiers and such office machines besides cameras.
It all began in 1933 in a small laboratory in the Tokyo area. The majority of of high quality cameras at the time were coming from Germany. The first prototype developed was named Kwanon. In the year of 1935, Japan's first camera, Hansa Canon, was born. It was the first 35mm focal-place-shutter camera. In 1957 Canon made its first step into the global market with opening a U.S office in New York City. Within the next couple years Canon kept reinventing itself to become more of what the people wanted. Better quality, built, and simplicity. By 1970, Canon grew to 44.8 billion yen in sales and more than 5,000 employees. Besides what seemed to be Canon at its best in time, Canon did fall back. In the first six months of 1975, it failed to pay a dividend for the first time since becoming a public company. However, after a couple years of Canon working hard on reaching sales, making new an better quality, and gaining more employees, Canon began to recover. The first Digital SLR Canon camera was introduced in the year of 1976. It truly changed the face of photography and began a new start of photographic direction. It has been decades since the beginning of the Canon SLR camera and still every year Canon keeps to continue the growth of new, durable, and amazing quality cameras. Canon is one of the most recommend cameras by professional photographers to even a beginning photographer. Canon cameras will continue to produce amazing quality as well as keep customers happy. (Contributed by AndreaB April 5, 2011)