Canon selling DSLRs 50 years compared to competitors

Canon is celebrating its 50th year of selling single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras sales. Canon sold the first SLR camera back in 1959. Compare this to Sony, who has been in the business less than 10 years. The production of Canon SLR cameras is now over 50 million units since that time.

The Canon Flex DSLR was the first Canon cold in 1959, which was followed by models reflecting Canon's reliable innovativeness and technologies. In 1971 the company introduced the F-1, its first professional model; in 1976 the AE-1, the world's first SLR camera to feature a built-in CPU; and in 1986 the T90, the top-of-the-line model of the T series lineup.

Calendar year 2000 was Canon's full-fledged entry into the digital SLR era with the launch of the EOS D30. Canon's EOS Digital series, which is heavily based on the key concept "ease-of-use and high image quality and speed," has consistently led the digital evolution of SLR cameras with Canon-developed CMOS sensors and the high-performance DIGIC image processor, and has sold many more units when compared to Sony and Nikon. Along with the company's EF lens lineup, Canon boasts outstanding optical performance and an extensive selection of SLR camera models.

During 2008, Canon further strengthened its top of the line digital SLR lineup with the introduction of four new SLR models, including the EOS Kiss X2 (EOS Rebel XSi or EOS 450D), which garnered the top share in global markets and Japan, and the EOS 5D Mark II, the first SLR camera to incorporate full high-definition video recording.

With film-based SLR camera sales of almost 40 million units and digital SLR camera sales of almost 15 million units, Canon is sincerely grateful to all of its users for their support and will continue pursuing the challenge of creating cameras that deliver superior imaging performance and reliability.