Canon is marking a milestone this month with the production of their 40 millionth EF lens for the EOS series of single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.
It was in 1987 at the company’s Utsunomiya Plant in Japan that Canon began production of interchangeable EF lenses. Canon commemorated the production of its 10 millionth EF lens in August 1995, its 20 millionth in February 2001, its 30 millionth in January 2006 and, just two years and three months later, has now surpassed the 40-million-unit mark.
Canon’s proprietary EF lens, which started life in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, marked a new direction in the future of AF systems and soon garnered attention for its use of a large-diameter fully electronic lens mount and an internal autofocus motor.
In September 2003 the company launch the highly acclaimed EOS Digital Rebel/EOS 300D SLR camera, expanding its EF lens lineup with the introduction of the EF-S series of lenses. This new generation of lenses is optimized for use with digital SLR cameras that incorporate APS-C size image sensors.
Canon says it will continue to promote technical innovation, from optical design to electronics and production engineering.
[Via: Canon.com]