About Canon
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The History of Canon 1976 - 1987
The first Premier Company Plan

History of Enterprise
year
History of Products
1976
  • The first Premier Company Plan is launched. A committee is established to discuss Canon development, production and sales systems.
  • The Kosugi office opens as a base for optical equipment.
  • Canon (U.K.) Ltd. is established.
  • Canon enters the facsimile machine market.
1976
  • The AE-1 SLR camera with a built-in micro-computer is introduced, triggering an AE boom.
    AE-1

    AE-1

  • The CR-45NM, the world's first nonmydriatic retinal camera, is introduced.
1977
  • Ryuzaburo Kaku is appointed president of Canon Inc.
    Ryuzaburo Kaku

    Ryuzaburo Kaku

  • The Utsunomiya plant of Tochigi Canon Inc. (today, Canon Inc.'s Utsunomiya Plant) opens.
1977
  • The K-35 series of lenses for cinematography wins an Academy Award from the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
1978
  • A product-specific business division structure is introduced.
  • Canon Australia Pty. Ltd. is established.
  • Canon begins offering color copying services.
1978
  • The NP-8500, the world's first retention-type copying machine, is introduced.
  • The PLA-500FA, the world's first mask aligner with a laser-based automatic alignment system, is introduced.
1979
  • Copyer Co., Ltd. becomes an affiliated company.
  • Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. is established.
  • Overseas sales exceed ¥100 billion for the first time.
1979
  • The LBP-10, using a semiconductor laser, is introduced.
    LBP-10

    LBP-10

  • The AF35M, a fully automatic AF compact camera, is introduced.
  • A mini floppy disk drive is introduced.
1980
1980
  • The Canoword 55 Japanese-language word processor, the first such product with roman alphabet inputting, is introduced.
    Canoword 55

    Canoword 55

  • The Telefax B-601, Japan's first G2 fax, is introduced.
  • The Auto Ref R-1, an automatic refractometer, is introduced.
1981
  • The Hiratsuka Plant opens as the Component Development Center.
  • The Ami Plant opens as a precision equipment factory for the manufacture of facsimiles and precision molds.
  • The Ueno Plant opens as a copying machine and laser printer chemical product manufacturing factory.
1981
  • The NP-8500 SUPER, an ultrahigh-speed copying machine capable of producing 135 copies per minute, is introduced.
  • The New F-1, a professional-use system SLR, is introduced.
  • A CVC video system is introduced.
1982
  • The Second Premier Company Plan is launched.
  • Oita Canon Inc. is established in Japan.
1982
  • The PC-10 and PC-20, the world's first personal copying machines with replaceable cartridges, are introduced.
  • The HT-3000 handy terminal is introduced.
  • The AS-100 16-bit personal computer is introduced.
  • The AP400 and AP500 electronic typewriters (for Western languages) are introduced.
  • The Crib-O-Gram, an audio-visual tester for infants, is introduced.
1983
  • Canon Bretagne S.A.S. is established in France.
  • The Utsunomiya Optical Products Plant opens as a factory to manufacture mask aligners and peripheral equipment.
1983
  • The CanoWord Mini 5 personal-use word processor is introduced.
  • The MyCard, credit card-sized calculator, is introduced.
  • The T50 SLR camera is introduced and wins Japan's 1983 Good Design Grand Prize.
1984
  • A joint technology agreement is signed in the PRC; copying machine production starts at facilities in Zhanjiang and Tianjin.
  • Canon Components, Inc. is established in Japan.
1984
  • The PC Printer 70 is introduced as the world's first plain-paper reader/printer for COM.
  • Canon announces laser beam facsimile machines.
  • Practical tests of a still video camcorder are conducted at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
  • The digital laser copying machine system NP-9030 is introduced.
  • The LBP-8/CX, the world's smallest and lightest laser printer, is introduced.
  • The FPA-1500FA stepper for 1 MDRAM is introduced.
  • The PV14 x 12.5B HD, a zoom lens for high-definition television, is announced.
1985
  • Canon Virginia, Inc., is established in the U.S.A.
  • A tie-up agreement related to computer technology is concluded with Hewlett-Packard Co. of the U.S.
  • Lotte Canon Co., Ltd. (today, Canon Korea Business Solutions Inc.), a joint venture, is established in the ROK.
1985
  • The BJ-80, the world's first inkjet printer using Bubble Jet technology, is introduced.
  • The Canofile 5500 electronic filing system is introduced.
  • The EZPS5300 electronic editing and printing system is introduced.
  • The Canovision 8 VM-E1, an 8 mm video camcorder, is introduced.
1986
  • A tie-up agreement covering ISDN fax interface technology is concluded with Siemens AG of Germany.
  • A tie-up agreement covering advanced medical equipment is concluded with Eastman Kodak Co. of the U.S.
1986
  • The FC-3 and FC-5 portable personal-use copying machines are introduced.
    FC-3

    FC-3

  • The FAX L3100, conforming to the G4 standard, is introduced.
  • The Canola BP1210-D, a Bubble Jet desktop calculator, is introduced.
  • The T90 high-performance electronic SLR camera is introduced.
  • The RC-701, the world's first still video camera, and video system is introduced.
  • Sales begin for the Auto Keratometer RK-1, which can measure both refractivity and corneal shape.
  • Canon’s Corner Cube Reflector is installed in the Ajisai geodetic satellite.
1987
  • The Canon Foundation is established to provide assistance for research into mutual understanding between Japan and Europe.
  • Canon licenses camera technologies to GoldStar Precision of Korea, which begins production.
1987
  • The CLC-1, a digital full-color copying machine, is introduced.
  • The EOS autofocus SLR camera is introduced along with a range of EF lenses.
    EOS 650

    EOS 650

  • The Board Copier A-1, an electronic blackboard that can print on plain paper, is introduced.
  • Sales of the CanoWord α series Japanese word processor begin.
  • Canon launches a broadcasting lens with 50x zoom, then the highest zoom ratio in the world.
  • Sales of CAPLAS, a CAE software application for use in injection molding, commence.