Canon Celebrates 80th anniversary of its First Camera

Canon’s first camera is the Kwanon

Canon Europe is commemorating the 80th anniversary of Canon’s first camera, the Kwanon. Marking Japan’s first 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera, the Kwanon was produced in prototype form in 1934, the culmination of the dreams of engineers who wanted to catch up with Europe, the leading presence in the camera industry at the time.

The engineers who created the camera decided to name it Kwannon and the camera’s lens is called Kasyapa. Additionally, the top portion of the camera body featured an engraving depicting the thousand-armed Kwannon.

In 1936, two years after the birth of the Kwanon and following much trial and error, Canon launched the Hansa Canon, its first commercial 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera, thus embarking on the Company’s history as a camera manufacturer.

Masaya Maeda, Managing Director and Chief Executive, Image Communication Products Operations at Canon Inc., comments: “Over the 80 years since the birth of the Kwanon camera prototype, Canon has continuously innovated to fulfil the Company’s never-ending ambition to create the world’s finest cameras. Leveraging the technologies and know-how it has acquired over its history, Canon will continue contributing to the development of the photographic and video imaging culture through its technologies and products designed to satisfy the expectations of our customers.”