Canon produces 30-millionth EF lens

Canon produces 30-millionth EF lens

Canon Inc. today announced the achievement of a new lens-production milestone as production of the company’s EF lenses passed the 30-million mark. Production of interchangeable EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (autofocus) SLR cameras began in 1987 at the company’s Utsunomiya Plant. Canon produced its 10-millionth EF lens in August 1995, its 20-millionth in February 2001 and, a mere five years later, has now reached the 30-million plateau. This achievement reflects users’ high level of satisfaction with the performance and quality realized by EF lenses, as well as the service offered through Canon’s marketing operations.

Canon’s proprietary EF (electro-focus) lens, which combines a large-diameter fully electronic lens mount and an internal autofocus motor, was born in 1987. In November of the same year, Canon introduced the industry’s first*1 Ultrasonic Motor (USM)-powered lens: the EF 300mm f/2.8L USM. In September 1989, the EF 50mm f/1.0L USM, featuring the world’s largest aperture*1 of f/1.0, was launched and in September 1995 the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, equipped with the world’s first*1 Image Stabilizer to correct for the effect of camera shake, made its debut. Further, in December 2001, Canon delivered the world’s first super telephoto lens incorporating a diffractive optical element for camera lenses*1: the EF 400mm F4 DO IS USM. Canon’s EF lens lineup, through the introduction of the latest innovative technologies, has consistently been recognized as the state of the art in the industry.

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