| Established in 1933 by Goro Yoshida and Saburo | | | | products, but numbers don't lie! Besides its current |
| Uchida, Canon began as company called Precision | | | | financial strongholds, Canon is still venturing out into |
| Optical Instruments Laboratory. In the company's | | | | new avenues all the time. They are currently forging |
| beginnings, their major goal was to develop a 35mm | | | | ahead into the digital display field and have since |
| camera. In 1934, the Kwanon camera was released | | | | bought the shares Toshiba had in a joint venture for |
| yet it never actually hit the marketplace. Due to their | | | | the manufacture of flat panel television screens. Did |
| inability to develop a lens of their own, the Precision | | | | You Know - Canon makes and supplies the print |
| Optical Instruments Laboratory used one from Nippon | | | | engines used in many Hewlett-Packard products, |
| Kogaku Kogyo, the predecessor company of Nikon | | | | specifically the LaserJet laser printers so often raved |
| Corporation. Three years following the initial start up of | | | | about. - The company name, Canon, was chosen |
| the company, the Hansa Canon was released in 1936 | | | | because it was so similar to the name in Japanese of |
| to the public. The following year, Canon as we know it | | | | their debut product, the Kwanon. - Canon is currently |
| today was founded. Nowadays, Canon makes | | | | working on rear-projection displays. Even companies |
| cameras, printers, copiers and many other office | | | | that have been around many years can still grow and |
| products and their most profitable area involves the | | | | change with the times. So far, Canon has been very |
| sale of digital copiers for offices. It's funny because | | | | successful at doing just that. |
| most people think of their cameras before their office | | | | |