MELVILLE N.Y., July 8, 2015 - Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc., will celebrate the achievement of a new lens-manufacturing milestone with the production of the Company's 110-millionth EF-series interchangeable lens for Canon EOS cameras on June 22, 2015 -an EF 11-24mm f/4L USM ultra-wide-angle interchangeable zoom lens.
Production of interchangeable EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (autofocus) single-lens reflex film cameras began in 1987 at the Company's Utsunomiya Plant. Over the years, EF lenses have garnered support from a wide range of users and production has since expanded to a total of four manufacturing bases, including Canon Inc., Taiwan; Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; and Oita Canon Inc. in southern Japan.
EF lens production surpassed the 10-million-unit mark in 1995 and crossed the 50-million-unit threshold in 2009. In April 2014, the Company celebrated its first-in-the-world achievement of having manufactured 100 million EF lenses, and now, will set a new world record for the most interchangeable lenses produced.
Canon's proprietary EF lenses, launched in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, have continued to evolve since their introduction, leading the industry through the incorporation of a wide range of innovative technologies, including such world's firsts as the Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, a multi-layered diffractive optical (DO) element, and Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC) anti-reflection technology.
The 110-millionth EF lens, an EF 11-24mm f/4L USM (launched in February 2015), features a minimum focal length of 11mm to achieve the world's widest angle of view.1 Furthermore, winner of the prestigious Camera Grand Prix Japan 2015 Lens of the Year award,2 the model was recognized for its use of Canon proprietary optical technologies, making possible superb image quality while effectively correcting for aberrations that commonly occur when shooting at the ultra-wide-angle end.
The Company's extensive EF lens-series lineup currently comprises a total of 97 models,3 including EF Cinema Lenses for digital cinematography. Canon will continue refining its imaging technologies centered on its EF lens lineup, striving to cater to the varying needs of photographers-from first-time users to advanced amateurs and professionals-while contributing to expanding the photographic and video imaging culture.
| Model name | Main features and technologies | Launch date |
| EF 300mm f/2.8L USMi | World's firstii use of a lens-based Ultrasonic Motor (USM) USM technology delivers fast autofocusing thanks to its high torque and responsiveness. By converting ultrasonic vibrations into rotational energy, the technology makes it possible for quiet, smooth AF drive performance. |
Nov. 1987 |
| EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USMiii | World's firstii use of Image Stabilizer (IS) technology Users can see the results of IS technology through the viewfinder. Delivering high precision and stability for exceptional image stabilization results, this technology expands the possibilities for handheld photography. |
Sept. 1995 |
| EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USMiv | World's firstii use of a diffractive optical (DO) lens element Diffraction is an optical phenomenon in which light waves bend as they pass around the edges of an object. DO lens elements use this phenomenon to correct for a variety of aberrations by controlling the path that light travels. |
Dec. 2001 |
| EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM | World's firstv use of Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC) SWC technology minimizes reflections by aligning countless wedge-shaped structures more minute than the wavelength of visible light on the surface of a camera lens. |
Dec. 2008 |
| EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM | World's firstii use of Hybrid IS, which compensates for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake Employing a newly-developed algorithm, Hybrid IS optimally adjusts for camera shake based on information gathered by two sensors located in the lens. By precisely driving the optical correction system, the technology simultaneously corrects for angle and shift camera shake. |
Oct. 2009 |
| EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM | World's firstii fisheye lens to deliver both 180-degree diagonal angle of view and 180-degree circular fisheye The EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens enables the capture of images with dramatic deformations, exaggerated perspectives and extreme depths of field, making possible images that are significantly distorted, similar to what a fish might see were it to look skyward from under the water surface. |
July 2011 |
| EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x | World's firstii super-telephoto zoom lens to employ an internal extender Featuring a built-in 1.4x extender, the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x's lens zoom range can be expanded with a simple one-touch operation even in locations where users are unable to switch lenses. |
May 2013 |
| EF 11-24mm f/4L USM | World's firstii lens offering ultra-wide-angle 11mm minimum focal length In addition to achieving the world's widest angle of view starting at a minimum focal length of 11mm, the EF 11-24mm f/4L USM effectively corrects for aberrations commonly associated with ultra-wide-angle lenses, delivering superior image-quality performance. |
Feb. 2015 |
