Melville, NY—Canon USA announced its parent company, Canon Inc., reached a lens-manufacturing milestone with the production of its 90-millionth EF-series interchangeable lens for EOS cameras on May 23, 2013—the EF 24–70mm f/2.8L II USM (released in September 2012).
The 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. Today, Canon produces EF lenses at four of the company’s 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, doubled to 20 million lenses in 2001 and went on to reach 30 million in 2006 and 40 million units in 2008. Afterward, due to the spread of EOS digital SLR cameras, production of EF lenses gained momentum, crossing the 50-million-unit threshold in 2009, reaching 60 million units in January 2011 and hitting the 70-million-unit mark in October of the same year. In August 2012, lens production reached 80 million units and now, a little over nine months later, the company commemorates its latest manufacturing milestone of 90 million lenses.
Canon’s proprietary EF lenses, launched in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, have evolved since their introduction, incorporating a range of technologies that include the Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, a multilayered diffractive optical (DO) element and Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC) antireflection technology.
With the introduction this May of the EF 200–400mm f/4L IS USM extender 1.4x, super-telephoto zoom lens that makes possible a 200–560mm focal length range, along with EF Cinema lenses for digital cinematography, Canon’s EF lens lineup now comprises 84 models. usa.canon.com
