Go Tokura, Executive Vice President, Head of Imaging Group, Chief Executive of Imaging Business Operations Photo: Richard Butler Full disclosure: I've just returned from a trip to Japan paid for by Canon.
Our usual policy is that we only attend these trips if a product is being launched, and being present is the only way to get access to those new products.
And, when we accepted this invitation, we hoped that would be the case. But as the trip got closer, we were told the intention of the trip was that the small group of US camera writers and YouTube presenters present would "get to know" Canon, its culture and philosophy. By the time this became clear, the tickets had been booked.
I can see why they felt this was necessary. From the outside, Canon can seem quite staid and corporate, even by comparison with the other large corporations that make up much of the rest of the camera market. I suspect most people see them make sensible, pragmatic products - frequently criticized for their seemingly ruthless market segmentation, and omitting features from one model to 'protect' another - they're not in the habit of issuing community enthusing, feature-adding firmware, and their dominant market position makes them easy to look at them as the 'obvious' option, rather than the cognoscente's considered choice.
But getting to know some of the people behind the name, and hearing the enthusiasm with which they talk about cameras, lenses and photography did change the way I thought about the brand.
I walked away with the impression of a company that operates in a constant tension between conservatism and innovation. A large, formal corporation made up of people fascinated by photography, constantly trying to innovate and improve things. The seed of this impression was planted right from the opening speech by Go Tokura, Executive Vice President at Canon and head of its Imaging Group.
Legacy, T90, Ergonomics
Tokura spoke fondly of the many cameras developed during his time at the company, but drew particular attention to the T90, one of the company's last FD-mount manual focus SLRs. It was the first camera designed using CAD, rather than hand-drawn plans, he said. But, while it was not a success (the autofocus era had arrived and Canon's EOS system would be announced a year later), it set the template for EOS ergonomics, introducing features such as the Main dial, LCD panel, and Quick control dial, and is still used as a reference point today.
The Canon T90, launched in 1986, is still a touchstone for the company
Photo: Richard Butler
The same camera was highlighted again during a presentation about handling and ergonomic design. Amazingly, while details have changed, the idea that the shutter button should be right at the front, with a dial mounted behind it, persists in most of Canon's ILCs, some 39 years later.
But this doesn't mean everything stays the same. Haruki Ota, in charge of imaging product design, also highlighted the differing role the camera grip plays for different users, and how the way a user will hold an EOS R1 is very different from the way someone will hold and operate the vlogging-friendly EOS R50C: both a far cry from the solely through-the-viewfinder handling of the T90, even if the echoes are still there.
Even with a formula to work from, he says a lot of work goes into each new model. We were shown mockup bodies, to which material is added and removed and button positions are adjusted, to find the most comfortable, operable shape.
"It's a process of trial and error. It's a very analog process, but it's essential," he says. "We believe this traditional method provides superb tactile quality. "
Three early mockups of the EOS 50C, used to test ergonomics, showing different dial configurations.
Photo: Richard Butler
The process starts within the team but is expanded to include hands of all sizes, across all ages and genders. "Even our professional cameras are used by a broad audience, so we have to consider that. "
Always forward
This reverence for the past doesn't mean the company is always looking backwards, though. In an interview with senior executives, I asked whether they could imagine Canon ever making a stills-only camera. They made it very clear they feel that the future has to include video.
"In the professional market, there's a clear trend toward downsizing and efficiency. Meanwhile, amateur users increasingly seek higher image quality and creative expression," says Noriyuki Honda, Deputy Unit Executive of the Imaging Business Unit.
"But in both cases, they want both still and video capabilities, because even smartphones can do both. So we expect this pattern of demand to keep going. It makes sense for Canon to keep launching camera products that can do both, as well. "
"Even if we made a stills-only camera it wouldn’t address all customers’ requirements. We think there's a bigger market for cameras that have both capabilities. "
Left-to-right: Noriyuki Honda, Deputy Unit Executive of the Imaging Business Unit, Tetsushi Hibi, Unit Executive of the Imaging Optical Business Unit, and Yoishi Sato, Senior General Manager of Imaging Products Development Center 1
Photo: Richard Butler
This aggressive focus on what the market wants perhaps explains another common criticism of Canon: that it can seem pretty aggressive in its product segmentation: omitting features from one model to prevent it from competing with another in its lineup. But there's a counter-argument about making products that fit well with their audience.
Tokura highlights the original Digital Rebel (EOS 300D) as the model that helped Canon achieve the number one spot in terms of ILC market share: a position it hasn't relinquished in the intervening 22 years.
From one perspective, it was a stripped-down version of the EOS 10D and 20D series, but it was also the first experience of a large-sensor, interchangeable lens digital camera for a lot of people.
As the EOS 300D was raised, it crossed my mind that several of my friends, when I first got into digital photography, had one. And, for that matter, still do. This hasn't happened by chance. Reliability was another word raised repeatedly throughout the trip.
This was illustrated by the shock, shake and drop testing we were shown being conducted both on cameras and the boxes they're shipped in, but also through something Tokura said at the start of the event: "We're always striving for zero defects, not just minimal defects. " He explained, "We might build millions of units, but the customer only buys one. So, for them, any error would represent a defect. "
Despite the juggernaut that Canon can seem to be from the outside, the development staff is aware that not everything they do will automatically succeed.
"I say to new staff: you can make new things," says Tokura, but he knows not everything they make will be a success. "You can't control what the market will embrace. But development is fun: you get to make new things. Sometimes we're successful, sometimes we fail. "
Although he was talking about a different camera, Tokura's words immediately reminded me of what I've always thought of as Canon's most radical camera of the digital era: the EOS R.
Canon's first RF-mount mirrorless camera diverged significantly from the ergonomics of its DSLRs. More recent models have moved back to something more like the older designs.
"The move to the EOS R was seen as a new approach; we added things like the Multi-function bar. " Ota told us. But this wasn't particularly well received, he says. “We paid attention to market research [when developing subsequent modes]. But while it may look like we've reverted to our old approach, the touch control on the R3 and R1 sort of got evolved from this idea. "
So how do you balance a drive for modernity with the demands of an audience that's become familiar with your existing designs? Tokura, a keen car enthusiast, draws a parallel with the automotive industry: "cars are a combination of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and software and, like cameras, they're a very emotional product. "
The cites another example of a company balancing innovation with heritage, saying he wants Canon's cameras to be analogous to Porsche's 911 model. “You know it's still a 911,” he suggests: "but the newest one is always the best. "
"We're not afraid to leave behind what we have done [before]. " says Ota "But we also have an audience with expectations. Their response is not always positive. We're aware of this feedback, and we do listen. "
"Conversely, though, some people say we're too traditional. "
. dpreview.com2025-10-4 17:00
