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Canon admits they are lagging in innovation behind other companies

by 21 Comments

In a recent interview for Nikkei Asian Review, Canon Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai admitted that the company is lagging behind others when it comes to innovation. They talked about the company’s medium-term plan, but also their biggest challenges and issues. After summing up the results of 2017 and the plans for the following few years, Mitarai argued that “it’s time to think outside the camera box.”

Mitarai tells Nikkei that 2017 was “a strong year for cameras, office equipment and other existing businesses.” Adding new business segments like healthcare and industrial equipment has also helped Canon boost sales in the previous year. He adds that the company aims to lift sales and profit further: their goal is to make “at least 5 trillion yen ($44.1 billion) in consolidated sales.”

When Mitarai was asked about the biggest issues Canon is facing at the moment, he replied:

Our primary management goal this year is to raise our antennas high toward cutting-edge technology. It is on this point where we lag behind other companies. We will open up a research and development center in the U.S.’s Silicon Valley, where we will actively adopt new technology.

Mitarai admits it’s difficult to launch the products that are ahead of the competition. He believes strengthening the financial structure is important, as it can help Canon create conditions for investing in new things.

From the interview, it seems that Canon is focusing more on the areas other than photography. There’s no word on the plans for 2018 when it comes to cameras, although there have been some rumors about launching a full frame mirrorless camera with a new sensor. Hopefully, they’ll invest some of the money and effort into photography-related innovations. And I also hope it will be something more exciting than illuminated buttons.

[via Nikkei, Canon Rumors]

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  • Approach Samsung. Get then to use the technology for. Nx1 in full. Frame body. Get them to design the whole thing badge canon profit

    • I came so close to buying the Samsung. It was truly ahead of it’s time.

  • It took them over 10 years to admit that they are lagging behind, while everyone else could see it clear as day. And if Canon ever again will be at the front I would bet that they will immediately start falling behind again. It’s in their nature.

    • You know Canon is top of the camera market right?

      • It’s doesn’t mean people who are heavily invested in their lenses don’t want to see them be more innovative and competitive with other manufacturers.

      • catlett

        You know that is because of marketing right?

    • ..and Kia sells more cars than Bentley. Doesn’t change the point he or the original article made. Because cheap Rebels sell more doesn’t make them better.

    • Grant Watkins, I was talking about quality and performance, not about units sold. Yes, Canon has a huge name and sells crazy many really crappy kits, but quality-wise Canon is far from the top. (Except for a couple really good lenses.)

  • In other news, shit stinks.

  • Duh.

  • Xystren

    I think the biggest issue with Canon (and being a Canon shooter myself), is the overabundance of different devices… The most recent 6D for example, missing 4k, while the past several models of the consumer grade have had this…Touch screen, so varied throughout all models, yet this technology has been around for decades… features are split too much between older gear and newer gear… Just kind of a mess.

    • Will Killyou

      Touchscreen is honestly stupid and slow compared to mechanical means of switching, not to mention it speeds up the griming of screen. I would rather see Eye controlled focus returned. 4k sure they have been slow probably to preserve their very awesome cinema line of video products from those who would use an SLR instead of a true video camera. Mistake maybe but I can understand the decision. Canons SLR lenses are faster and often build quality is higher than their competition including Nikon. If they lag behind anywhere it is in the mirror-less space and in non camera business units.

  • And water is wet.

  • Great. Wait till CES to anounce they’re lagging behind. 😑

  • This is why I moved back to Nikon.

  • PanaSONYc is life

  • As a long time Canon user… fuck Canon.

  • Leigh Teitz

  • KC

    Surprising insight from Canon. I suspect Nikon is feeling the same way at some level. This just an observation, an opinion, and not meant to offend either “camp”. I used various Canons and Nikons. They got the job done well. No complaints. No epiphanies, either. That’s the problem.

    I think Canon got caught in a very unusual position. They have a large legacy base, it’s risky to tamper with that, but a necessity. I don’t they they put a lot of energy into mirror-less until recently. The early attempts were half-hearted. (Same with Nikon).

    Let me duck and cover now. Mirror-less isn’t going away. It’s a logical evolution.

    Much the same way twin lens reflex cameras faded out, single lens reflex’s will, too. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to have a mechanical mirror box in a camera that’s mostly electronic. It’s not that Canon hasn’t done it before. They had SLR’s with pellicle mirrors in film days. Maybe they need that half step again. (Sony has/had a few SLR’s with pellicle mirrors.)

    I think we’re overdue for a new form factor in cameras. Retro has it’s place, but it’s time to end the “it looks like a 35mm camera”. We don’t have film to transport. That dictated the shapes.

    Canon is in a good position to innovate. They also make video cameras. They can create a new form factor taking the best from both.

  • Aaron Sanchez

    Canon and his “artificial intelligence” that fucks up a simple picture, example: you have focused your subject that fills the 90% of the frame and then the camera decides to focus to a point faaaar faaar away. I have to say that I use their pro lenses and their pro bodies at work. Horrid performance of their cameras and terrible distortion for their lenses for those high prices.

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