Though Canon is atop the camera industry in market share, many photographers complain about the company’s seemingly glacial pace of innovation, particularly as compared to the quickly charging likes of Sony and Fuji. In a recent interview, Canon’s CEO has pledged to focus on innovation, how much of that will be directed at consumer cameras and lenses remains to be seen.
In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Canon Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai detailed the company’s current state and future plans. The first thing to remember, of course, is that Canon is a company whose interests extend far beyond consumer cameras and lenses, and Mitarai’s comments can be read to be inclusive, exclusive, or specific (unlikely) to those divisions. In the interview Mitarai made the following key points:
After a good 2017, Canon wants to grow by focusing on their newer businesses such as healthcare, industrial equipment, and security cameras, with these new businesses generating a third of all sales (cameras are expected to contribute 30 percent).
The company’s primary goal in 2018 is to “raise [their] antennas high toward cutting-edge companies… where [they] lag behind other companies.” The company recognizes the quick gains that newer companies are making and acknowledges the pressure it places on them to innovate.
Of course, one can’t help but wonder if that’s an acknowledgement of companies like Sony or a comment regarding other areas Canon works in. Still, camera equipment is a big chunk of the company’s overall business, and I certainly hope some of that increased innovation will be directed toward the cameras we photographers use.
Culled from
https://fstoppers.com/gear/canon-admits-slow-innovation-pledges-focus-cutting-edge-technology-211086
