Did you know?
Canon cameras are well known for their quality and are used by renowned photographers worldwide. Among DSLRfags Canon EOS 5D Mark II is the camera that wants to ultimake wank if they have money.
Do you know the name Canon is taken from the name of Goddess Guanyin? You know the Goddess in theWukong The Monkey God tv show years ago? In Japanese, Guanyin Goddess called Goddess Kwanon. Companies that produce Kwanon camera set up by Goro Yoshida and Saburo Uchida in November 1933. Their company was then known as the Seiki Kogaku Kenkyūjo or in English Precision Optics Laboratory. In 1934 Precision Optics Laboratory produce their first branded camera Kwanon. It produced a 35mm camera for against Leica camera Model II which was then considered the most awesome camera market.
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There's a reason why Goro Yoshida produce Kwanon camera along Saburo Uchida who is his brother-in-law. At that time the price of a Model II Lecia is 420 yen. This is the opinion of Goro Yoshida are too expensive for most expensive wage a Japanese citizen at the time was 70 yen a month!!
According to the story, about 1920 Goro Yoshida went to Shanghai to get spare parts for a projector. Goro Yoshida at that time working with a projector repair company. On arrival in Shanghai he met an American named Roy E Delayyang a supplier of spare parts camera and projector. When knowing Yoshida came from Japan just want to get Spare Parts E Delay said Roy;
"You came to China just to get a substitute? Your country already produce warships and combat aircraft world-class. No reason Japan can not afford to produce their own camera"
Yoshida returned to Japan and buy a Leica Model II. He opened mekasnisma expensive cameras one at a time to learn how he can produce its own camera. When all the Leica is already separated and extracted Yoshida surprised. He said;
"I opened the expensive Leica camera one by one. I found nothing unusual materials like jewels used. Cameras only be made using copper, aluminum, steel and rubber. I was surprised how cameras made with cheap material sell such expensive ! This makes me angry"
There may be said to Kwanon name used for the first camera output Kenkyūjo Seiki Kogaku very timely. Kwanon or Guanyin is the Goddess Sympathy (Goddess of Mercy). Kwanon camera sold for only 275 yen compared to Leica sold for 420 yen. The price of the Kwanon is not cheap but still Merciful to the average Japanese photography enthusiast.
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Kenkyūjo Kogaku Seiki company name was officially changed to only Canon in 1947. Why Kwanon be Canon? This is to facilitate branding in Western countries. Starting from a small company has now become a giant Canon imaging and optics industry.
