Canon Ends Film Camera Development (*Maybe)

Reuters are reporting that Canon have today announced that they have stopped development of new compact and SLR film cameras. The company will continue to promote and sell existing film models, although it also said it will “make a final judgment on the business in the future while monitoring market demand.” Canon’s announcement follows a similar one by Nikon earlier this year.

UPDATE: Well, it seems that Reuters were a little quick off the mark, in that Canon are now considering halting film camera production, rather than actually doing it. Which isn’t half as interesting as the original news!

Website: Reuters - Canon to halt development of film cameras

Published: Thursday, May 25, 2006

Reader Comments

1. This is just foreshadowing. Canon will eventually have to stop production of most of it's film SLR cameras. They just don't make any money. Maybe a pro model like Nikon did with the F6 will be left but I'm sure that Canon will sooner, rather than later, just sell out all their stock and call it quits

   phule at 05:53pm on Thursday, May 25, 2006

2. its not it's

   phule at 05:54pm on Thursday, May 25, 2006

3. it's is correct

   Frank at 08:38am on Friday, May 26, 2006

4. I have a B.A. degree in English/Photography, double major.
   
   "It's" is a contraction of "it is."
   
   It should be "...most of its film SLR..."
   
   Phule was right to correct himself.

   m gottlieb at 02:31pm on Friday, May 26, 2006

5. "its" should be replaced by "their"

   Phobo at 06:38pm on Friday, May 26, 2006

6. Frank, I'm with you, the "it's" is an indicator of possessing something, I didn't spend four years in 7th grade for nuttin!
   I like the option of "their" too!

   nick in japan at 08:59pm on Friday, May 26, 2006

7. i think film is a very interesting medium except in 35mm, where it has been surpased by digital.

   Gordon at 12:19pm on Saturday, May 27, 2006

8. Gordon, if you are speaking of quality of the image, I think, IMHO, that in high end digital cameras you are right, but in the $100-$400 consumer digital cameras there is a level of quality that is probably comparable to using ASA 800-3200 film. I personally believe it is planned that way.
   You can produce an image with a $10, 50 year old film camera, that rivals the image of a $5000 digital camera, just gonna take you longer.
   Until CMOS/MOS sensors find their way into the compacts, these digitals lag behind the images obtained by the velvia films, still loved and used by die-hard pros.

   nick in japan at 09:26pm on Saturday, May 27, 2006