Canon UK Press Release 02/09/04

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, has been announced as the winning choice for photojournalists during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.  With hundreds of the world’s best photographers in Athens for the games,  Canon has proven to be the preferred choice for photographic equipment.  According to figures quoted by major Olympic sponsor Kodak, approximately 70% of photographers covering the event are using Canon’s EOS SLR cameras and EF lens system.

By far the most popular camera body amongst the professional sports photographers at the games is Canon’s latest digital SLR - the EOS-1D Mark II.  Released earlier this year,  the camera delivers 40 frame bursts at approx.  8.5 frames per second at high-quality 8.2 Megapixel resolution. This integrates seamlessly with the predictive tracking of Canon’s EF lens
auto focus system, making the camera ideal for capturing fast moving action sequences.  A large number of international news agencies have already specified the EOS-1D Mark II for their photographers, citing the camera’s resolution,  speed,  image quality,  reliability and advanced CMOS sensor technology as key reasons for their choice.

Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland, said: “The Olympic Games is one of the hottest dates on the global sporting calendar and ensuring the delivery of high quality images is vital within the competitive world of sports photojournalism.  We are exceptionally pleased that this world-class group of photographic professionals has recognised Canon as their preferred brand of camera.”

First choice of professional agencies
Canon’s high-end digital SLR’s and lenses are clearly the preferred choice of sports photographers and photojournalists worldwide, with the world’s leading wire agencies such as Reuters, Getty Images and AFP choosing Canon professional products for their photographers. “Our Editorial photographers are among the best in the world, whether covering major sporting events, international news or entertainment, and therefore have varied and extreme performance   needs.  Canon is at the forefront in understanding and
addressing the requirements of our photographers with its state-of-the-art equipment,”  says Adrian Murrell,  Vice President of Operations, News and Sport EMEA & Asia Pac for Getty Images.

Canon Professional Services
Canon is providing high-level support to professional photographers using Canon equipment at the games, with complimentary on-site repair and loan services.  The Canon Professional Services operation, located within the Kodak Imaging Centre,  also offers photographers access to Apple G5 and workstations   with   software   for   photographers’  image editing and transmission work.

Award winning camera
The EOS-1D Mark II has won two of Europe’s most prestigious awards for cameras this year. European Imaging & Sound Association (EISA) awarded the camera the European Professional Camera of the Year 2004-2005, while Technical Image Press Association (TIPA)  declared it the Best D-SLR Professional Camera 2004.