| In 1933 Seiki Kogaku (Precision Optical Research Laboratory) came into being manufacturing 35mm rangefinder cameras. The name Canon Camera Company was adopted in 1947. The Canon name was derived from it's pre-war cameras which were named Kwanon. Canon made a series of rangefinder cameras through 1968 that were quite innovative and are sought after as both collectibles and users. In 1959 Canon began manufacturing a line of SLR cameras in direct competition with the newly introduced Nikon F. This competition continues to this day. Canons were distributed in the USA by Bell & Howell. Some models can be found with either Canon or Bell & Howell/Canon engraved on them. |
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