Canon celebrates milestone with production of 150 million interchangeable RF and EF lenses

Canon announced today the achievement of a new lens-manufacturing milestone with the production on January, 2021, of the Company’s 150-millionth RF and EF series interchangeable lens for EOS cameras—an RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM telephoto zoom lens.

Production of interchangeable RF and EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (Autofocus) single-lens reflex film cameras began in 1987 at the Company’s Utsunomiya Plant. Over the years, RF and EF lenses have gained support from a wide range of users and production has since expanded to a total of four manufacturing bases.

EF lens production passed the 10-million-unit mark in 1995 and crossed the 50-million-unit threshold in 2009. In April 2014, the Company celebrated its first-in-the-world achievement of having manufactured 100 million interchangeable lenses, and now, setting a new world record for the most interchangeable lenses produced, Canon manufactured its 150-millionth RF and EF lens in January 2021.

Canon’s proprietary EF lenses, launched in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, have continued to evolve since their introduction, leading the industry through the incorporation of a wide range of innovative technologies, including such world’s firsts as the Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, and a multilayered diffractive optical (DO) element.

In 2018, Canon introduced the EOS R system and the RF series lenses, which pursues new heights of quality under the core concept of, “Speed, Comfort and High Image Quality.” Today, the Company’s extensive RF and EF lens series lineup currently comprises a total of 118 models, expanding the possibilities of image capture.

In addition, thanks to the support provided by its rich lineup of lenses, Canon has maintained the No.1 market share for digital interchangeable-lens cameras since 2003—a total of 17 years—and in September 2019, the Company celebrated the production of 100 million EOS-series interchangeable-lens cameras.