Canon Inc. Boss Wants to See More Innovation

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The Nikkei Asian Review sat down with Canon Chairman & CEO Fujio Mitarai for a brief interview about Canon’s plans over the medium term. Canon Inc. is definitely looking to acquire more businesses and continue to diversify their portfolio of industries. Canon wants new businesses to generate nearly one-third of sales.</p>
<blockquote><p><b>Q: What is the biggest issue currently facing Canon?</b></p>
<p><b>A:</b> Our primary management goal this year is to raise our antennas high toward cutting-edge technology. It is on this point where we lag behind other companies. We will open up a research and development center in the U.S.’s Silicon Valley, where we will actively adopt new technology. <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Time-to-think-outside-the-camera-box-Canon-chief-argues?page=1">Read the full interview</a></p>

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<p>Here’s hoping cameras and lenses are part of this goal, there is a general perception that Canon hasn’t innovated the camera space all that much since the launch of DPAF. Whether or not this is factual doesn’t matter, brand perception is a big part of marketing.</p>
<p><em>image credit // <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Time-to-think-outside-the-camera-box-Canon-chief-argues?page=1">Nikkei Asian Review</a></em></p>
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Mar 25, 2011
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Part of the issue is that Canon sees the increasing demand for cameras, and is not well placed to provide them. Cameras for smart phones, automobiles, face recognition which can be used almost everywhere from front door locks to automobiles, and they are fooling with DSLR's and printers while letting the big money and the future get away.

Canon is shopping, their profits have soared since they bought Axis and Toshiba Medical. I'[d look for them to get into sensor production and face recognition tech in a big way.
 
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Sep 25, 2010
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Mt Spokane Photography said:
Part of the issue is that Canon sees the increasing demand for cameras, and is not well placed to provide them. Cameras for smart phones, automobiles, face recognition which can be used almost everywhere from front door locks to automobiles, and they are fooling with DSLR's and printers while letting the big money and the future get away.

Canon is shopping, their profits have soared since they bought Axis and Toshiba Medical. I'[d look for them to get into sensor production and face recognition tech in a big way.

+1
 
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Jan 12, 2011
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Orangutan said:
Mt Spokane Photography said:
Part of the issue is that Canon sees the increasing demand for cameras, and is not well placed to provide them. Cameras for smart phones, automobiles, face recognition which can be used almost everywhere from front door locks to automobiles, and they are fooling with DSLR's and printers while letting the big money and the future get away.

Canon is shopping, their profits have soared since they bought Axis and Toshiba Medical. I'[d look for them to get into sensor production and face recognition tech in a big way.

+1

+2

Sounds like this exec sees a future that many on this forum never have- being #1 in sales in the near term doesn’t matter. Innovation is needed to stay at #1 and other companies are pulling ahead in this way. Canon has to be willing to disrupt themselves to stay in the lead and hopefully that applies to their camera division.
 
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Mar 25, 2011
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For a publicly traded company, being number one means returning lots of value to share holders. In Canon's situation, it means being number one in imaging, which can encompass a wide variety of things, Cameras being one of them.

Mostly, it means profit!!

Its the job of the CEO to guide the company and to look out for both present and future profits. The latter is very difficult.
 
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Sep 25, 2010
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transpo1 said:
Orangutan said:
Mt Spokane Photography said:
Part of the issue is that Canon sees the increasing demand for cameras, and is not well placed to provide them. Cameras for smart phones, automobiles, face recognition which can be used almost everywhere from front door locks to automobiles, and they are fooling with DSLR's and printers while letting the big money and the future get away.

Canon is shopping, their profits have soared since they bought Axis and Toshiba Medical. I'[d look for them to get into sensor production and face recognition tech in a big way.

+1

+2

Sounds like this exec sees a future that many on this forum never have- being #1 in sales in the near term doesn’t matter. Innovation is needed to stay at #1 and other companies are pulling ahead in this way. Canon has to be willing to disrupt themselves to stay in the lead and hopefully that applies to their camera division.

Note that he's not specifically referring to cameras, but to the whole range of Canon businesses. He's not saying "our DSLRs suck, we need to improve them," he's saying the normal stuff you say to make your board and stockholders feel good: "we will not rest on our laurels." Sure, it's good to hear, but it's meaningless without specifics. He did not tell us what areas of new research would be explored at their new facility in California.

I wouldn't read much into this, this is nothing more than CEO cheerleading.
 
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unfocused

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KirkD said:
He might want to take some cutting edge innovation lessons from Sigma. Compared to them, Canon crawls along at a snail's pace on their hands and knees.

Pure hyperbole. Sigma is very good at shaving costs and reverse engineering...but true innovation? Not so much.
 
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unfocused

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transpo1 said:
Sounds like this exec sees a future that many on this forum never have- being #1 in sales in the near term doesn’t matter. Innovation is needed to stay at #1 and other companies are pulling ahead in this way. Canon has to be willing to disrupt themselves to stay in the lead and hopefully that applies to their camera division.

Next time, you might try actually reading the interview, instead of just repeating talking points.

He's talking about expanding and investing in areas outside of traditional cameras. Maintaining their core imaging and office businesses, but investing in security, medical, etc., that are not traditional consumer photography products.
 
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unfocused said:
KirkD said:
He might want to take some cutting edge innovation lessons from Sigma. Compared to them, Canon crawls along at a snail's pace on their hands and knees.

Pure hyperbole. Sigma is very good at shaving costs and reverse engineering...but true innovation? Not so much.

Well now, I’m not going to argue that they’re innovate more than the next company, but saying they’re not good at innovating? I wouldn’t say so.. 1.8 zooms for aps-c? Only one in the industry. Stacked sensors? First and only company to implement. F/2.0 FF zoom? Err just barely a zoom, but yup, only company to make one. 2.8 zoom to 300 mm- again the only one in the industry.

Otoh I’d hardly say they’re doing circles around Canon, or is anyone else for that matter- the entire industry has been kinda stagnant for the last 5-10 years
 
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Jan 12, 2011
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unfocused said:
transpo1 said:
Sounds like this exec sees a future that many on this forum never have- being #1 in sales in the near term doesn’t matter. Innovation is needed to stay at #1 and other companies are pulling ahead in this way. Canon has to be willing to disrupt themselves to stay in the lead and hopefully that applies to their camera division.

Next time, you might try actually reading the interview, instead of just repeating talking points.

He's talking about expanding and investing in areas outside of traditional cameras. Maintaining their core imaging and office businesses, but investing in security, medical, etc., that are not traditional consumer photography products.

Which is why I said “hopefully that applies to their camera division.” We can always dream it does.
 
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Mt Spokane Photography said:
Part of the issue is that Canon sees the increasing demand for cameras, and is not well placed to provide them. Cameras for smart phones, automobiles, face recognition which can be used almost everywhere from front door locks to automobiles, and they are fooling with DSLR's and printers while letting the big money and the future get away.

Canon is shopping, their profits have soared since they bought Axis and Toshiba Medical. I'[d look for them to get into sensor production and face recognition tech in a big way.
There you go... Canon is already heavily invested in the big brother business.
 
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goldenhusky

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To me this does not tell me anything or giving me any confidence. Even if I have to assume he is talking about Cameras, hypothetically let's say if they open up an R&D division in 2018 and start research immediately by the time we see a product coming to the market it will be too late. Two of my most respected reviewers Dustin Abbott and Christopher Frost are in to Sony already and Dustin mentioned he is waiting for his a7r3. Sure there are some caveats with Sony but with dual card slots and decent lens line up Sony is an attractive option for even professional photographers except for wildlife, sports and astro photography. Once Sigma and Tamron starts to deliver full frame lenses for E mount we will see more people jumping ship. Canon is losing its user base slowly and sure enough if they do not come up with a camera that shoots 4k with a decent codec in 2018, I am sure they will loose more market share. I am not even talking about mirror less, just offer the 4k30 with h.265 codec and 1080p 120fps on a DSLR with C-log, focus peaking and zebras
 
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