Canon factory: Impressive secrets revealed

MANILA, Philippines — It was an impressive factory. It had robots working on parts of the Canon cameras that were being made. Sadly, because of the competitive nature of camera-making, the Canon factory in Japan prohibited taking photos of the processes that its cameras, both professional and personal, undergo in their development and manufacture.    

We were welcomed into the uber clean factory. It was the first time that media was allowed to enter and see the facility, and that was a treat right there.

Man and machine: The lens assembly

Impressive would be an understatement when describing the factory. It had all the modern techniques and developing processes that one only dreams of. Add to that master camera-makers who spend lifetimes developing cameras and working  on the intricate processes that go into every iconic camera it produces.

It was clean and hygenic. We were asked to change into factory smocks as soon as we got to the briefing floor.

Precise: SFR measurement

Well, I was impressed with just how much detail goes into the making of a camera and that Canon has “secret weapons” in mastering the craft of camera making. It made me feel good that not everything in the factory was about being high-tech – even if much of it was. There was a palpable effort to mix old school ways, like the presence of master craftsmen in a sea of 21st century and beyond-high-tech machines.

The walk through the factory was a rewarding experience for me because it gave much insight into how much detail goes into making the Canon camera, or how precise every camera is.

A master: Takumi at work

No wonder most serious lensmen insist that their tools of the trade have to be the ones with the Canon emblem on them. The brand bespeaks quality, precision, and overall reliability.

The tour was in Japanese with a translator who made us understand everything that was being told us.  Here let me share with you some snapshots from the camera-making process that we saw at the Canon Factory that day.