Canon Supports Expanding Production and Presentation Requirements with Products That Meet Applications and Budgets.

LAS VEGAS -- Products On Display at NAB 2005 Include Expanded Line of HD & SD Lenses, XL2 Mini-DV Camcorder, and Realis SX50 LCOS Projector

Canon, a world leader in imaging and optics, today announced six new products that will debut at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show in Las Vegas, April 18th - 21st. Among the new products launched are three field lenses for economical productions in both HD and SD; a lightweight HD ENG lens; an HD remote control lens designed specifically for the Sony HDC-X300 HD remote control POV camera; and a software developers' kit for the XL2 camcorder.

"The broadcast industry is now moving into high gear in their transition to Digital Television and Canon is expanding both our SDTV and our HDTV lens product lines to support their related investments in digital production systems," said Larry Thorpe, national marketing executive, broadcast and communications division at Canon U.S.A., Inc, a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). "At NAB 2005, we anticipate broadcaster's emerging interest in HD newsgathering and the need for lower cost telephoto lenses for a broad range of production applications."

According to Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., "Canon is showing a comprehensive range of technologies for the creation and display of high-quality video. Canon's line up includes the digital XL2 mini DV camcorder with disk-recording option, to the new Realis SX50 - one of the smallest, lowest-cost LCOS projectors on the market."

Continuing its tradition of quality and reliability, the new and existing Canon products on display at the NAB 2005 show include:

Optics

--Field Lenses: Canon's line of DIGI SUPER field lenses has a history of being first in the industry in terms of long lens quality and performance. In 2005, Canon will add three new lenses to their impressive line to provide even more options for all users and applications--and at less expense. These lenses, which do not require image stabilization include: the XJ60x9BIE-D High Definition HDxs lens, and the PJ62x9BIE-D and PJ 62x13.5BIE-D Standard Definition IFxs lenses. All three feature shorter zoom ratios and are affordably priced. They will be displayed at NAB 2005 along with Canon's established family of field lenses.

--HD Studio Lenses: Canon's popular HD Studio lenses are also being displayed at this year's NAB. These include the first ever compact studio lens, the DIGI SUPER 22xs (XJ22x7.3BIE-D), which provides superior optical performance for HDTV or SDTV portable cameras in an extremely compact box-style design. Rounding out the line are Canon's premium DIGI SUPER 25xs (XJ25x6.8BIE-D) and the cost-effective DIGI SUPER 23xs lens (XJ23x7B IE-D).

--ENG/EFP: Canon's full line of HDTV and SDTV ENG/EFP lenses offer a wide range of choices from wide-angle and standard to telephoto. All have been used extensively for newsgathering, sports production, documentaries, and stabilized helicopter systems. The newest lens in the line, will be the HJ17ex7.6B ENG lens series, including a switchable 16:9/4:3 version. These HD lenses will be smaller, lighter, and lower-cost than the current HJ17ex7.7B EFP lens and are intended to support the emerging industry interest in HD ENG. With the addition of the HJ17ex7.6B lenses, Canon now offers seven portable HD lenses, all of which will be on display.

--Enhanced Digital Drive Technology: This unique technology, available on Canon's full line of e-HDxs High Definition and e-IFxs Standard Definition portable zoom lenses, employs three Canon ultra-high-precision, microprocessor-driven digital servos with 16-bit optical encoders to control iris, zoom, and focus along with position memory, and user-defined digital functionality.

--High Definition Electronic Cinematography: Other lenses on display include Canon's increasingly popular line of six HD-EC prime lenses and three zoom lenses. The HD-EC line includes Canon's unique Anamorphic converter, which fits easily between any 2/3-inch electronic cinematography prime or zoom lens and camera, making it possible to easily record a CinemaScope(TM) size (aspect ratio 2.35:1) image with an HD cinematography camera.

--Remote-Controlled HD Lens: The new KH19x6.7 KTS Remote Controlled High Definition lens for half-inch cameras meets the specifications of Sony's HDC-X300 and new HDC-X310 camera, which is being introduced at NAB 2005. The KH19x6.7 KTS offers complete control capabilities of zoom, focus, and iris (functions identical to those in Canon's current line of remote-control lenses). The KH19x6.7 KTS Remote Control Lens will also operate as part of Sony's "Auto Focus" system.

Capture, Display and Transmission

--Canon XL2 Mini-DV Camcorder:

Canon's XL2 Mini-DV Camcorder provides flexibility and control, making it one of the most widely adopted camcorders in the film industry. From April 1st through June 30th, Canon is offering cash rebates by mail on the XL2 and GL2 camcorders. End users can now take full advantage of the power and open architecture of the XL2 and the portability of the GL2 models with combination rebate offers that give cash back on popular accessories, including Direct-To-Edit recording technologies such as the FireStore FS-4 and FS-4 Pro recorder from FOCUS Enhancements. These rebates apply when consumers purchase either the XL2 or GL2 camcorders*.

For even more creative control, Canon now offers a Software Developers Kit, which allows applications to be written to control the XL2 via FireWire connection for a new dimension in camera management and remote operation. Software developers may apply for the SDK at Canon's digital video website www.canondv.com.

The XL2 camcorder combines the power of Genuine Canon Optics (including interchangeable lens capabilities), variable frame rates and aspect ratios, for superb image processing for any digital filmmaker, video artist, and corporate and event videographer. Canon's GL2 camcorder offers precision optics, superior digital processing, and reliable professional performance and is now more attractive with a $250 cash back rebate (from March 1st through June 30th)*.

--Canon Multimedia Projectors: Canon's new REALiS SX50 multimedia projector is one of the smallest, lightest SXGA+ LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) projector in the world. The REALiS SX50 projector utilizes Canon's proprietary AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System) technology, a patented means of achieving both the high brightness of 2500 ANSI Lumens and a contrast ratio of 1000:1 while also reducing projector size. AISYS fully maximizes the performance of LCOS, which has major advantages over traditional projection methods. These include higher (SXGA+) resolution, seamless imagery, enhanced performance on motion video images, and crisp, superior display of text. The REALiS SX50 projector features a genuine Canon high-performance 1.7x optical zoom lens that can project a 100-inch image on a screen from 9.8 feet away. The REALiS SX50 projector is also well-suited for the HDTV era. It can display true 16:9 720p HD broadcast images and includes multiple input jacks and connectors to accept a wide variety of digital and analog computer-display formats. Inputs include DVI video and all major component, composite, and S-video inputs. All connectors attach from the side of the projector housing, making for a more attractive presentation environment. The REALiS SX50 projector is well-suited to meet the needs of multiple professional video and presentation markets.

--NU-700N and Canobeam: Also on display will be Canon's NU-700N model, a turn-key Network Controllable Pan/Tilt/Zoom (P/T/Z) system designed for broadcasting and professional video applications such as traffic, weather observation, and remote city views. For broadcasters in need of a wireless high-bandwidth connection in situations where fiber is cost prohibitive or logistically impossible, Canon offers its Canobeam DT-100 Series, an optical beam communications transceiver.

See the full line of Canon products at NAB 2005 at Booth # SU 7814, Las Vegas Convention Center.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

For more information regarding Canon lenses or Canobeam products, please call Canon Broadcast and Communications Division at 1-800-321-4388 or visit www.canonbroadcast.com.

For more information regarding Canon camcorders, including the XL2 model, please contact Canon U.S.A., Inc. at 1-800-OK-CANON or www.usa.canon.com.

*See canondv.com for full details and restrictions for this promotion