Dubai, UAE, 21 September, 2006: Canon kicked off its IXUS 10 celebrations with a star-studded party at the Atlantis Gallery in London's Brick Lane. The event saw the unveiling of a diamond IXUS worth more than 40,000 as well as three new additions to one of the most iconic camera ranges of all time.

Two key figures behind the IXUS success story - camera designers Yasushi Shiotani and Seiichi Omino - joined international fashion icons, celebrities and more than 600 media representatives to mark the tenth anniversary of the first IXUS. Shiotani's 'Box and Circle' design for the original APS-based IXUS camera in 1996 spawned hundreds of imitations and remains the signature motif of the range. Omino reinterpreted the concept for the digital age with his striking design for the Digital IXUS in 2000.

Diamond IXUS
A total of ten diamond-encrusted IXUS cameras - one for each year - will be auctioned through eBay with all proceeds going to the Red Cross. The 40,000 Super Diamond IXUS is covered with 380 diamonds supplied by Antwerp-based Eddie Elzas, owner of the world's largest collection of coloured diamonds. Nine 'his and hers' diamond IXUS cameras have also been produced with an estimated value of 3,500 each.

The Other Side of Fashion

Celebrating the anniversary of IXUS and its continued sponsorship of the London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, Canon also announced the launch of 'The Other Side of Fashion' - a collection of behind-the-scenes images taken by 100 style icons including Robert Cavalli, Donatella Versace and Christian Lacroix. Proceeds from a magazine containing exclusive images from the project will benefit Red Cross youth projects across Europe. Guest speakers on the night included British Fashion Council president and Design Museum head Deyan Sudijc.

Canon debuted the three newest additions to the IXUS range with a catwalk show on the night: the titanium-bodied Digital IXUS 900 Ti, Digital IXUS 850 IS, and Digital IXUS i7 zoom.

"The challenge facing any iconic brand is to remain faithful to its original values while staying fresh and innovative," said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "That IXUS has kept its number one position throughout the last 10 years is testament to both the strength of the original IXUS concept and Canon's commitment to innovation."

Additional Information
IXUS Timeline
IXUS: May 1996 - Canon's first IXUS camera was the world's smallest auto focus zoom compact camera at the time. Yasushi Shiotani's 'box and circle' design went on to become an inspiration for the whole industry.

IXUS L-1: September 1997 - Based on the original Canon IXY design this deluxe but casual looking camera also had a bright, high-performance aspherical element lens.

IXUS Limited Kit: September 1997 - Launched to commemorate Canon's 60th anniversary, this model of the IXUS IX 240 was plated in 18-carat gold and came with a golden remote control. Only 30 000 were made available for sale worldwide.

Digital IXUS: May 2000 - The launch of the Digital IXUS represented a new generation of digital camera. Combining convenience with style, it had a broad appeal to an entirely new digital camera market.

Digital IXUS 400: March 2003 - Designed to meet user demand for increased resolution and zoom magnification this 4 Megapixel camera had a high-performance 3x optical zoom lens. It had the smallest body size in its class.

Digital IXUS i: October 2003 - Style and refined elegance were at the heart of this relatively radical redesign. Available in a range of four different colours, the camera had front and rear panels made from a newly developed aluminium-magnesium alloy.

Digital IXUS 40: October 2004 - Taking the IXUS signature concepts of style and ultra-compactness to a new level, the IXUS 40 was one of the first Digital IXUS cameras to use DIGIC II.

Digital IXUS i5: November 2004 - Replacing the Digital IXUS i, the i5 came in four new colours and boasted a 5 Megapixel sensor as well as several new features including wide-area 9-point AiAF.

Digital IXUS 700: March 2005 - The new flagship model in Canon's Digital IXUS range was the first to offer a 7 Megapixel sensor and the Perpetual Curve design - a sleek and graceful body shape with smoothly contoured edges.

Digital IXUS 65: March 2006 ­­- The Digital IXUS 65 was Canon's first digital camera to offer an ultra-large 3.0" LCD monitor. The screen enabled users of this camera to enjoy the benefits of the newly incorporated Focus Checker Function.

Digital IXUS 900 Ti: September 2006 -The exclusive titanium exterior of the 900 Ti is matched by a specification that includes 10.0 Megapixel resolution, an ultra-compact 3x optical zoom lens and Canon's new DIGIC III image processor with advanced noise reduction.

-Ends-

About Canon Middle East
Canon is a world-leading innovator and provider of imaging and information technology solutions for individuals and businesses. Canon provides both individual products and complete networked technology solutions for information input, management and output. Its product range is divided between Business Solutions (developing IT products, solutions and services for both the office and professional print environments) and Consumer Imaging (photography, video and digital camera, Bubble Jet printers).  Canon Middle East is the operational headquarters for Canon in this region, and is based in Dubai, UAE. Further information about Canon Middle East is available at: www.canon-me.com

Canon Contact:    
Anurag Agrawal
Canon Middle East FZ-LLC
Tel: (9714) 391 5050 Fax: (9714) 391 6715
Email: a.agrawal@canon-me.com
Web: http://www.canon-me.com
 
Agency Contact:
Linsey Worgan
G2 Dubai
Tel: (9714) 331 0331
Email: linsey.worgan@g2dubai.com

© Press Release 2006