Ten years, 44 models, 33 million cameras - Canon celebrates a decade of IXUS[1]

Dubai, UAE, 24 September, 2006: Canon Middle East is proud to celebrate 10 years of IXUS, the camera that kick-started a revolution and redefined the compact camera market. A decade of design innovation has confirmed IXUS as one of the great success stories in modern consumer electronics, with global sales to date of more than 33 million units[2].

Launched in 1996, the original IXUS Advanced Photo System (APS) camera was an instant design classic. With its tactile stainless steel body and Yasushi Shiotani's unique 'box and circle' design, the IXUS heralded a radical shift beyond function to form. Earning a 30% market share within months of its release, it went on to become the best selling camera of the APS era. In total, over 10.5 million APS-based IXUS cameras were sold worldwide[3].

A compact camera but also a definitive design statement, the IXUS spawned hundreds of imitations and paved the way for an entirely new camera category. 

Incomparable IXUS

Four key design principles behind the very first IXUS have remained at the core of each of the 44 models produced over the last ten years:

Box and Circle: The end result of more than 100 sketches, Shiotani's box and circle concept embodied the ease, simplicity and design-conscious aesthetic that would become hallmarks of the new IXUS brand.  The box and circle motif has remained the instantly recognisable face of IXUS ever since.

Fashion Accessory: The original IXUS was designed to be as much a style statement as a photographic tool. Introducing the concept of camera-as-fashion-accessory, it could be worn like an item of jewellery via an elegant neck chain - a feature that has carried through to the very latest models.

Advanced Materials: The focus on design went beyond the camera's appearance to the materials used for its body. A newly developed surface treatment was applied to the stainless steel to give a luxurious, high quality feel. Tactile, specialised body materials continue to be a vital component of IXUS design, epitomised today by the titanium-bodied Digital IXUS 900 Ti.

Cutting Edge Technology: Significantly smaller than anything else on the market, Canon's first IXUS was hailed as a triumph of advanced engineering and miniaturisation. IXUS has been used as a platform for the very latest Canon innovations over the last ten years.

Digital IXUS
Canon brought the IXUS design concept to digital photography in 2000. The Digital IXUS design team miniaturised the lens system and key technologies by an unprecedented 50% to match the body size of the original APS-based IXUS. The Digital IXUS was the world's smallest and lightest digital camera at its launch. It went on to sell over 800,000 units worldwide[4], cementing Canon's position as the market leader. Since then, well over 22 million consumers around the globe have purchased a Digital IXUS[5]. The most popular model to date has been the Digital IXUS 50, which sold over two million units worldwide[6].

Still the Original
IXUS remains as original today as it was in 1996. The latest additions to the range incorporate a string of firsts.

The new titanium-shelled Digital IXUS 900 Ti introduces a 10 Megapixel sensor to the range for the first time. The slender Digital IXUS 850 IS gives style-conscious photographers a wide-angle zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer technology. Also released is Canon's latest party accessory, the Digital IXUS i⁷ zoom. Available in four chic colours, the Digital IXUS i⁷ zoom incorporates 7.1 Megapixel resolution into the same tiny, all-metal body of its predecessor the Digital IXUS i zoom.

Additional Information
Designers
Yasushi Shiotani - IXUS, 1996
Yasushi Shiotani studied at Tsukuba University in Japan and joined immediately after graduating. After eight years with the company, Canon sent Shiotani at the age of 30 to study at Domus Academy in Italy. After an intense training period with a group of international designers, Shiotani rejoined Canon in Japan and brought his experience to the design of the first ever IXUS camera.

Seiichi Omino - Digital IXUS, 2000
With electronic equipment becoming increasingly complex and high functional, Omino's approach to design considers how to bridge the gap between technology and people. Responsible for the design of the first Digital IXUS model, Omino has also designed typewriters, fax machines, binoculars and other digital cameras.

-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

[1] Named IXY in Asia, PowerShot ELPH in the Americas
[2] Canon INC internal figures
[3] Canon INC internal figures
[4] Canon INC internal figures
[5] Canon INC. Internal figures
[6] Canon INC. internal figures

© Press Release 2006