NEW YORK - Post had a chance to go inside Canon Expo 2015 New York (www.expo.usa.canon.com) before it officially opened on Thursday morning. The invite-only event takes place every five years and is set up at the Jacob K. Javits Center for two days (September 10-11), giving guests a chance to learn more about the company's vision for the future.
On Wednesday, September 9th, Canon Inc., chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai addressed media and analysts, reflecting on his time with the company and its growth. Mitarai came to New York in 1966 as one of the first employees from Japan to work in the US office. Back then, he recalls, when he told people he worked for "Cannon," they often thought he sold towels. The audience got a kick out of his stories.
Looking back, he's incredibly proud of the company's name recognition today, and is happy to be back in New York for Canon Expo 2015. He spent 23 years of his career here, helping to build the company's American presence. New York, he says, has a special place in his heart, particularly its pizza and golf courses.
Mitarai says Canon has many long-time partners here, and he encouraged them to continue to challenge the company with ideas for their businesses. "It's not always easy to see dreams clearly in an uncertain economy," he notes, but unique ideas from the company's partners help them to reach long-term goals and "See Impossible," which is Canon's theme for the 2015 Expo.
The Canon Expo will also make stops in Tokyo, Paris and Shanghai in the year ahead. In New York, the exhibition is divided int a half-dozen different "zones" that demonstrate the "See Impossible" theme. The company played up this year's New York location with presentations that feature models of the city's landmarks, including Central Park and Yankee Stadium.
Most relevant for the production and post production industries is Canon's Film Production zone, where visitors step into a replica of a Brooklyn soundstage. Here, they can see future products that are actually working today. No smoke and mirrors. I was able to check out an 8K camera system and an 8K display in a production set up, as well as a high dynamic range 4K display in a post suite that was being driven by an SGO Mistika system.
Canon's 8K camera demo
Not related to production or post, Canon also has some pretty interesting future products on display that I was able to see up close. One security demonstration showed how an overhead camera could read body heat, thereby determining how dense a crowd might be based on the measured heat. Another demo showed a soccer match, and how cameras were able to track player speeds, heart rates, etc.
In the company's printer zone, Canon had some amazing replicas of classic art from the likes of artists such as Vermeer. After capturing 3D images of a painting using their imaging technology, they then use their printing technology to create reproductions that actually feel like painted surfaces, with bumps, brushstrokes and the like. One application would be for preservation or archiving purposes.
The next Canon Expo will be held in 2020, and it will be interesting to see how common 8K technology may have become by then, and what the company has planned for the years ahead.
Canon's 8K monitor
The company anticipates delivering its new, compact 4K projector in 2016.
The company's 30-inch 4K 2000NIT display is bright.
Canon also had its current technology on display, including the new C300 Mark II and 7D Mark II.