Efficiency Boost: Canon Automates Camera and Lens Production

[Canon Rumors]

Canon recently released their annual report for 2024, and there are a few interesting things Canon mentions in the report. One of the biggest takeaways is Canon has moved in automated production lines for cameras and lenses. This likely makes Canon unique among all of the manufacturers.

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[Berowne]

Thanks for the news, maybe "vertical integration" (producing everything from image sensors, camera processors, chips in lenses and batteries as well as high end optical glass across all the industries they’re in) is a better way to become less vulnerable to the negative effects of globalisation than tarrifs.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I wonder what people will do for money once we have automated everything.

 

[Del Paso]

I wonder what people will do for money once we have automated everything.

This is the question I have never been able to answer in a positive way.
Yes, AI, Internet banking, automated production processes... There's no way back.
And, according to one main actor in car technology (Bosch), 5 employees are needed for diesel tech., 3 for petrol/gasoline, only one for E. car tech.
Again here, no way back. Services will never be able to compensate the loss of manual activity. E-cars are coming, the future is theirs.
Denying changes, including climatic ones, is both stupid and suicidal. But changes are coming at a high price for many of us.
PS: Fortunately, I'm no longer young...

 

[Berowne]

..... Fortunately, I'm no longer young...

So am i;
"... 'tis our fast intend
to shake all cares and business from our age,
conferring them to younger strenghts,
while we unburthen'd crawl toward death."
(King Lear)

 

[koenkooi]

This is the question I have never been able to answer in a positive way.
Yes, AI, Internet banking, automated production processes... There's no way back.
And, according to one main actor in car technology (Bosch), 5 employees are needed for diesel tech., 3 for petrol/gasoline, only one for E. car [...]

Bosch can opt to put 2 people on the E-car stuff and make it actually good instead of solidly mediocre, but they won't. This one of my main criticisms of increased productivity, it's almost always about 'more', but not about 'better'.

 

[Del Paso]

Bosch can opt to put 2 people on the E-car stuff and make it actually good instead of solidly mediocre, but they won't. This one of my main criticisms of increased productivity, it's almost always about 'more', but not about 'better'.

That is only partly correct.
Yet, what the Bosch manager wanted to say is that, for Diesel technology, you needed far more parts, like the extremely complex injection pump, EGR valves, turbos etc...The precision machining process, plus casting, cold/hot extrusion, forging, testing, hardening needs people, and not too few.
Even gasoline engines require a high amount of complex elements, like high pressure injectors, particulate filters, turbos etc...
While mostly "simple" motor parts are needed for E vehicles, plus electronics. These items can easily be made in an automated process, not so easy for injection components.
So, it's not about them not wanting to invest more into better E Tech. but a simple fact that conventional technology requires more workforce in the entire production process.
I do not deny, on the other hand, that they could do more for E-Tech...

 

[AlanF]

This is the question I have never been able to answer in a positive way.
Yes, AI, Internet banking, automated production processes... There's no way back.
And, according to one main actor in car technology (Bosch), 5 employees are needed for diesel tech., 3 for petrol/gasoline, only one for E. car tech.
Again here, no way back. Services will never be able to compensate the loss of manual activity. E-cars are coming, the future is theirs.
Denying changes, including climatic ones, is both stupid and suicidal. But changes are coming at a high price for many of us.
PS: Fortunately, I'm no longer young...

Despite ever increasing efficiencies and automation, there are increasing labour shortages, especially carers for the elderly.

 

[Del Paso]

Despite ever increasing efficiencies and automation, there are increasing labour shortages, especially carers for the elderly.

The car company I was working for is faced with some difficult issues:
- Chinese competition (not yet dramatic)
- E-cars: Loss of many forgings (crankshafts, con-rods, camshafts, transmission gears etc...) Including machining of these parts.
- E-cars: Loss of many castnigs (engine block, cylinder head, timing-case, transmission housing etc...) Including machining of these parts.
(Even harder for suppliers making turbos, injection, radiators, exhausts, bearings, seals and gaskets)
- Conventional cars: Rationalisation of body construction and assembly
So, during the last 10 years, approximately 20% of the staff were sent into early retirement or those retiring were not replaced.
Where I see a great danger: Look at what happened with computers. 20 years ago, one bought a brand (IBM, Nixdorf...) No longer, except Apple. The same could happen with E-cars, brand prestige (cuore sportivo etc...) could lose its value for newer customers. It's already happening in the lower-cost category.
And still, there's a lack of highly skilled employees in the field of electronics, AI, materials, batteries...
Hard times ahead for less skilled ones...

 

[scyrene]

Greater efficiency means lower costs means lower prices, right? Right??

 

[AlanF]

Greater efficiency means lower costs means lower prices, right? Right??

No, bigger profits

 

[EricN]

I wonder what people will do for money once we have automated everything.

Don't worry, after WWIII ends, we'll have to start all over

 

[P-visie]

Imaging Resource has an interview with Canon at CP+. It covers a lot of subjects, a.o. cross type AF, action priority AF and lenses.

See: https://www.imaging-resource.com/ne...ut-ai-based-action-priority-af-lenses-and-a-w

 

[EricN]

Imaging Resource has an interview with Canon at CP+. It covers a lot of subjects, a.o. cross type AF, action priority AF and lenses.

See: https://www.imaging-resource.com/ne...ut-ai-based-action-priority-af-lenses-and-a-w

Great interview! It's nice to get confirmation:

Regarding the comparison between full-frame and APS-C markets, while I can't share specific figures, I can tell you that the ratio is more favorable to full-frame than any of the ratios you mentioned (10:1, 5:1, or 100:1). While the APS-C market is significant, the balance between APS-C and full-frame is more tilted toward full-frame than the ratios you suggested.

I recall at least one regular poster here had theorized this.

 

[justaCanonuser]

I wonder what people will do for money once we have automated everything.

They might support the alcohol & illegal drugs industry - as long as they the still have some credit cards that work, cynically spoken. In fact, this is no new story. In the early 19th century, many weavers in Europe lost their jobs because Joseph-Marie Jacquard improved Edmund Cartwright's invention of a mechanical weaving machine. Jacquard's machines were freely programmable by big punched cards, and in fact they foreshadowed and inspired the development of modern computers. The result was, of course, much cheaper cloth with complex patterns on the market but a lot of weavers who were totally impoverished. Adding AI to the 21st century socio-economic brew, we will definitely see "interesting" times coming up, we may see an at least partial self-obliteration of humanity as working people. But, like always, it is hard to really predict what will happen in this complex world, in particular keeping human creativity in mind.

Sigh, I always liked the imagination ofJapanese ladies who precisely assembled the tiny electronic, mechanical and optical components with their delicate fingers of my Canon, Mamiya or Nikon gear. Looks like this will be soon history, like once German women who were the backbone of Germany's famous camera industry that is mostly history now. On the other hand, automation will help Canon to keep prices on level that may be more affordable for enthusiasts and pro's, and achieving a much more stable output quality.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Imaging Resource has an interview with Canon at CP+. It covers a lot of subjects, a.o. cross type AF, action priority AF and lenses.

See: https://www.imaging-resource.com/ne...ut-ai-based-action-priority-af-lenses-and-a-w

Interesting: "While I can't share specifics, we still see gaps in our long focal length offerings." So we may discover soon what Canon really will do in the 200-500mm (or so) section that is a hot topic here at CR.

I'd love to have an intelligent AF system that understands the behavior of birds better, in particular flying birds

 

[John Wilde]

Canon has been working on automated/robotic camera production for many years, so this isn't surprising.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Great interview! It's nice to get confirmation:
I recall at least one regular poster here had theorized this.

Not sure I agree with the editor's interpretation:

While the APS-C market is significant, the balance between APS-C and full-frame is more tilted toward full-frame than the ratios you suggested. [Ed. note: Wow, I had no idea the balance was that lopsided towards full-frame!]

The editor seems to imply that more FF cameras than APS-C cameras are being sold, but I really doubt that's the case. Certainly the fact that more than 50% of lenses shipped in 2024 were for crop sensors does not support the idea of FF > APS-C. My estimate is that it's currently about 3:1 (APS-C:FF), which is consistent with Canon's statement that the ratio is 'more tilted toward full-frame' than 5:1.

As the Canon rep stated, the main driver for the shift is that Canon pushed down the cost of FF cameras, with the RP remaining in the lineup and available new for <$1K.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Interesting: "While I can't share specifics, we still see gaps in our long focal length offerings." So we may discover soon what Canon really will do in the 200-500mm (or so) section that is a hot topic here at CR.

Also interesting is what he said next, "Plus, it's been about seven years since we launched our first RF lenses in 2018, so we think it’s time to upgrade the technology with second generation models."

So we can expect to start seeing MkII versions of RF lenses soon, or better yet (from my perspective) improved ‘replacements’ like a 24-70/2.

 

[candyman]

So we can expect to start seeing MkII versions of RF lenses soon.

I hope the 14-35mm f/4L will be one of them and hopefully with an internal zoom.