Canon Hansa

October 1935 - June 1940

Production: 1100 units
Serial numbers: 55 - 5200

Canon’s first production model and Japan’s first high-quality 35mm camera. An improved version of the KWANON camera, it also incorporated technology from Nippon Kogaku (Nikon). Although some say that the camera was marketed in October 1935, the marketing date was February 1936. The lens was a Nikkor 5cm f/3.5 mounted for the first time on a civilian camera. The rangefinder optics and focusing mount were made by Nippon Kogaku. The viewfinder was a reversed Galilean type and it was separate from the rangefinder window. The viewfinder was nicknamed “surprise box” because it popped up when a button was pressed. Saburo Uchida, Goro Yoshida’s brother-in-law and manager of the company’s business affairs, changed the “KWANON” name to “Canon.” “Canon” also refers to the Bible and standards or laws. “Hansa” was (and still is) the trademark of Omiya Photo Supply, the distributor of the Hansa Canon.

© Text from Canon Camera Museum