Tokyo, Japan— Canon is reported to be considering development of a mirrorless compact camera system that offers the features of a conventional DSLR in a more portable body, a senior executive told Reuters. Canon’s camera production reached pre-earthquake levels at the end of June, with supply-chain problems following the March 11 disaster dissipating, Masaya Maeda, head of Canon’s camera division, told Reuters in an interview. Maeda added that Canon will increase production in Taiwan to bring its total SLR output to 10 million units annually, from about 7 million units, according to Reuters, who reported that competitor Sony offers “mirrorless models, enabling...

Melville, NY—Nikon Corporation launched the Nikon Professional Services (NPS) Global website, which will serve as one of the measures in which the company reinforces its services for pro photographers. NPS is a membership organization through which Nikon offers support and services to pros throughout the world. For nearly half a century, NPS has not only provided routine maintenance and repair services for professional photographers’ equipment but has also provided support for them at international events. With the expansion of Nikon’s lineups of high-end DSLRs, Nikkor lenses and other accessories, the NPS Global site was developed to serve as a portal that...

Time Magazine has released a list of the 100 "greatest and most influential gadgets" of all time. There are a fair number of cameras and imaging devices on the list, as you'd expect. Some picks are obvious and defensible: Sony's Betamovie gets the nod for being the first consumer camcorder, while the Flip earns its place for blazing a new category of video-taking device. Canon's EOS 5D Mark II also appears on the list for combining high-quality photography with HD video capture. Even the Eye-Fi wireless SD card gets a spot (deserved, in...

That seems to be the upshot of this report from Reuters: Maeda also said the company was working on a smaller version of its upmarket single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras in a bid to compete with the new breed of mid-range so-called "mirrorless" cameras launched by Sony Corp, Olympus Corp (7733.T), and Panasonic Corp. Nikon also has a new camera in the works, though it has yet to reveal details. Maeda did not give further details of the new camera, including whether the internal structure would include a mirror.

Lake Success, NY—Canon USA added a third service support center at its Canon Virginia Incorporated (CVI) facility in Newport News, Virginia, to support the Canon Professional Services (CPS) program. In April, Canon extended CPS membership to qualifying videographers, cinematographers and filmmakers, and their overwhelming response prompted the need for a third CPS support center. The expansion of the CPS program is designed to extend Canon’s support assistance to these professionals with “fast service, equipment evaluation loans and a range of other benefits.” The new service location is a Canon-owned facility with Canon-certified service technicians based here in the U.S. Along with...

The PMA Show is underway - a time when the grandees of the photo industry (present company excluded) gather to introduce new cameras, show off new innovations and cast a sideways glance at their competitors. You can find up to the minute photo news from the industry's best source: Photo Industry Reporter. The site will be updated frequently with all the news as it breaks.

The PMA Show is like the big bang of digital photography products - in one massive burst, dozens of 2010 models are born. We've got the full coverage here. And, drum-roll please, here's the tip sheet for the new models: Nikon goes stylish Panasonic goes waterproof, Samsung goes megazoom, Sony goes for the wide view with a sweep panorama mode Fujifilm goes budget friendly