Nikon, Canon announce production milestones

Canon announced that it recently manufactured its 50 millionth EOS camera and 70 millionth EF lens, while Nikon revealed that its 65 millionth Nikkor lens just rolled off the assembly line. The announcements came within days of each other.

The first Nikkor lens for Nikon SLRs was produced in 1959, a 50mm f/2. Landmark lenses include the OP Fisheye-Nikkor, a 10mm f/5.6 lens that was the first to incorporate aspherical elements. Nikon currently makes more than 60 different lenses.

Canon's EF/EOS lens and cameras have a shorter history, having been first introduced in 1987 replacing the FD manual focus lens line and SLRs. Canon's low-priced Rebel line has driven mass-market sales, which explains the brisk rise to 50 million cameras and 70 million lenses.