New post-IBC year, new technology but optical excellence remains key

Money makes the world go round, so it must be a special circumstance where cost saving gets knocked down to second priority. Yet, that’s what’s probably going to happen, if only in the short term.

Business leaders are coming to understand the significance of sustainability to their organisation’s future success. Sustainability credentials are increasingly moving from a ‘nice to have’ to a crucial aspect for potential suppliers. In fact, by 2023, half of organisations will include sustainability metrics within their technology vendor selection criteria. If you want to remain competitive, you’d better bolster your metrics. For many, this means playing catch up, even if that means putting cost-cutting to one side to invest now, for the sake of the future.

A rejig of priorities will need some direction and we can expect to see it spearheaded by an influx of Chief Sustainability Officers, hired to keep sustainability at the heart of boardroom strategy. While cost saving is unlikely to remain a number two priority in the long term, that doesn’t mean that sustainability will be a ‘quick fix’. Becoming a sustainable business involves organisation-wide changes, so we can also expect to see companies integrating some long-term strategies into their future plans.

I have no doubt that the current global situation is taking us into a new stage of business culture. Sustainability is already a top priority for many employees, suppliers, partners and businesses and this is only going to increase. To keep up with competitors, hold onto business partners and attract talented employees, you’re going to have to make sustainability a priority. Being green isn’t a novelty, or a phase, but a global movement. The sooner you adapt your strategy to make it a priority, the better adapted you’ll be for the future.

While the technology has changed dramatically since Canon was founded, our job across all industries remains the same – to support content creators with kit that will help them meet, and exceed, industry standards, so they are faced with no creative boundaries and are equipped with the tools to exercise their visions.

You could say that’s the job of all manufacturers – where we stand out is by putting optical technology at the heart of everything we do.

For decades, Canon has been developing the three core components of imaging – lenses, sensors and processors – using in-house R&D, planning teams and constant customer feedback. This ability puts the company in an important, and highly responsible, position – as it has the skills and capabilities to create innovative new products to the market.

At last year’s IBC, Canon celebrated 60 years of its BCTV business – six decades of bringing innovative, lenses to the market to help support broadcasters.

Our achievements include: the world's first BCTV zoom lens using artificial Fluorite (J10x10B) in 1974, the world's first broadcast lens with Internal Focus in 1982, the world’s first broadcast lens with three-digit optical zoom in 2002 (DIGISUPER 100) and most recently the UHD DIGISUPER 122 - which can achieve the world’s widest angle and the world’s longest zoom of any single broadcast lens currently on the market.

We won’t, and can’t, stop there whether it’s the latest next generation EOS Cinema System camera or a new Broadcast lens. IBC is always a great time to reflect on Canon’s previous achievements and ignite excitement for the year ahead. It’s clear that the technology that will drive the market in the coming months will help cinematographers and broadcasters exceed the industry standards, push their creative abilities to achieve their desired ‘look’ – whether they’re shooting a new Netflix series, a commercial for a top brand, or a live piece to camera on the side lines from a sporting event. Whatever it is, Canon’s optical excellence sits at the heart of imaging.