Today, the Canon logo, with its vivid red color, is familiar to
people around the world. However, the logo underwent a number of
changes before reaching its present form. In 1933, when
Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory was established, the
name given to cameras manufactured on a trial basis at the time
was Kwanon. This title reflected the benevolence of Kwanon, the
Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, and embodied the Company's vision of
creating the best cameras in the world. The logo included the
word with an image of "Kwanon with 1,000 Arms" and flames. When
the Company sought to begin full-scale marketing, it needed a
brand name that would be accepted by people worldwide. From this
standpoint, in 1935 the name Canon was registered as the
official trademark. The word Canon has a number of meanings,
including scriptures, criterion and standard. The trademark was
therefore worthy of a company involved with precision equipment,
where accuracy is fundamentally important. It also embodied the
Company's desire to m