Canon just made its 170 millionth EOS lens – enough to wrap around the planet!

If there was ever any doubt that Canon is the biggest camera company on the planet, get this – it has just made its 170 millionth EOS lens which, if they were all placed end-to-end, is enough to wrap around the planet.

Setting the record, the 170,000,000th lens off the production line was the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z – one of the best Canon RF lenses and, fittingly enough, a dream lens that was impossible before the advent of the EOS R system.

Canon's feat actually extends a world record it has held for some time, becoming the first company in the world to make 100 million interchangeable lenses back in 2014, hitting the 150 million lens mark in 2021.

The EOS lens system was launched in March 1987, with the original EOS SLR camera range, and since the launch of the EOS R mirrorless system in November 2018 now spans both the EF and RF mount. There are now 108 optics comprising EF, EF-S, EF-M, EF Cinema, RF, RF-S and RF Cinema lenses and teleconverters.

The very first EF lenses were made at Canon's flagship Utsunomiya Plant in Japan. Lens production now extends to a further four facilities: Canon Inc Taiwan, Canon Opto (Malaysia), and Oita Canon Inc and Miyazaki Canon Inc in Japan.

If producing 170 million lenses weren't impressive enough, Canon also pointed out another amazing longevity stat: it has maintained the number 1 position in terms of market share for digital interchangeable lens cameras since 2003 – which is an astonishing 22 consecutive years of being on top.

Of course, APS-C users wouldn't mind if a few more of those 170 million lenses consisted of dedicated RF-S glass for crop sensor shooters… but still, it's an incredible milestone for the (literally) insurmountable EOS system!

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