Camera Loans, Endangered Bird Shows, Traveling Showroom Also Heighten Air Show Excitement

OSHKOSH, WI (July 28, 2000) -- Canon will demonstrate its support for human and avian aviators during the week-long Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2000 that takes place at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin now through August 1. The company donated two state-of-the-art digital video camcorders to Operation Migration, the non-profit group that inspired the hit movie Fly Away Home.

Founded in 1994, Operation Migration is a non-profit organization that researches aircraft-led migration for migratory birds. The project Canon is supporting trains whooping cranes and other migratory birds to travel to a winter habitat by following an ultra light aircraft. The Canon GL1 digital camcorder will be placed in the cockpit of the aircraft and the ZR10 will attach to the wing tip. Both cameras are strategically located to capture dynamic, up-close images of the birds soaring to safety.

The GL1 combines a genuine Canon 20x zoom lens with a large, rotating view screen. These features make it easy to compose the greatest variety of shots, from wide-angle panoramas to extreme telephoto close-ups, from virtually any position. The GL1 delivers professional digital video quality, even under the toughest conditions. The ZR10 digital video camcorder is the perfect companion for making digital home movies. The ultra-compact ZR10 combines digital video, still images and a full, rich stereo sound into a sleek design that rests comfortably in any hand and can be carried in a waist pack, slipped into a coat pocket or fit into a beach bag or briefcase with room to spare.

"Canon's contribution to Operation Migration continues our long tradition of supporting migratory birds and other birds at risk," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, vice president and general manager, Photographic Products Group, Canon U.S.A. "The aircraft-led migration project offers an inventive and creative use of our digital video technology and we're happy we can help make the project a success."

"The image-stabilization technology in Canon's digital video cameras will improve the quality of the pictures we can take of the birds in flight and strengthen our research," said Joseph Duff, co-founder of Operation Migration. "We're grateful to Canon for its interest in this project and for its commitment to migratory birds."

Visitors to Air Venture Oshkosh will have the opportunity to enjoy several other Canon contributions to the show. Canon's Camera Division operates a service and repair center for professional photographers and also loans Canon EOS Rebel cameras for consumers to photograph the show. The Canon Photo Headquarters is located about 100 yards west of the Airport Traffic Control Tower at Wittman Airport. This year, both professional and amateur photographers will have the chance to take their best shots while standing on two 15-foot towers that have been erected. Consumers can also learn more about Canon products at the Know How traveling showroom and learn more about Canon's support of migratory birds through several special shows on July 28th - July 30th featuring birds of prey. The Canon Bird Shows will take place at the Canon Photo Headquarters at 3:00 PM Friday through Sunday.

The Canon Know How traveling showroom features Canon cameras and digital video camcorders, copiers, printers, scanners, and multifunction devices. The mobile showroom gives visitors the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with Canon products. As part of Canon's involvement with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), parents visiting the showroom can create a digital photo I.D. of their child, which the police will use for scan-and-match purposes if the child is reported missing.

Flying in from the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center to serve as the stars of Canon's Bird Shows will be Samantha, a great horned owl, Star, a red-tailed hawk, and Bud, an American bald eagle. These birds and Raptor Center representatives travel across the country to describe how many species of wild birds are threatened and discuss ways in which the Center is working with The Nature Conservancy to help preserve and protect these birds. Canon U.S.A. makes possible the Conservancy's Wings of the Americas program, which works to protect birds at risk by developing a network of sites and partners throughout the Americas and the Caribbean to protect the habitat these birds need to survive.

The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh has been around for more than forty years. With 2,800 show aircraft participating and 700 exhibitors, the action never stops. NASA researchers and FAA personnel are on hand conducting some of the 500 forums at the convention. One of the main attractions at the AirVenture is the afternoon Air Show, a three-hour spectacular featuring air racers, historical planes and many more unique aircrafts.

Canon U.S.A. is one of the largest corporate supporters of the environment. Under the umbrella of its Clean Earth Campaign, Canon funds critical conservation projects through the National Park Foundation's Expedition Into The Parks initiative as well as the Canon National Park Science Scholars program, providing the nation's largest environment-related scholarships to Ph.D. candidates for research in U.S. National Parks. In addition to underwriting the PBS series NATURE, the leading public television showcase on nature and wildlife, Canon also sponsors the Canon Envirothon international high school environmental science competition and Canon's Clean Earth Crew, employee volunteers who conduct beach clean-ups and other conservation activities in local parks and wildlife preserves.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. is an industry leader in professional and consumer imaging solutions and, through its parent company Canon Inc., is a top patent-holder of imaging technologies. The company's comprehensive product line includes networked multifunction devices; digital and analog copies (color and black and white); printers, scanners, image filing systems, and facsimile machines; camcorders, cameras and lenses; and semiconductor, broadcast and medical equipment. Canon employs 12,000 people at more than 30 facilities throughout North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.