Half a century of Canon snaps

Camera company celebrates 50 years of SLR sales

The SLR camera (stands for 'Single Lens Reflex) revolutionised photography, putting studio-worthy shots in the hands of anyone who wanted to take their memories home with them. It's amazing to think that it's now 50 years since Canon first launched its inaugural SLR model, the Flex, back in May 1959.

For those of you who want to know, Single Lens Reflex meant that for the first time you could see what you were shooting, and preview shots before you committed to the picture. It meant that amateurs could fine tune their skills and improve the quality of shots, opening up photography for the masses.

They're now celebrating their half-century, and also the staggering numbers of amateur photographers who have lapped up their models, especially since the company embraced the advent of digital in 2003. Incredibly, of the 50 million SLR cameras sold by Canon over the years, 40 million have been digital.

To find out more about the history of Canon SLRs go here

To find out how to take shots like the pros, see our feature here