LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2003-- Canon Introduces Its Highest Resolution Scanner and Next Generation Film Automatic Retouching and Enhancing Technology

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) today announces the introduction of two new flatbed scanners with film scanning capabilities -- the CanoScan(R) 3000F and CanoScan 9900F. The CanoScan 3000F will be Canon's lowest-priced transparency scanner at $129.99(1) fulfilling the needs of entry-level customers with film scanning needs while the CanoScan 9900F will cover the professional-level consumer needing top-of-the-line resolution and speed.

"Offering flexibility and choice in image capturing devices has been a Canon tradition as an industry leader," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.'s Consumer Imaging Group. "With the introduction of the 3000F and 9900F, we are offering the entry-level and professional user the ability to scan film quickly at the resolutions they are both looking for."

CanoScan 9900F

The CanoScan 9900F will be the new flagship in Canon's broad line of scanners. Exceptionally high resolution of up to 3200 x 6400 dpi coupled with 48-bit depth for more than 281 trillion possible colors and Canon's long history of optical performance will provide professional results at consumer prices. Connections for FireWire(R) and USB 2.0 Hi-Speed deliver fast transfer rates of up to 400/480 Mbps that translate into approximately 3-second scan preview times.

The new Film Automatic Retouching and Enhancement (FARE(TM) 2.0) is the next generation of Canon's built-in automatic retouching technology. This new technology builds on Canon's previous FARE and FARE Level 1 dust and scratch removal benefits and combines with two additional features -- Grain correction and Fading correction -- for added productivity and even better quality of scans. FARE level 2 helps deliver high quality scans from damaged originals and increases support adding compatibility for Kodachrome film. The Fading correction feature examines originals with faded color and intelligently rebuilds color quality, for example saturation where required, restoring the image to its original pre-faded color balance. � ���Grain correction examines and smoothes out the effects of film grain recorded and visible at higher scanning resolutions. The result is images, which have smoother tones and higher overall quality. All three of these features are controlled through the driver and can be turned on and off at will.

The 9900F delivers a broad range of scanning possibilities including film sizes of 35 mm negatives and mounted slides, medium-format, 4"x5" and photos or documents up to 8.5"x11". Two film guides come with the scanner to allow batch scanning of up to 24 negative frames or eight mounted slides as well as support for medium format and 4"x5" film. Four one-touch buttons on the front of the scanner automatically perform common scanner tasks such as scan, copy, e-mail or file. Multi-Scan mode, for scanning several images at once such as a number of business cards and multi-page scan to a single PDF file are some of the additional features available on the 9900F.

Software included with the 9900F are ScanGear(R) CS (Windows and Mac), CanoScan Toolbox (Windows and Mac), Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 2.0 (Windows and Mac), ArcSoft(R) PhotoStudio(R) (Windows and Mac), ArcSoft PhotoBase(TM) (Windows and Mac), ScanSoft(R) OmniPage(R) SE OCR (Windows and Mac), NewSoft Presto! PageManager(R) (Windows only) and NewSoft Presto! BizCard(R) (30-day trial version, Windows only). The 9900F will be compatible with Windows XP, 2000, ME, 98 and Mac OS 9.0-9.x, Mac OS X v10.1 (Classic mode) and Mac OS X V10.1.3 (Native mode). The CanoScan 9900F will have a MSRP of $399.99(1) and ship in March, 2003.

CanoScan 3000F

The CanoScan 3000F provides photo, film and document scanning using a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connection for fast scan times and up to 48-bit depth for up to 281 trillion possible colors. The CS3000F has a built-in 35mm film adapter for easy scanning of negatives and slides that was normally only featured on higher-priced scanners. Three easy one-touch buttons on the front of the scanner let the customer copy, scan or e-mail photos or documents. Canon's integrated dust and scratch removal technology can automatically remove much of the dirt and scratches that may appear on original images. Scanning books or magazines is made easier with the Z-Lid(TM) expansion top that lifts vertically and lays flat on the item being scanned.

Canon helps manage scanning tasks by including several software titles on the set-up CD-Rom. ScanGear(R) CS, CanoScan Toolbox, ArcSoft(R) PhotoStudio(R), ArcSoft PhotoBase(TM), ScanSoft(R) OmniPage(R) SE OCR and NewSoft Presto! BizCard(R) (30-day trial version) all come standard with the scanner. The 3000F will be compatible with Windows operating systems only running XP, 2000, ME or 98. The CS3000F will have an MSRP of $129.99(1) and will ship March 2003.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. In 2001, the Company was listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and was ranked #41 on the Business Week list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2002, with global revenues of $24.5 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs approximately 11,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com .

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(1) Prices subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.