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| 1919 |
Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. established |
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| 1938 |
Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. established |
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| 1952 |
Launch of "Asahiflex I" 35mm SLR camera (First SLR manufactured in Japan) |
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| 1954 |
 Launch of "Asahiflex II" SLR camera featuring originally developed "quick return mirror mechanism" |
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| 1955 |
Asahi Optical Corporation (current name: PENTAX Sales Co., Ltd.) established |
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| 1957 |
Launch of "Asahi PENTAX" SLR camera featuring "pentaprism" |
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| 1960 |
Originally developed "Quick return mirror mechanism" received 2nd Science & Technology Agency Director's Award (PENTAX is the first in the camera industry to receive this award) Ogawa Plant in Saitama established (closed in 2002) |
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| 1962 |
PENTAX Europe n.v. established in Belgium as a base of operations in Europe |
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| 1964 |
 Launch of "Asahi PENTAX SP" SLR camera featuring TTL metering system |
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| 1967 |
 Opening of a unique facility in Tokyo featuring the Asahi PENTAX Gallery and the first camera museum to be established by a Japanese manufacturer (moved to Mashiko Plant in 1993) |
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| 1968 |
Mashiko Plant in Tochigi established |
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| 1969 |
 Launch of "Asahi PENTAX 6x7" medium-format SLR camera |
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| 1971 |
Listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange |
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| 1972 |
Listed in the CDR market of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange Launch of "SMC PENTAX Lens for Eyeglasses", marking PENTAX entry in the eyeglasses market |
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| 1973 |
Asahi Optical International (current name: PENTAX Hong Kong) established in Hong Kong, marking the establishment of PENTAX's first overseas manufacturing center Launch of "Photoplotter" automatic drafting system, marking PENTAX entry in the information technology market |
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| 1975 |
Asahi Optical Taiwan, manufacturing plant (current name: PENTAX Taiwan), established in Taiwan |
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| 1976 |
PENTAX Corporation (current name: PENTAX U.S.A.) established as the marketing headquarters for the U.S. market |
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| 1977 |
Launch of Bronchiofiberscope "FB-17A", marking PENTAX entry in the medical equipment market PENTAX Handelsellschaft (current name: PENTAX Europe GmbH) established in Germany Launch of "PENTAX CAD System", marking PENTAX entry in the industrial equipment market
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| 1978 |
PENTAX Canada Inc. (marketing and sales office) established in Canada
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| 1979 |
PENTAX Precision Instrument Corporation established in U.S.A. to market medical equipment PENTAX U.K. established in U.K.
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| 1981 |
 First company in the world to record cumulative production of over 10 million SLR cameras Opening of PENTAX Forum in Shinjuku, Tokyo PENTAX France (marketing and sales office) established in France Launch of "PENTAX ME-F", the world's first SLR camera featuring TTL autofocus |
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| 1982 |
PENTAX Schweiz, PENTAX Scandinavia, and PENTAX Nederland established in Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands, respectively |
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| 1983 |
Launch of "Apaceram" artificial tooth root, marking PENTAX entry in the new ceramics market |
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| 1984 |
Launch of "PENTAX 645" medium-format SLR camera Launch of "PENTAX PC35AF/Sports35", marking PENTAX entry in the compact camera market |
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| 1985 |
 PENTAX Vision Inc. established in U.S.A. to market eyeglass products in the U.S. market PENTAX Technology established in U.S.A. to market information/telecommunications devices in the U.S. market Launch of "Apatite", Japan's first synthetic bone filler |
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| 1986 |
Launch of "PENTAX Zoom70/IQ Zoom70", the world's first zoom compact camera |
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| 1987 |
Launch of "PENTAX SFX/SF1", the world's first autofocus SLR with built-in TTL autoflash Launch of "PENTAX Video Endoscope" lineup incorporating CCD sensors, marking PENTAX entry in the electronic endoscope market |
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| 1988 |
Launch of "easy-to-fabricate" synthetic human bone material Development and exhibition of prototype electronic still video camera with audio recording function at "'88 Photokina" |
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| 1990 |
Full-scale camera manufacturing plant established in the Philippines Asahi Optical Philippines (current name: PENTAX Philippines) established |
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| 1992 |
Eyeglass lens manufacturing plant and Asahi Optical Cavite Philippines (current name: PENTAX Luzon Philippines) established |
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| 1994 |
Development of diffraction/aberration-compensated objective lenses for magneto-optical disks |
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| 1995 |
Optical device manufacturing plant and PENTAX VN established in Vietnam |
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| 1997 |
 Launch of "PENTAX EI-C90" digital camera, marking PENTAX entry in the digital camera market Launch of "PENTAX 645N", the world's first medium-format SLR camera featuring autofocus and interchangeable lenses |
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| 2000 |
Development and commercialization of the world's first diffraction-type DVD/CD-compatible hybrid lens |
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| 2002 |
Corporate name changed from Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. to PENTAX Corporation |
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| 2003 |
Development center established in cooperation with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China Launch of "Optio S" digital camera, featuring PENTAX "Sliding Lens system" Launch of "Globalvoice" Internet-based audio contents delivery operations Launch of "*istD" digital SLR camera |
Milestones