Canon Canola 130S
| Manufacturer: | Canon Camera Co., Inc |
| Type: | Canola 130S |
| Year: | 1968 |
| Serial no.: | 861367 |
| Technology: | discrete, Ge-transistors Display: Bulbs/lightconductor |
Most conspicuous of the Canola is its display: Because transistors at that time had problems to switch the high voltages used with nixie-tubes Canon tried another approach.
Each digit of the display consists of 12 glass plates. In each one of these plates is either a digit or symbol engraved made of single dots. On the edge of the plate there is a tiny light bulb. If the bulb is on then one can see the appropriate digit formed by the flare of the dots.
The result is worse than that of the nixie-tubes. Because the single digits are also located one behind the other, some of them, for example 2, 4 and 8 are bothered by inactive others. Additionally the digits have a "comet tail" from the reflections on the surfaces of the other plates. This tail points to the left or to roght depending from the direction of viewing. This can be seen on the two zeros in the first row.
Another particular feature of the canola is the green separator bar, here shown aside from the 9. It is explained in the section "operating"