Nikon history

The company was called Nippon Kogaku (Japan Optics) and began producing optical glass in 1918.

Nippon Kogaku then, in 1919, employed eight leading, independent German engineers.

However, the standard remained the German Leica 35-millimeter camera, accepted by professional photographers as the top of the line since its introduction in 1925.

From its very first camera lens in 1933, Nikon has been tirelessly dedicated to crafting precision optics of uncompromising clarity, quality and reliability.

1939: Nippon Kogaku lists on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The country looked to Southeast Asia as its natural extension, and in September 1940 Japan joined Germany and Italy in the Tripartite Pact to secure its interests in this area.

The company also entered the area for which it would become best known, introducing its first camera in 1946.

In 1948, the first Nikon-branded camera was released, the Nikon I. Nikon lenses were popularised by the American photojournalist David Douglas Duncan.

However, the company quickly ceased developing its rangefinder line to focus its efforts on the Nikon F single-lens reflex line of cameras, which was successful upon its introduction in 1959.

Leitz did not introduce its SLR until 1964.

Even so, it was cheaper than the competing Leicaflex; in 1965, the Nikon F with a coupled light meter and standard f2 lens sold for $413, while a similarly equipped Leicaflex sold for $549.

In 1972, Nippon Kogaku entered an important new area, marketing its laser interferometric X-Y measuring system, a measuring instrument for integrated circuits.

The R10 and R8 SUPER ZOOM Super 8 models (introduced in 1973) were the top of the line and last attempt for the amateur movie field.

Photo gallery Ginza Nikon Salon is opened (Osaka Nikon Salon is opened in 1974)

It produced sunglasses, plastic eyeglass lenses, and eyeglass frames, and in 1979, marketed its automatic eye refractive index measuring machine.

But the international market for cameras reached its saturation point in the 1980’s and Nikon suffered huge financial setbacks because it continued to promote its cameras instead of diversifying into the office equipment field like its main competitors, Canon and Minolta.

In 1982, Nikon Precision Inc. was established in the United States to provide service, training, applications and technical support, as well as sales and marketing for Nikon lithography equipment in North America.

The company followed the One-Touch with the Nikon F-501, a new autofocus SLR camera, which received the 1986 European Camera of the Year Award.

Canon introduced a new type of lens-camera interface with its entirely electronic Canon EOS cameras and Canon EF lens mount in 1987.

Nippon Kogaku's 1988 name change to Nikon recognized that optical equipment was no longer the company's focus in the electronics-oriented environment.

In 1989 another new autofocus SLR, the Nikon F-801, received both the Camera Grand Prix in Japan and the European Camera of the Year Award.

Nikon Precision opened its current headquarters in 1990, and the facility now houses corporate offices and a fully equipped training center that includes a state-of-the-art clean room.

Nikon created some of the first digital SLRs (DSLRs, Nikon NASA F4) for NASA, used in the Space Shuttle since 1991.

1992: Nikon launches the world's first underwater SLR camera.

The Nikon School was established in 1993 to help amateurs, semi-professionals, and professionals improve their skills in 35mm photography.

The campaign was developed by Fallon McElligott, which had been named advertising agency of the year in 1995 by Advertising Age.

According to Advertising Age, the total spent by all advertisers to promote APS products in 1996 was $115 million.

Wilke, Michael. "Kodak Tries Humorous Tack in $60 Mil Advantix Effort: Ads Strive to Create Human Attachment to New Tech." Advertising Age, June 9, 1997.

In 1998, it was renamed after its cameras as ‘Nikon Corporation’.

Nikon still persevered throughout this period and restructured the company in 1999.

“Japan’s Nikon Group Net Profit Rebounds to US$72.8 Mln,” AsiaPulse News, May 23, 2000.

For 2002 Nikon increased its advertising budget to nearly $20 million, most of which supported the company's strategy of gaining a foothold in the mass market.

In January 2006, Nikon announced it would stop making most of its film camera models and all of its large format lenses, and focus on digital models.

Another early brand used on microscopes was Joico,an abbreviation of “Japan Optical Industries Co”. Expeed is the brand Nikon uses for its image processors since 2007.

As of 2009, all of Nikon’s Nikon DX format DSLR cameras and the D600, a prosumer FX camera, are produced in Thailand, while their professional and semi-professional Nikon FX format (full frame) cameras (D700, D3, D3S, D3X, D4, D800 and the retro-styled Df) are built in Japan, in the city of Sendai.