Nikon
- For other uses, see Nikon (disambiguation).
| Nikon Corporation 株式会社ニコン | |
| |
| Type | Corporation TYO: 7731 |
|---|---|
| Founded | Tokyo, Japan (1917) |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
| Key people | Michio Kariya, President, CEO & COO |
| Industry | Imaging |
| Products | Precision equipment for the semiconductor industry, Digital imaging equipment and cameras, Microscopes, Optical measuring and inspection instruments, Lenses for glasses |
| Revenue |  ¥730.9 billion (Business year ending March 31, 2006)
|
| Employees | 16,758 (Consolidated, as of March 31, 2005)
|
| Slogan | If the picture matters, the camera matters At the Heart of the Image |
| Website | Nikon Global Gateway
|
Nikon Corporation (株式会社ニコン Kabushiki-gaisha Nikon) listen ▶ (TYO: 7731), also known as Nikon or Nikon Corp., is a Japanese company specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication. It was founded in 1917 as Nippon Kōgaku Kōgyō (日本光学工業株式会社 "Japan Optical Industries"); the company was renamed Nikon Corporation, after its cameras, in 1988. Nikon is one of the major companies of the Mitsubishi Group.
The name Nikon, which dates from 1946, is a merging of Nippon Kōgaku (日本光学: "Japan Optical") and an imitation of Zeiss Ikon. Nikon is pronounced differently around the world. The Japanese pronunciation of the name is /nikoɴ/, but in the United States people also use /ˈnaɪkɒn/ and /ˈnɪkɒn/.[1]
Among its famous products are Nikkor camera lenses (notably those designed for the company's own F-mount SLR cameras), Nikonos underwater cameras, the Nikon F-series of professional 135 film SLR cameras, and the Nikon D-series digital SLRs. Nikon has helped lead the transition to digital photography with both the Coolpix line of consumer and prosumer cameras as well as DSLR system cameras like the Nikon D300, D80, D60, and D40, and professional DSLRs including the D2 series and D3 cameras (see below).
Nikon's main competitors include Canon, Kodak, Sony, Pentax, Fujifilm and Olympus.
Nikon is the world's largest manufacturer of steppers and holds 44% share of the market.
History
Nikon Corporation was established in 1917 when three leading optical manufacturers merged to form a comprehensive, fully integrated optical company known as Nippon Kogaku Kokyo K.K. Over the next 60 years this growing company became a leading manufacturer of optical lenses and precision equipment used in cameras, binoculars, microscopes and inspection equipment. During World War II the company grew to 19 factories and 23,000 employees, supplying items such as binoculars, lenses, bomb sights and periscopes to the Japanese military. After the war it reverted to its civilian product range with a single factory. In 1948, the first camera with the Nikon brand was released, the Nikon I.[2]
Nikon lenses were popularised by the American photojournalist Douglas David Duncan's use at the time of the Korean War.[3] Fitting Nikon optics to his Leica rangefinder cameras produced high contrast negatives with very sharp resolution at the centre field.
Besides cameras, Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is recognized as a world leader in development and manufacturing of advanced optical and precision photolithography equipment. In 1980, the first stepper, the NSR-1010G, was produced in Japan. Since then, Nikon has introduced over 50 models of steppers and scanners for the production of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays. Nikon currently designs and manufactures precision equipment for use in semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) fabrication, inspection, and measurement. Nikon also designs and manufactures visual imaging products including cameras; instruments such as microscopes; and other products such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems, binoculars, surveying instruments, eyewear, sport optics, and optical measuring and inspection equipment.
In 1982, Nikon Precision Inc. (NPI) was established in the United States. NPI is the North American sales and service arm specifically for Nikon Corporation's semiconductor photolithography equipment and is headquartered in Belmont, California. Fueled by a rapidly growing customer base, the company quickly expanded. In 1990, NPI opened its current headquarters and the facility now includes corporate offices, a fully equipped world-wide training center (WWTC), service operations, applications engineering, technology engineering, quality and reliability engineering, training, technical support, sales, and marketing for Nikon equipment serving the wafer, photomask, flat panel display, and thin-film magnetic head industries. Today, NPI is an industry leader in supplying and supporting advanced photolithography equipment used in the critical stages of semiconductor manufacturing.
Nikon Corporation also has research and development operations in the U.S. under Nikon Research Corporation of America (NRCA), which directly supports R&D efforts of the Precision Equipment Division in Kumagaya, Japan. By leveraging its strong and long-standing customer relationships, global brand recognition, and technological expertise, Nikon has positioned themselves to maintain their market leadership through its emphasis on leading-edge research and development and its ability to adapt its products to meet its customers' rapidly changing needs. The Nikon brand has recently slipped behind rival Canon in total sales. Nikon, once the industry leader, has found itself playing catch up to Canon, who was quicker to market with such innovations as image stabilization and piezo-electric (ultra sonic motor) focusing.
Today, Nikon Group Companies total nearly 17,000 employees worldwide.
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[4].
In late 2007, Nikon introduced the newest product in the Nikon Immersion Solution, the NSR-S610C, which uses a proprietary technology that eliminates bubbles, watermarks, and particles generated by immersion processing. This results in defect levels to occur at a rate similar to dry scanners.[citation needed]
In an effort to curb a thriving "grey market" for its cameras and lenses[citation needed], Nikon established a wholly owned subsidiary in India in September 2007, to handle India as well as the Middle East markets (comprising Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Bahrain, Israel, Oman, Qatar and the UAE). However the prices of the products imported legally are still higher than "grey markets" products.
Nikon is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange under number 7731.
(As of September 2004)
- The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Ltd. (8.5%)
- Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company (5.6%)
- The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd. (3.3%)
- Japan Trustee Services Bank, Ltd.(2.9%)
- Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (2.7%)
- State Street Bank and Trust Company (2.7%)
- The Mitsubishi Trust and Banking Corporation (2.5%)
- Nippon Life Insurance Company (2.4%)
- The Joyo Bank, Ltd. (1.8%)
- JP Morgan Chase Oppenheimer Funds (1.7%)
Holdings
The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group
Cameras
In January 2006 Nikon announced [1] it will stop production of all but two models of its film cameras, focusing its efforts on the digital camera market. It will continue to produce the low-end FM10 and high-end F6, and announced a commitment to service all of the film cameras for a period of ten years after production ceases. [2]
Film 35 mm SLR cameras with manual focus
- Nikon F series (labeled in Germany as Nikkor)
- Nikkorex series
- Nikkormat FT series (known in Japan as Nikomat)
- Nikon F2 series
- Nikkormat EL series (known in Japan as Nikomat)
- Nikon F3 series
- Nikon FE2
- Nikon FE10
- Nikon FM10
- Nikon EL2
- Nikon FA
- Nikon FE
- Nikon FG
- Nikon FG20
- Nikon FM
- Nikon FM2 series
- Nikon FM3A
- Nikon EM
- Nikon F301 (known in North America as the N2000)
- Nikon F601m (known in North America as the N6000)
Film APS SLR cameras
The Nikon Pronea 600i
The Nikon Pronea S
Film 35 mm SLR cameras with autofocus
- Nikon F100
- Nikon F3AF (modified F3 body with DX-1 finder)
- Nikon F4
- Nikon F401 (known in the U.S. as the N4004)
- Nikon F401S (known in theU.S. as the N4004s)
- Nikon F401X (known in the U.S. as the N5005)
- Nikon F5
- Nikon F50 (known in the U.S. as the N50)
- Nikon F501 (known in North America as the N2020)
- Nikon F55 (known in the U.S. as the N55)
- Nikon F6
- Nikon F60 (known in the U.S. as the N60)
- Nikon F601 (known in the U.S. as the N6006)
- Nikon F65 (known in the U.S. as the N65)
- Nikon F80 (known in the U.S. as the N80)
- Nikon F801 (known in the U.S. as the N8008)
- Nikon F801S (known in the U.S. as the N8008s)
Rangefinder cameras
- Nikon I (1948) [5]
- Nikon M (1949) [6]
- Nikon S (1951 [7]
- Nikon S2 (1954) [8]
- Nikon SP (1957) [9]
- Nikon S3 (1958) [10]
- Nikon S4 (1959) [11]
- Nikon S3M (1960) [12]
- Nikon S3 2000 (2000) [13]
- Nikonos line of underwater cameras
Digital compact cameras
- Nikon Coolpix series
Digital single lens reflex cameras
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High-end - FX/Full Frame sensor
- Nikon D3, 23 August 2007
High-end - DX sensor, high resolution
- Nikon D1, 15 June 1999
- Nikon D1X, 5 February 2001
- Nikon D2X, 16 September 2004
- Nikon D2Xs, 1 June 2006
High-end - DX sensor, high speed
- Nikon D1H, 5 February 2001
- Nikon D2H, 22 July 2003
- Nikon D2Hs, 16 February 2005
High-end - DX sensor
- Nikon D100, 21 February 2002
- Nikon D200, 1 November 2005
- Nikon D300, 23 August 2007[5]
Midrange - DX sensor
- Nikon D70, 28 January 2004
- Nikon D70s, 20 April 2005
- Nikon D80, 9 August 2006
Entry-level - DX sensor
- Nikon D50, 20 April 2005
- Nikon D40, 16 November 2006
- Nikon D40x, 6 March 2007
- Nikon D60, 29 January 2008
Nikon's raw image format format is NEF, for Nikon Electronic File. The "DSCN" prefix for image files stands for "Digital Still Camera - Nikon."
Nikon designs its own sensors for their professional D Series (except for the D3 and D300, which used a Sony-manufactured CMOS sensor); a majority of their DSLRs have Sony-manufactured CCD sensors. Beginning with the D3 and D300, Nikon is commencing the use of CMOS sensors in their professional-grade cameras since it uses less power than a CCD sensor.
Optics
Lenses for 35 mm and digital single-lens reflex cameras
- See Nikon F-mount
Sport optics
Binoculars
- Sprint IV
- Sportstar IV
- Travelite v
- Mikron
- Action VII
- Action VII Zoom
- Sporter I
- Venturer 8/10x32
- Venturer 8x42
- Roof Prism
- Monarch
- Action EX
- StabilEyes
- Superior E
- Marine
Spotting scopes
- Spotter XL II WP
- Spotting Scopr R/A II
- Spotting Scope 80
- Field Scope III
- Field Scope ED 82
Other lenses
- See Nikkor
Electronic Flash Units
Nikon uses the term Speedlight for their electronic flash guns.
- SB-R200
- SB-400
- SB-600
- SB-800
- R1C1
Film scanners
- Coolscan 2000 (35mm),
- Coolscan IV ED (35mm),
- Coolscan 4000 ED (35mm),
- Coolscan 8000 (35mm and medium format),
- Coolscan V ED (35mm),
- Super Coolscan 5000 ED (35mm),
- Super Coolscan 9000 ED (35mm and medium format)
Notes and references
- ↑ Discussion of pronunication at dpreview.com
- ↑ Nikon Camera History
- ↑ http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/online/ddd/timeline/1950.html Douglas David Duncan meets a young Japanese photographer, Jun Miki, who introduces him to Nikon lenses. Working in Tokyo when the war in Korea breaks out. From July, 1950, to January, 1951, covers the Korean War.
- ↑ Nikon Strengthens Digital Focus for 2006
- ↑ Nikon D300. Nikon UK. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
See also
- Nikkor
- Nikon F-mount
- Nikonian
External links
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Japanese electronics industry
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Template:Nikon Digital Camera List
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