Nikon Introduction
We live in an era of increasingly pervasive digital technology. Digital cameras are produced for a vast range of requirements, providing people with ever more opportunities to capture images. And consumers are constantly looking for attractive new features that capitalize on digital technology.
Applying technology originally perfected for film cameras, Nikon develops and markets digital cameras that are constantly being updated with new features through the application of digital imaging and network technologies. New product development is driven by raw feedback from our customers. And new features are developed as a result of requests and feedback received from customers across the globe, enabling Nikon to propose innovative ways to enjoy photographic images. In addition to digital cameras, we released the top-of-the-line Nikon F6 SLR camera for the film camera market. Whether digital or film, Nikon offers cameras for those who truly love photos, enhancing people's enjoyment of images in many significant ways.
1910 1917
Three of Japan's leading optical manufacturers merge to form a comprehensive, fully integrated optical company known as Nippon Kogaku K.K.
1918
Optical glass production and research launched
1920 1921
MIKRON 4x, 6x, ultra-small prism binoculars marketed 1925
JOICO Microscope marketed MIKRON 6x
JOICO Microscope
1930 1932
Nikkor adopted as brand name for camera lenses
1940 1945
With the end of World War II, production shifted to cameras, microscopes, binoculars, surveying instruments, measuring instruments and opthalmic lenses 1946
Pointal opthalmic lenses marketed 1947
Tilting Level E and Transit G surveying instruments marketed 1948
Nikon I small-sized camera marketed Level E
Nikon I
1950 1950
The New York Times introduced superior features of Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses 1952
Nikkor Club established to promote photography culture
1954
Model SM stereoscopic microscope marketed 1957
Nikon SP small-sized camera marketed
1959
Nikon F, Nikon's first SLR camera, marketed Model I Profile Projector
Nikon F
1960
1963
NIKONOS all-weather camera marketed 1966
Photoslit lamp microscope marketed 1968
Rotary encoder RIE digital measuring instrument marketed
NIKONOS
1970 1970
Photo gallery Nikon House opened in New York City
1971
Nikon F2 SLR camera marketed
Laser Interferometric X-Y Measuring System, a high-precision coordinate measuring instrument for IC use, marketed 1972
Nikon sunglasses marketed
1974
105cm Schmidt-type telescope installed at Tokyo Astronomical Observatory 1975
FB Line opthalmic frames marketed 1976
Nikon Orma plastic lens marketed
CF system microscopes Biophot, Metaphot marketed 1979
Auto Refractometer NR-1000, an automatic eye refractive index measuring machine, marketed
Nikon sunglasses designed by Hanae Mori and G. Giugiaro marketed Nikon F2
1980 1980
Nikon F3 SLR camera marketed
Nikon 10cm refractive equatorial telescope for astronomical observation marketed
Nikon SLR cameras delivered to NASA for use on the space shuttle
Development of dental root implant utilizing bioactive glass announced
NSR-1010G Step-and-Repeat System (stepper) for VLSIs marketed 1981
TITEX titanium opthalmic frames marketed
Nikon Fieldscope marketed
All-solid-state electrochromic device (ECD) successfully developed
ND-250/160 electronic distance meters marketed. 1982
OPTISTATION IC wafer inspection system marketed 1983
Nikon L35AF, Nikon's first autofocus compact camera, marketed
1984
Successful development of magneto-optical disk-drive systems announced
NT-1000 35mm film direct telephoto transmitter marketed 1985
Total Station DTM-1 surveying instrument marketed 1986
TRISTATION three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine marketed
Nikon F-501*1 autofocus SLR camera marketed
NSR-L7501G large substrate exposure system marketed 1987
SX-5 X-ray stepper marketed 1988
NSR-1505EX excimer stepper marketed
1989
Digital imaging equipment showroom Visucomland established Nikon F3
NSR-1010G
Nikon L35AF/ONE-TOUCH
Total Station DTM-1
F4
1990 1990
CP-3000 full-dolor printer marketed
ESEM-20 environmental scanning electron microscope marketed
1992
NIKONOS RS, world's first underwater autofocus SLR camera, marketed
Nikon ism Hearing Aid introduced
CD-180EB critical dimension measuring SEM marketed 1993
Selpeed, the world's first EC (electrochromic) sunglasses, with lenses that change color in response to brightness, marketed
Nikon 35Ti Quartz Date super-high-quality compact camera marketed 1995
E2/E2S digital still cameras marketed (jointly developed with Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.)
NSR-S201A lens-scanning KrF excimer stepper marketed
Mass-production technology developed for light intensity modulation direct overwrite magneto-optical disks 1996
Development of practical applications for linear-type ultrasonic actuator
Nikon Fieldmicroscope marketed
Nuvis Advanced Photo System compact camera marketed
ECLIPSE series biological microscopes featuring CFI60 system marketed
Nikon F5 top-of-the-line SLR camera marketed
Nikon PRONEA 600i*2 Advanced Photo System SLR camera marketed 1997
COOLPIX 100 digital camera marketed
1998
1999
Nikon D1 professional digital SLR camera marketed
Surveying instruments business reorganized as independent company NIKONOS RS
E2
Nuvis 125i
Nikon F5
COOLPIX100
2000 2000
Nikon-Essilor Co., Ltd., joint venture with Essilor International of France, started operations
Vision Nikon 21 business strategy defined
Entry into CMP system business announced
2001
Sport optics business reorganized as independent company
D1x digital SLR camera marketed
Executive Officer System introduced
D1H digital SLR camera marketed
2002
Nikon Imaging (China) Co., Ltd. established as a new digital camera production base
D100 consumer digital SLR camera
2003
Ohi West Building completed
New Brand Symbol for the Nikon Group introduced
Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd., joint venture with Trimble Navigation Ltd. of the U.S., established
D2H digital SLR camera marketed
2004
Nikon F6 SLR camera marketed
2005
D2X digital SLR camera marketed
D2HS digital SLR camera marketed
*1
N2020 in the U.S.
*2
PRONEA 6i in the U.S., Central America and South America.
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