NIKON CORPORATION
All you want to know about NIKON CORPORATION
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| Type | Corporation TYO: 7731 |
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| 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, Spectacle lenses, Optical measuring and inspection instruments, |
| Revenue |  ¥730.9 billion (Business year ending March 31, 2006) |
| Employees | 16,758 (Consolidated, as of March 31, 2005) |
| 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 multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan 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 imaging lenses (for F-mount cameras, large format photography, photographic enlargers, and other applications), the Nikon F-series of 135 film SLR cameras, the Nikon D-series of digital SLR cameras, and the Nikonos series of underwater cameras.
Nikon's main competitors include Canon, Casio, Kodak, Sony, Pentax, Panasonic, Fujifilm and Olympus. Currently, Nikon's only competitor in high-end camera systems is Canon.
Nikon is the world's second largest manufacturer of steppers.[2]
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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.[3]
Nikon lenses were popularised by the American photojournalist David Douglas Duncan's use at the time of the Korean War.[4] 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[5].
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]
Holdings
The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Cameras
In January 2006 Nikon announced [1] the discontinuation of all but two models of its film cameras, focusing its efforts on the digital camera market. It will continue to sell the low-end FM10 (manufactured by Cosina) and the high-end F6 (manufactured by Nikon), 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
- Nikkorex series (1960-1964)
- Nikkormat FT series (1965-1977) (known in Japan as Nikomat)
- Nikon F2 series (1971-1980)
- Nikkormat EL series (1972-1977) (known in Japan as Nikomat)
- Nikon EL2 (1977)
- Nikon FM (1977)
- Nikon FE (1978)
- Nikon EM (1979)
- Nikon F3 series (1980-1997)
- Nikon FG (1982)
- Nikon FM2 series (1982-2000)
- Nikon FE2 (1983)
- Nikon FA (1983)
- Nikon FG20 (1984)
- Nikon F301 (1985) (known in North America as the N2000)
- Nikon F601m (1990) (known in North America as the N6000)
- Nikon FM10 (1995)
- Nikon FE10 (1996)
- Nikon FM3A (2001)
Film APS SLR cameras
 The Nikon Pronea 600i |
 The Nikon Pronea S |
Film 35 mm SLR cameras with autofocus
- Nikon F3AF (1983) (modified F3 body with DX-1 finder)
- Nikon F501 (1986) (known in North America as the N2020)
- Nikon F401 (1987) (known in the U.S. as the N4004)
- Nikon F801 (1988) (known in the U.S. as the N8008)
- Nikon F4 (1988)
- Nikon F401S (1989) (known in the U.S. as the N4004s)
- Nikon F601 (1990) (known in the U.S. as the N6006)
- Nikon F401X (1991) (known in the U.S. as the N5005)
- Nikon F801S (1991) (known in the U.S. as the N8008s)
- Nikon F90 (1992) (known in the U.S. as the N90)
- Nikon F50 (1994) (known in the U.S. as the N50)
- Nikon F70 (1994) (known in the U.S. as the N70)
- Nikon F90x (1994) (known in the U.S. as the N90s)
- Nikon F5 (1996)
- Nikon F60 (1999) (known in the U.S. as the N60)
- Nikon F100 (1999)
- Nikon F65 (2000) (known in the U.S. as the N65)
- Nikon F80 (2000) (known in the U.S. as the N80)
- Nikon F55 (2002) (known in the U.S. as the N55)
- Nikon F75 (2003) (known in the U.S. as the N75)
- Nikon F6 (2004)
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 (strictly speaking, these are "scale focus" cameras, except for the autofocus Nikonos RS, the last Nikonos camera produced).
Digital compact cameras
Digital single lens reflex cameras
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High-end - FX/Full Frame sensor
- Nikon D3, August 23, 2007
- Nikon D700, July 1, 2008
High-end - DX sensor, high resolution
- Nikon D1, June 15, 1999
- Nikon D1X, February 5, 2001
- Nikon D2X, September 16, 2004
- Nikon D2Xs, June 1, 2006
High-end - DX sensor, high speed
- Nikon D1H, February 5, 2001
- Nikon D2H, July 22, 2003
- Nikon D2Hs, February 16, 2005
High-end - DX sensor
- Nikon D100, 21 February 2002
- Nikon D200, 1 November 2005
- Nikon D300, 23 August 2007[6]
Midrange - DX sensor
- Nikon D70, 28 January 2004
- Nikon D70s, 20 April 2005
- Nikon D80, 9 August 2006
- Nikon D90, 27 August 2008[7]
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 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.
Photo optics
Lenses for F-mount cameras
Other lenses for photography and imaging
Electronic Flash Units
Nikon uses the term Speedlight for their electronic flash guns.
Film scanners
- Coolscan IV ED (35mm),
- Coolscan V ED (35mm),
- Coolscan 2000 (35mm),
- Coolscan 4000 ED (35mm),
- Super Coolscan 5000 ED (35mm),
- Coolscan 8000 (35mm and medium format),
- Super Coolscan 9000 ED (35mm and medium format)
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 products
Nikon also manufactures eyeglass frames, sunglasses, opthalmic equipment, loupes, monoculars, binocular telescopes, microscopes, cameras for microscopy, optical and video-based measurement equipment, scanners and steppers for the manufacture of integrated circuits and liquid crystal displays, and semiconductor device inspection equipment.
Notes and references
- ^ Discussion of pronunciation at dpreview.com
- ^ List op top IC equipment suppliers 2007
- ^ 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 on 2008-01-17.
- ^ "Nikon D90". Nikon UK. Retrieved on 2008-08-27.
See also
External links
- Digital Archives on Camera Products, by Nikon
- Nikon Camera Chronicle, by Nikon
- Nikon Corp. website
- Yahoo! - Nikon Corporation Company Profile
- Nikon Lens specifications table
- [14]
- Nikon Club Singapore
Nikon Digital SLR Timeline
Green indicates a camera using an FX Sensor |
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