See Patriarch Nikon for a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

(), 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 Nihon (Nippon); the company was renamed Nikon Corporation, after its cameras, in 1988. As of 2002, it has about 14,000 employees. Nikon is one of the Mitsubishi companies.

The name Nikon, which dates from 1946, is a merging of Nippon Kōgaku ("Japan Optical") and an imitation of Zeiss Ikon.

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 system cameras like the Nikon D200, D70s and D50, and professional DSLRs including the D2 series (see below).

Nikon's main competitors include Canon, Sony, Pentax, and Olympus.

Nikon Corporation was established in 1917 when two leading optical manufacturers merged to form a comprehensive, fully integrated optical company known as Nippon Kogaku 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 and 1400 employees. By 1980, the first stepper, the NSR-1010G, was produced in Japan. Since then, Nikon has introduced over 50 models of stepper/scanners for the production of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays.

In 1982, Nikon Precision Inc. was established in the United States to sell and service Nikon stepper equipment. Fueled by a rapidly growing customer base, the company quickly expanded. In 1990, NPI opened its current Belmont, California headquarters. The facility now includes corporate offices, a fully equipped training center, and extensive applications, technology, service, sales and marketing departments.

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 Nikon Strengthens Digital Focus for 2006 .

Shareholders

(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

Partial list of Nikon products

Cameras

In January 2006 Nikon announced 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. [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=130907&TICK=NIKON&STORY=/www/story/01-11-2006/0004247596&EDATE=Jan+11,+2006

Film APS SLR cameras

• Nikon Pronea S (1997) ^*
• Nikon Pronea 600i also known as the Pronea 6i (1996) ^*

Rangefinder cameras

• Nikon I (1948)
• Nikon M (1949)
• Nikon S (1951)
• Nikon S2 (1954)
• Nikon SP (1957)
• Nikon S3 (1958)
• Nikon S4 (1959)
• Nikon S3M (1960)
• Nikon S3 2000 (2000)
• Nikonos line of underwater cameras

Digital compact cameras

• Nikon Coolpix series

Digital SLR cameras

• Nikon D1
• Nikon D1H
• Nikon D1X
• Nikon D100
• Nikon D200
• Nikon D50
• Nikon D70
• Nikon D70s
• Nikon D2H
• Nikon D2X
• Nikon D2Xs
• Nikon D2Hs

Lenses

Lens acronyms

• AF - Autofocus.
• AF-S - Autofocus-Silent. Uses Silent Wave Motor to focus quietly and quickly; similar to Canon's Ultrasonic Motor technology. Introduced in 1996.
• AF-I - Autofocus-Internal. Coreless DC motor. Used only in long telephoto lenses (300 mm f/2.8 through 600 mm f/4.0) starting in 1992. Replaced with AF-S in 1996.
• ED - Extra-low Dispersion glass. Reduces chromatic aberration. Recently, Super ED glass has been introduced.
• IF - Internal Focus. Focusing moves only internal lenses, so the lens length does not change while focusing.
• DX - Lens designed for Nikon's DX format sensors; the image circle is reduced in size by about 1.5× to fit the smaller sensor in Nikon's digital SLRs. A vignetted image is produced if used with a 135 format camera. Although use with 135 format cameras is generally not advised, some DX Nikkor lenses can actually cover the full 135 frame at some focal length settings.
• VR - Vibration Reduction. Uses special VR lens unit to reduce camera shake in photographs. Some VR lenses also support panning shot mode, detecting horizontal movement of the lens and minimizing vertical vibration. Equivalent to Canon's Image Stabilizer and Sigma's OS. The latest VR type, implemented in the 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX and 105 mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR N Micro-Nikkor, is called VR-II, but is not referenced directly in the lens nomenclature by Nikon.
• D - Distance/Dimension. Indicated after the f-number number. It means the lens is capable of using Nikon's 3D Matrix Metering on bodies that support it. The lens carries the information of the distance between the camera and the subject, which helps the camera evaluate correct exposure for the subject in focus. According to Nikon, this technology also improves flash exposures.
• G - Indicated after the f-number. G lenses do not have an aperture ring, and apertures can only be controlled by the body. Only autofocus bodies with command dials are capable of controlling G lenses. Older autofocus bodies will work with G lenses in shutter priority and program modes. G lenses have the same characteristics as D lenses.
• Micro - Micro lenses are capable of macro photography - subjects which appear as large or larger than they are at the film plane, not necessarily at close distances, such as with the 200 mm Micro-Nikkor.
• N - Indicates the Nikon Nano Crystal Coat, a new type of lens coating used so far on the 300 mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR and 105 mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Nikkor. It is not directly referenced in the lens nomenclature on Nikon's website but is indicated by a large N on the lens name plate. Since it is directly mentioned on the primary area of lens identification on the lens, lenses on this list with this feature are designated with the words "Nano Crystal Coat" in parentheses at the end of the official nomenclature.
• PC - Perspective Control. Lens has the ability to shift and/or tilt the lens to correct perspective and adjust depth of field. These include the shift-only 28 mm and 35 mm PC nikkors, and the tilt/shift 85 mm f/2.8D PC Micro Nikkor.
• IX - Lenses optimised for use with the Pronea Advanced Photo System SLR. These lenses are all auto focus zoom lenses and are not compatible with other bodies. ^*
• DC - Defocus Control. DC lenses have a separate ring control for adjusting the shape and effect of the out-of-focus elements, also known as bokeh.