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NikonLogo_i-1.gif
Nikon Corporation logo
- Nikon redirects here; there is also a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church named Patriarch Nikon.
Nikon Corporation (Nikon, Nikon Corp.) is a Japanese company specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, and measurement instruments. It was founded in 1917 as Nihon (Nippon) Kōgaku Kōgyō (日本光學工業株式會社); the company was renamed Nikon Corporation (株式会社ニコン), 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 in 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 D100, the more recent Nikon D70, and professional DSLRs including the D1 and D2 series (see below).
Nikon's main competitors include Canon, Minolta, Leica, Pentax, and the Olympus company.
Shareholders
Nikon is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange under number 7731.
(as of September 2004)
Holdings
The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Partial list of Nikon products
Cameras
35mm SLR cameras
Discontinued 35 mm SLR cameras
- Nikon FE
- Nikon FE2
- Nikon FM
- Nikon FM2
- Nikon F3 series
- Nikon F2 series
- Nikon F series
- Nikkormat series (known in Japan as Nikomat)
- Nikkorex series
- Nikon Coolpix series
- Nikon D1
- Nikon D1H
- Nikon D1X
- Nikon D100
- Nikon D70
- Nikon D2H, which is useful for being undigital (http://www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/~guy/mscprojects/) (achieving continuous analog reconstructive imaging) because its new LBCAST sensor achieves a more idealized response.
 Four hour long exposure demonstrates the abilities of undigital photography that are possible with the Nikon D2h when used together with the Comparametric Toolkit for lightvector paintings Lenses
Lens Acronyms
Nikon Lenses have designated acronyms used in their names. For example, the lens AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G DX ED IF uses acronyms such as Af-S, G, DX, ED, and IF. Such acronyms help consumers know what features the lens have or even its appearance. Some common designations are listed below with the descriptions of each's function.
- AF - Auto focus. Allows users to focus via motor in the body or the lens depending on the lens
- AF-S - Auto focus-Silent. Uses SWM, Sonic Wave Motor, to focus quietly and faster, similar as Canon's USM, Ultrasonic Motor technology.
- ED - Extra-low Dispersion glass. Helps prevent the inaccurate color dispersion.
- IF - Internal Focus. Focus is done inside the lens.
- DX - Lens designed for Nikon's DX format sensors, using 1.5 focal length multiplier, or also called field of view crop, FOV crop.
- VR - Vibration Reduction. Uses special VR lens unit to correct and reduce the vibration of the shooter to be transported into the picture. Some VR lenses also support panning shot mode, detecting the horizontal movement of the lens and minimizing the vertical vibration. Equivalent to Canon's IS (Image Stabilizer) and Minolta's AS (Anti-shake, although this is embedded into the body of the camera).
- D - Distance/Dimension. Indicated after the f-stop number. It means that the lens is capable using of Nikon's RGB Matrix Metering. The lens carries the information of the distance between the camera and the subject.
- G - Indicated after the f-number, and tells that the lens does not have an aperture ring, but instead that aperture value is controlled by the body. Since the body needs to control the lens aperture, these type lenses only work with automatic bodies. It has the same characteristics with the D lens.
- Micro - Indicates that the lens is capable of macro photography, or taking subjects at a very close distance.
Auto Focus Prime
- Nikon 16mm f/2.8
- Nikon 14mm f/2.8
- Nikon 20mm f/2.8
- Nikon 28mm f/1.4
- Nikon 35mm f/2
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4
- Nikon 50mm f/1.8
- Nikon 60mm f/2.8
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4
- Nikon 85mm f/1.8
- Nikon 105mm f/2.5
- Nikon 135mm f/2
- Nikon 180mm f/2.8
- Nikon 200mm f/2 (with VR)
- Nikon 300mm f/2.8
- Nikon 400mm f/2.8
- Nikon 500mm f/4
- Nikon 600mm f/4
Auto Focus Zoom
'Professional' AF Zoom Lenses
- AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF
- AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF
- AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF
- AF 35-70 f/2.8D (old model)
- AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF
Lenses for rangefinder cameras
- Lenses for Nikon S-series cameras
- Screwmount lenses for Leica cameras
Lenses for medium-format cameras
- Lenses for Bronica cameras
- Lens for Plaubel Makina camera
External links
Official sites
Data
Fansites & Forums
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