Lens manufacture

A History

The company began its life as an optical manufacturer, Japan Optical Industries Corporation, in 1917 producing lenses for microscopes, surveying equipment and binoculars. In 1932 they started selling cameras lenses using the brand name Nikkor. During World War II it was involved with lenses for military purposes like bomb sights, binoculars, and periscopes. It was only after the war when it had returned to civilian production that it developed it first camera in 1048, the 1.

Like many firms during the post-war era it struggled for identity, both within Japan and internationally. But they also had to struggle with its own production abilities. Optics had always been its specialty and while Nikkor lenses continued to receive a positive reception; the I was another issue and was quickly replaced by the M in 1949. It wasn't until the SP Rangefinder appeared in 1957 that the company was recognized as a quality international brand.

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The F series, introduced in 1959, utilized many aspects now common in camera equipment like interchangeable lenses, light meters, range finders, electronic shutter control and film advance. The brand then quickly became popular with professional photographers. Quality manufacturing techniques kept them at the top rung of camera production until other companies came out with auto focus features.

In the 1960's they began making 8mm film cameras, shifting over to video cameras in the 1980's. Then in 1988 they officially adopted the name of their camera brand. They began working with digital cameras in the early 1990's, mostly for the NASA Program. Camera markets remained competitive until 1999 when they came out with the first affordable, picture quality producing digital camera. In the mid-2000's they stopped producing film using cameras, except for the F6, and surged ahead in the digital camera field with the D series.

Considering its initial optical niche, the company still produces quality lens products from binoculars, microscopes, range finders which are now laser equipped, medical and ophthalmic equipment, rifle scopes, eye glasses and sunglasses. With the development of computer technology they also moved into the printer and scanner fields, quickly adapting that to digital technology and digital film scanning as well as developing photo editing software. Utilizing its long experience in the photographic enlargements the company is also active in producing steppers for manufacturing integrated circuits since the early 1980's.

Most of their manufacturing plants have moved to Thailand, with some facilities remaining in China and Indonesia. The original space has more than doubled in size and nearly quadrupled in employees. The major facility in Thailand is responsible for the production of a wide range of products. This includes optical parts, plastic molding, metal processing and more. Since 2009, the Thailand location also makes all of the company’s DX format DLSR cameras.

With its long history of research and development and continued interest in the scientific fields, the company continues to remain at the cutting edge of digital photography with advances now occurring every year instead every decade. Their corporate philosophy is “Meeting needs. Exceeding expectations.”