The war in Korea and spacecraft, or how Nikon cameras conquered the world

When we think of cameras, some of the biggest brands usually come to mind. Nikon certainly appears among them. One of the most influential manufacturers of photographic equipment in the world. In this article, we will look at the history of this company and find out why it is still worth using this equipment.

World famous with the help of war correspondents

The Nikon company was founded in 1927 in Tokyo. It was then that three small optical factories decided to join forces and enter the photographic market together. The first name of the company was Nippon Kogaku Kogoyo, in Polish it means the same as a Japanese optical glass manufacturer from Tokyo. The name perfectly showed the assortment of the company at that time. They were mainly spotting scopes, microscopes and binoculars. The production of photographic lenses was started a little later. In 1946, work on the first model of the camera began, and in 1948 the Nikon I went on sale. It quickly turned out that the products offered by the Japanese brand were not only as good as those from European producers, but even exceeded them in terms of quality. In the 1950s, Nikon equipment crossed the borders of Japan for the first time and hit the world market. Interestingly, the Korean war contributed to this. War correspondents went to Tokyo to repair or maintain their equipment. It was there that they had the opportunity to see Nikon products for the first time. When they noticed that their designs were superior to well-known German brands, they quickly started using Japanese lenses. Thanks to the American press, information spread around the world and Nikon was gaining more and more popularity. To Mark's reputation, it was appreciated by NASA, and the Nikon F camera model was a fixture in American spacecraft.

Innovation comes first

The Nikkon F gained popularity due to its durable construction, but that was not the only factor. The lens played a huge role here, and later their entire series, which was called the Nikkor. It is the lenses that have been the basis for a good image of the company over the years and have determined the enormous prestige enjoyed by this Japanese brand. Nikon proposed a number of novelties when it comes to the mechanisms used in the lenses. Throughout all the years of the company's activity, innovation has played a huge role. Every year, since the brand was founded, Nikon has introduced solutions to the market that the world has not seen before. It is worth mentioning here the first macro lens for an SLR camera or the first lens that had a zoom zoom. The Nikkor lens has undergone many reconstructions over the years, has had new functions and is still part of the equipment of many cameras. At the beginning, Nikon focused on more professional equipment. As time went on, he became more and more sympathetic towards amateur photographers. In 1965, he introduced two models to the market, called the Nikkormat. It had the first body in which the shutter was electronically controlled. In the 1980s, the Japanese company introduced the first SLR that had an LCD screen, which remains the standard of this type of cameras to this day. In the early 1990s, the first camera that could be connected to a computer appeared. As you can see, the brand has never rested on its laurels and has not assumed that the equipment it offers is the best. Nikon employees have always assumed that something could be improved.

Nikon today

In the 90s, more and more products for amateurs appeared. Easy-to-use SLR cameras, for which you could buy many accessories, were very popular. However, Nikon digital cameras are not only SLRs, but also a series of less complex devices such as the Coolpix. The line included pocket cameras that were perfect for a trip, but also elegant models designed in line with the latest trends, and more advanced designs that can be used in initial professional ventures. As befits Nikon, the Coolpix series has been adapted to the latest technologies. Today we can use cameras that run on Android, which is commonly known from smartphones and tablets. Nikon Coolpix S800c was one of the first devices of this type. The cameras have a touch screen, WiFi module, and access to Google Play. Despite the many changes taking place in the world and technology, the Nikon brand has remained faithful to one fundamental principle - to always work on making the product even better. Taking into account its popularity and sales results, it can be concluded that they manage to achieve this goal.