Nikon review and Nikon company overview. Nikon digital cameras are some of the best digital cameras on the market. Find info on the Nikon company, Nikon camera models, and more.  Includes info on the Nikon D90 and Nikon D5000 - Nikon reviews.

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Nikon is a multinational optics and imaging company specializing in a number of professional products, including cameras, lenses, binoculars, and microscopes.  Nikon is also the second largest manufacturer of steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication. Read on for our full Nikon review.

Established in 1917 when three leading optical manufacturers merged to become Nippon Kogaku Kokyo K.K. grew to become one of the leading manufacturers of optical lenses and precision equipment used in cameras, binoculars, microscopes and inspection equipment.  During WWII the company grew at an enormous rate while supplying the Japanese military with binoculars, lenses, bomb sights and periscopes.  In 1948 the Nikon I was released as the first of the Nikon branded cameras.   During the outbreak of the Korean War, David Douglas Duncan, and american photojournalist, popularized Nikon lenses.  Attaching them to his Leica rangefinder camera producing high contrast negatives with very sharp center field resolution.  In the 1950s and 60s, after the Nikon SP competed with rangefinders from Leica and Zeiss, Nikon abruptly stopped development of its rangefinder line to focus on it's F series single lens reflex line of cameras.  This change of focus paid off heavily for Nikon.

For nearly 30 years the Nikon F-series SLRs were the most widely used small-format cameras among professional photographers, as well as by the U.S. space program, because of its sturdy construction and wide range of Nikkor lenses and accessories.   During this time Nikon also led the way with advances in the modular camera systems with interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, motor drives, and data backs, integrated light metering and lens indexing, electronic strobe flashguns instead of expendable flashbulbs, electronic shutter control, evaluative multi-zone "matrix" metering, and built-in motorized film advance.

During the 1980s Nikon quickly lost its grip as the leader in the SLR market when Minolta and others made huge investment and advancement in the autofocus SLR market.   Advances with its entirely electronic Canon EOS cameras and Canon EF lens mounts in 1987 led many professional photographers to switch to the Canon system through 1990s.  

Nikon is now known as a world leader in the development and manufacture of advanced optical and precision photolithography equipment.   Since the introduction of their first stepper, the NSR-1010G Nikon has introduced over 50 models of steppers and scanners for the production of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays.  Nikon also designs and manufactures visual imaging products including microscopes, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems, binoculars, surveying instruments, eyewear, sport optics, and optical measuring and inspection equipment.

With great steps in technology Nikon Precision Inc. (NPI) was established in the United States.  Headquartered in Belmont, California, NPI is the the North American sales and service arm specifically for Nikon Corps semiconductor photolithography equipment.  During the early 90s NPI was forced to quickly expand due to a rapidly growing customer base.  This expansion  included the  current headquarters and corporate offices, a fully equipped worldwide training center, 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.  NPI is now recognized as an industry leader in supplying and supporting advanced photolithography equipment.  Also, Nikon has expanded research and development operations in the U.S. under Nikon Research Corp of America which directly supports the Precision Equipment Division in Kumagaya, Japan.

Additionally, Nikon led the market with innovations in the Digital Photography spectrum, delivering some of the first digital SLRs to NASA in 1991.  A partnership with Kodak in the late 1990's produced the Nikon D1 SLR.  With its APS-C size light sensor its output was only 2/3 that of a 35 mm frame, now called a "DX sensor", the D1 was a great step forward for Nikons increase in market share with image quality great enough and a price tag low enough for professional photojournalists and sports photographers to make the switch to digital SLRs.  The Nikon Coolpix line, a new line of consumer point and shoot camera's, became increasingly prevalent through the early 2000s as digital photography became progressively popular.

Through the early-mid 2000s, Nikon grew and retained a strong professional and amateur following with its DSLRs and lenses which had remedied autofocus performance with the release of the AF-S lens line.  With its introduction of full-frame camera's such as the D3, D3x and D700, Nikon regained much of its reputation among professional and amateur enthusiasts as a leading innovator in the field.  Currently Nikon has taken the lead introducing digital video on its latest releases the D90 and the D5000. We'll be posting full Nikon digital camera reviews.