Nikon products are known the world over for their quality, and none more so than their lenses. Manufactured under the the name Nikkor, the lenses are produced by Nikon for their own cameras and select other manufacturers' brands. Nikkor is known for producing high quality lenses, not just for cameras but also for many other applications for which lenses are needed: binoculars, microscopes, astronomical telescopes, surveying instruments and more. With superior optics and the proprietary technology of the bayonet style F-mount lens mounting system, Nikkor lenses stand apart from their competition.
Nippon Kogaku K.K.
Nippon Kogaku K.K. was founded through the merger of three small optical firms, one of which dates back to 1881. The firm's lens design began in the 1920s with experimentation in lenses being singular and not standardized. In 1932 the Nikkor name was implemented, formed by adding an "R" to "Nikko", the common abbreviation to the company's name. The company's first lens was produced in 1933, an aerial photography product called the Aero-Nikkor. In the 1940s and 1950s Nikkor began producing lenses for their own cameras, which were manufactured beginning in 1948.
Nikon Cameras, Nikkor Lenses
Nikon began manufacturing their own cameras in late 1948 with the Nikon Model 1, a rangefinder model camera. In 1949 the Nikon Model M was introduced, also a rangefinder camera type, with later models having flash synchronization. The concept of a bayonet mount on Nikon cameras was introduced in 1950 with the Nikon S series, which had a bayonet style Contax lens mount. This camera also had a hot shoe mount, similar to those used on modern cameras. The lens mount became the basis for a technology that would become a great achievement for Nikon, the bayonet style F-mount still in use today.
F-Mount Lenses
The Nikon bayonet style F-mount is the piece of proprietary technology which has set Nikon apart from their competitors. It was introduced on the Nikon F model of camera in 1959. The three lug bayonet style mount has more than 400 compatible lenses with an enormous degree of backward and forward compatibility. Since 1959, other optical designers have produced lenses for Nikon cameras using the F mount system, such as Zeiss, Tokina, Sigma, and Voigtländer. Nikon F mount lenses can be used on nearly every Nikon camera with the compatible F mount lens mount, whether the camera is film or digital. Some incompatibility exists, and some lenses will have reduced functions, but the F mount system has helped to sustain brand loyalty.
Computerized Lenses
Computerized lenses were introduced to the Nikon lens range with the AI-P and AF lenses. AI-P lenses had "automatic indexing" light meter coupling, involving no manual setup for the lens to be properly adjusted to the camera; the data was standardized between the two pieces of equipment automatically. AF lenses are autofocusing lenses, which require the use of an internal camera body motor to drive the autofocus mechanism. These lenses contained CPU chips to ensure compatibility with later model camera bodies and ensured standardization of data when changed from camera to camera.
Present Day Lenses
Present day Nikon lenses are not limited to camera applications for consumers. The company still manufactures high quality optics for industrial applications, including those developed for scientific research in space for NASA. Modern lenses, called DX lenses, may be optimized for use with a digital sensor, as due to the difference in size between a frame of film and a digital charge couple device, cropping can occur. However, Nikon's introduction of a full-frame digital camera sensor has lessened the need for this variety of lens. FX lenses are designed for the use of the full frame and are used on the new range of digital cameras. Nikon F mount lenses remain high in quality and compatibility, ensuring a loyal customer base for the company.
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