Corporate History of Nikon

| 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 |

1910

1917	Three of Japan's leading optical manufacturers merge to form a comprehensive, fully integrated optical company known as Nippon Kogaku K.K.
1918	Optical glass production and research launched

1920

1921	MIKRON 4x, 6x, ultra-small prism binoculars marketed
1925	JOICO Microscope marketed

1930

1932	Nikkor adopted as brand name for camera lenses

1940

1945	With the end of World War II, production shifted to cameras, microscopes, binoculars, surveying instruments, measuring instruments and ophthalmic lenses
1946	Pointal opthalmic lenses marketed Nikon brand name adopted for small-sized cameras
1947	Tilting Level E and Transit G surveying instruments marketed
1948	Nikon I small-sized camera marketed Model I profile projector marketed

1950

1950	The New York Times introduced superior features of Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses
1952	Nikkor Club established to promote photography culture
1954	Model SM stereoscopic microscope marketed
1957	Nikon SP small-sized camera marketed
1959	Nikon F, Nikon's first SLR camera, marketed

1960

1963	NIKONOS all-weather camera marketed
1966	Photoslit lamp microscope marketed
1968	Rotary encoder RIE digital measuring instrument marketed Photo gallery Ginza Nikon Salon opened

1970

1970	Photo gallery Nikon House opened in New York City
1971	Nikon F2 SLR camera marketed Laser Interferometric X-Y Measuring System, a high-precision coordinate measuring instrument for IC use, marketed
1972	Nikon sunglasses marketed
1974	105cm Schmidt-type telescope installed at Tokyo Astronomical Observatory
1975	FB Line opthalmic frames marketed
1976	Nikon Orma plastic lens marketed CF system microscopes Biophot, Metaphot marketed
1979	Auto Refractometer NR-1000, an automatic eye refractive index measuring machine, marketed Nikon sunglasses designed by Hanae Mori and G. Giugiaro marketed

1980

1980	Nikon F3 SLR camera marketed Nikon 10cm refractive equatorial telescope for astronomical observation marketed Nikon SLR cameras delivered to NASA for use on the space shuttle Development of dental root implant utilizing bioactive glass announced NSR-1010G Step-and-Repeat System (stepper) for VLSIs marketed
1981	TITEX titanium opthalmic frames marketed Nikon Fieldscope marketed All-solid-state electrochromic device (ECD) successfully developed ND-250/160 electronic distance meters marketed.
1982	OPTISTATION IC wafer inspection system marketed
1983	Nikon L35AF, Nikon's first autofocus compact camera, marketed
1984	Successful development of magneto-optical disk-drive systems announced NT-1000 35mm film direct telephoto transmitter marketed
1985	Total Station DTM-1 surveying instrument marketed
1986	TRISTATION three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine marketed Nikon F-501*1 autofocus SLR camera marketed NSR-L7501G large substrate exposure system marketed
1987	SX-5 X-ray stepper marketed
1988	NSR-1505EX excimer stepper marketed Corporate name changed to Nikon Corporation. Nikon F4 SLR camera marketed
1989	Digital imaging equipment showroom Visucomland established

1990

1990	CP-3000 full-dolor printer marketed ESEM-20 environmental scanning electron microscope marketed
1992	NIKONOS RS, world's first underwater autofocus SLR camera, marketed Nikon ism Hearing Aid introduced CD-180EB critical dimension measuring SEM marketed
1993	Selpeed, the world's first EC (electrochromic) sunglasses, with lenses that change color in response to brightness, marketed Nikon 35Ti Quartz Date super-high-quality compact camera marketed
1995	E2/E2S digital still cameras marketed (jointly developed with Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) NSR-S201A lens-scanning KrF excimer stepper marketed Mass-production technology developed for light intensity modulation direct overwrite magneto-optical disks
1996	Development of practical applications for linear-type ultrasonic actuator Nikon Fieldmicroscope marketed Nuvis Advanced Photo System compact camera marketed ECLIPSE series biological microscopes featuring CFI60 system marketed Nikon F5 top-of-the-line SLR camera marketed Nikon PRONEA 600i*2 Advanced Photo System SLR camera marketed
1997	COOLPIX 100 digital camera marketed
1998	Successful demonstration of feasibility of electronic optical system for EB steppers
1999	Nikon D1 professional digital SLR camera marketed In-House Company System inaugurated Surveying instruments business reorganized as independent company

2000

2000	Nikon-Essilor Co., Ltd., joint venture with Essilor International of France, started operations Vision Nikon 21 business strategy defined Stamper for manufacture of optical discs marketed Entry into CMP system business announced
2001	Sport optics business reorganized as independent company D1x digital SLR camera marketed Executive Officer System introduced D1H digital SLR camera marketed
2002	Nikon Imaging (China) Co., Ltd. established as a new digital camera production base D100 consumer digital SLR camera
2003	Ohi West Building completed New Brand Symbol for the Nikon Group introduced Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd., joint venture with Trimble Navigation Ltd. of the U.S., established D2H digital SLR camera marketed
2004	Nikon F6 SLR camera marketed
2005	D2X digital SLR camera marketed D2HS digital SLR camera marketed
2006	NSR-S609B ArF immersion scanner marketed D2Xs digital SLR camera marketed
2007	Defined Our Aspirations: Meeting needs. Exceeding expectations.
2008	D3 digital SLR camera marketed