# Nikon

> Nikon is a 108-year-old Japanese optics maker best known for its cameras, but its lenses now sit inside semiconductor scanners, biology labs, eye clinics, and metal 3D printers. Founded in 1917 to grind glass for the Japanese navy, the company today runs five businesses around a single skill - controlling light with extreme precision - and is spending heavily to shift its center of gravity away from the shrinking camera market it made famous.

- **Founded:** 1917
- **Headquarters:** Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
- **Founders:** Koyata Iwasaki (Backer / Mitsubishi head who financed the 1917 merger)
- **Team size:** ~19,928 consolidated employees (as of March 31, 2026)
- **Products:** Z-series mirrorless cameras, NIKKOR lenses, Nikon ZR cinema camera, Precision equipment (steppers & scanners), Microscope systems (Eclipse series & confocal)
- **Notable:** Founded in 1917 and still operating independently after more than a century., The Nikon F (1959) helped make the 35mm SLR the standard tool of professional photojournalism., Nikon cameras have flown on NASA crewed missions since the early 1970s, including in orbit aboard the ISS.

## Products & services

- **Z-series mirrorless cameras** — Full-frame and APS-C mirrorless bodies including the flagship Z9, Z8, Z6III, Z5II, Z50II and the retro-styled Zf, with the NIKKOR Z lens lineup now spanning 50+ optics.
- **NIKKOR lenses** — Interchangeable lenses for Z-mount and legacy F-mount cameras, one of the most respected optical lines in photography.
- **Nikon ZR cinema camera** — Digital cinema camera developed with RED technology, bringing RED color science and compression into a compact Nikon body.
- **Precision equipment (steppers & scanners)** — Semiconductor and flat-panel-display lithography systems that print circuit patterns onto silicon wafers and display glass.
- **Microscope systems (Eclipse series & confocal)** — Biological, clinical and industrial microscopes plus confocal laser-scanning systems and imaging software used in research and drug discovery.
- **Healthcare / eye care (Optos)** — Ultra-widefield retinal imaging and diagnostics for ophthalmology, added through the 2015 Optos acquisition.
- **Digital manufacturing (SLM metal 3D printers & Lasermeister)** — Industrial additive-manufacturing systems, laser metal deposition and riblet processing under Nikon SLM Solutions and Nikon Advanced Manufacturing.
- **Encoders, metrology & measuring systems** — Precision encoders, coordinate-measuring machines, industrial X-ray CT and inspection systems for manufacturing quality control.
- **Sport optics & telescopes** — Binoculars, monoculars, laser rangefinders and astronomical/observation optics.

## Achievements

- Founded in 1917 and still operating independently after more than a century.
- The Nikon F (1959) helped make the 35mm SLR the standard tool of professional photojournalism.
- Nikon cameras have flown on NASA crewed missions since the early 1970s, including in orbit aboard the ISS.
- Built one of the three major semiconductor lithography lineages alongside ASML and Canon.
- Expanded into healthcare and digital manufacturing through the Optos, SLM Solutions and RED acquisitions.
- Opened a new sustainability-focused Tokyo headquarters ('City of Light') in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Nikon reported first-half FY2026 revenue and profit down on foreign-exchange effects and U.S. tariffs, with an operating loss despite higher camera and lens unit sales.
- **2025-09** — Launched the Nikon ZR digital cinema camera built on RED technology, its first major camera to carry RED's color science and compression.
- **2024-10** — Fully moved into its new Nishi-Oi 'City of Light' Tokyo headquarters, a six-floor, ~42,000 sq m building engineered to draw in natural daylight.
- **2024-04** — Completed its acquisition of U.S. cinema camera maker RED.com, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nikon.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nikon
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Nikon
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NikonUSA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikonGroup

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nikon
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-20