📷 You can get one of our favorite Nikon cameras on Amazon: help.tc/d810 📷

The name of the lenses, Nikkor, comes from the original name of the company: Nippon Kougaku Kogyo Inc. The Ni comes from the first word, and Ko from the second. The double 'k' is for pronunciation--it indicates a glottal stop. So Nikko is an abbreviation of the company name. The 'R', as far as I can tell, comes from the word 'lens' which is written in Japanese as 'renzu'. So Nikkor is short for 'Nippon Kougaku Renzu,' which in English is 'Japan Optics Lens.'

What wasn't mentioned were the mid level Nikons, the FM/ FE 1977-1982 and the groundbreaking FM2/FM2n 1983-2001 later released as the FM3n, 2001-2006 FE2 1983-1986. These later F's boasted top shutter speeds of 1/4000 of a second and flash sync speeds of 1/250 unheard of in the 80's. To top it off, they were made under Nikon's low tolerance build system used for the F3, in particular the FM2/ FM2n. This fully mechanical camera body can operated at temperatures between -40C to +50C without any modification. Though the FE2 was available for 3or 4 years, the FM2n was available for almost 20 years. Nikon sold millions of these cameras in particular the FM2. Many pros used them as their secondary or even primary bodies as they were pretty well and still are indestructible. The high sync speeds helped pro balance flash and available light much better. read more on the FM2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_FM2 The first Digital Camera was a standard Nikon f3 NASA conversion with the help of KODAK, the Hawkeye 2 nikonrumors.com/2014/04/16/the-kodak-hawkeye-ii-nikon-f3-was-one-of-the-first-electronic-stills-cameras-used-by-nasa-in-space.aspx/ The 1999 Nikon D1 was the first digital camera released by a sole manufacturer Nikon! it changed the world of photography.

these history lessons are extremely interesting, thanks guys.

No wonder why holding a Nikon body and lens feels like holding a war tool.

I've been a Nikon fan since the late '50s - early '60s when I was in high school and somehow was able to contact someone in Japan who would send a Nikon F directly to me in Detroit. Thank you for the research and presentation. I liked it so much I watched it twice.

Found this video very interesting and I learnt a lot as well. Thank you for making such well researched content.

This is a really great series, congratulations guys! Jordan @ TCSTV

When it comes to the DSLR sales, I have an interesting thought. These cameras are really designed to last a long time, they are built tough and even the like D2x from 2005 can still produce really beautiful images in 2016 and I think some people don't really see the need to upgrade unless there is a specific feature that they wanted or needed. Nikon has a lot of very interesting history. I really didn't know some of this stuff. Thanks for this awesome podcast! Can't wait to see more.

Great history lesson. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Great video! Even though I'm a Nikon user now, I would never have gotten into photography if Canon didn't make the AE-1 and push it so hard in 1976. Begged my parents for one, and after using my pinhole camera for years, finally had a "real" camera!

That was super awkward to watch. It was like you two had just had a fight or something.

Great show!!! Thank you, Chelsea and Tony! I've been watching and learning from you guys for two years and I really appreciate all the enthusiasm and dedication you put into your work. The combination of your humor and knowledge and the way you both present it is perfect. I now own Stunning Digital Photography, Lightroom 5 Book, Photoshop Essentials, Photography Buying Guide and the Beginning Photography Videos. For anyone who has not purchased them, They are a must have and the cost is minimal. Thank you for giving so much for so little.

Tony & Chelsea you're the best! Thank you for all the research and time preparing this presentation. I really enjoyed the history lesson, going to go watch your Canon history lesson next!

Just getting into photography and your channel has been very helpful. Great content that is much appreciated. Thank you.

Very interesting, I really enjoy your history series. Thanks for putting this together.

You made me live again the moment I used for the first time the Nikon EF, the Super Cool ahaha scan 5000 and other stuff when I was a child. Great

Absolutely loving these podcasts, would really love to hear an olympus history episode!!

Great video!! I love these history videos!! keep em coming pls!:)

A Note on the Nikonos - it wasn't actually their original design, it was originally designed by Jaqcues Cousteau and manufactured by a Company named Atomos. It was named the 'Calypso' and then later sold to Nikon to be sold as the Nikonos.

Love these explorations of camera brand histories. Thanks! I'd be keen to see Leica and Hasselblad histories.

Nice history video. From a business perspective the camera business is largely a hobby and nostalgic business for both nikon and canon. They make all of their profits in commercial lenses for semiconductor fabrication, copiers, medical devices, etc.

Interesting stuff Tony and Chelsea,I'm always fascinated by the history of technology! Good work!

Japan is an amazing nation. Thanks for this interesting episode.

I'm quite surprised that the D3 barely even got a mention, because at least in my opinion, it was Nikon's most significant camera since the F. It was the first real "photojournalist" camera with a full-frame sensor, and it took Canon another five years to come up with one of their own. I still remember the flood of articles and posts as many prominent photographers and even some news organizations switched from Canon to Nikon specifically because of it, and the shock of seeing a sea of big black lenses (instead of white ones) on the sidelines at the Olympics a year later.

That Contax rangefinder looks awesome! The rangefinder base-length is so much longer than anything available today (the distance between the two windows), even on $10000 Leicas. The longer the range finder base-length the more accurate the focusing.

You should do a video on Olympus or Rollei. Olympus in specific has interesting history, having the same lens mount since the OM-1. They followed behind Canon and Nikon in the 1970's, but had many shining moments when it came to lenses in the 1980's. Maybe not the largest lens range, but very very high quality optics. They had no "consumer" lenses, only amazing, sharp lenses. Also, the lenses and bodies overall may not have had all the super niche features, but had the lightest and most efficient lenses and bodies.

Small point-Contax rangefinders camera DID have focal plane shutters-they were metal vertical running shutters, instead of cloth horizontal shutters like Leica and early Nikon rangefinder. The Contax shutter pretty much looked like a window blind, with many stacked blades making up the metal vertical running focal plane shutter. prone to jamming and failure, which is why Nikon avoided it :)

I love you two! Keep going! *MORE HISTORY VIDS!!!* These have been quite interesting (I've seen all of them now). It's great to see Chelsea's lovely face and hear her sweet voice. You two are a great couple! I love Tony's technical knowledge too!

Thanks Chelsea and Tony for taking us down this nostalgic memory lane. My first camera was a Yeshica Electro 35 and then I graduated to a Nikon FE. I still love Nikon. Who can forget the the Nikon photomic in which you can detach the hood and look down on the screen like a medium format. After a long lay off from film photography (Nikon FE), I got back first into the digital world thru D90 then D700 and then D800E. I then became a traitor and embraced mirrorless with the Sony A7 series. Which is quirky and temperamental in many ways. Would I not love a Nikon equivalent - built tough that you can drop on a concrete floor and it will still work. And use those great Nikkor lenses - e.g. 105mm defocus! Great video. Chelsea, you look great! Tony, your style is understated, easy, very watchable KP, Sydney, Oz

Interesting episode! Always listen to picture this podcast. It would be awesome to see more videos like this, e.g. Leica, etc.

Isn't it strange though, camera geeks tend to agree on how important good glass is. While at the same time most people are using the lenses on their smartphones to take pictures. These things don't necessarily contradict but it does make you wonder. Enjoyed the video a lot. Great work guys!

I'm surprised you guys didn't mention the d3. It was the first Nikon camera that changed the game in terms of low light photography.

Had the Nikon A1000 in black for Xmas, along with my Samsung S10e and my new Pedco ultrapod II mini tripod, I'm more than happy I can take some great pics. I traded in my Canon and Olympus cameras that were sat in a drawer

Loved my D1h and my D3s stunning cameras 📷❤️

Thanks so much for this informative history of Nikon! Keep it up! Thanks!

I like Tony's voice and talking, it helps me fall asleep. In a good way :)

Thank you guys. It was great. Maybe at the end you should also bring in Sony and Panasonic and show where the market is heading to...

i would love a history of zeiss... great video though

very informative, hope to see the next , Olympus

This was a nostalgic walk down Nikon lane. Growing up a family friend was Nikon representative, then a camera shop owner, then a Fujica representative. My Christmas gift at 15 was a Fujica STX with std lens. At about 22, it was stolen so I purchased a Nikon FG body only with insurance money. Being in college i had to wait a year to save up for nikkor series e lens. I enter Nikon world. I enjoyed photography classes in high school and college. I added a few used manual focus lenses, a used Nikon FM2 body and SB20 in the early days of ebay. Liked the FM2, but really liked ttl which allowed for quick flash on FG. Picked up used Nikon N8008 with auto focus. I added a N70. Digital was out, but I passed on d100 and purchased new F100 with 28-200 tamron and an SB28. Sure, we (& everyone else) had a kodak digital p&s with long telephoto and shutter lag. But for sports film was king or the Canon mini dv camcorder. After many years, my F100 is stolen from car between soccer games. I cover a few football games with the FM2, 300 mm manual focus lens and some 800 speed film. I am late to SLR digital in 2012 but add a new Nikon D7000 with two lens kit 18-105, 55-300. Wow, I was impressed with iso capability capturing Friday Night lights stills and video. I picked up a used D100 that introduced kids to SLR photography. Both my son and daughter received a used d60 and used d80 retrospectively. Both seem dated to them compared to my D7000. I recently added a used mint D7200. The D7000 bodies are under $300 used, I might want to pick up a couple of bodies for my son and daughter before grandkids come along ... F mount of course, so they do not need lenses.

Keep coming out with these! would love to see history of Pentax, Leica, and also maybe one on the post WWII soviet knockoff rangefinders and lenses.

Great survey! Loved the Nikon Photomic FTn. A friend had a Canon F1 this was the early 70's.

very interesting stuff. Thank you!

Wow that was a fun history lesson! Learned so much!!!

What a great show/ concept. I still have to take my Photomic out & mess about with it from time to time.

great history video.....thanks Tony and team

Thanks a lot for this video!

Back in those days, what I like from Nikon is ability to see aperture number on the lens from camera's viewfinder. Not the most important thing, but it's nice to have.

My father was a camera retailer in the 60s-80s. He had a number of Camera Departments in various discount stores up and down the east coast. They were the boom years for SLR photography. He was literally selling thousands of Minolta, Nikon, and Canon cameras, with a few Yeshica and others thrown in. I think you did not mention at all the distribution channels of these manufactures. Nikon was distributed exclusively and consistently in those days by Erenrich Photo. Their exclusive channel along with marketing the Nikon as the professional choice was sheer genius. Amateurs who were willing to spend the $100 difference and schlep the extra weight on their necks, were happy because after all, it was the choice of the pros. Canon had a less consistent and more difficult distribution channel. For years they were handled by Bell and Howell who split their loyalties with the amateur home movie market. Not until Canon separated itself from B&H was it able to truly move into the American market as a major player. I suspect until that time, Minolta was probably outselling Canon although they were priced compatible.

Great show guys. Really enjoyed it.

Fascinating history..Nikon did it right by going all out with the creation of the F. I got me an Ftn Photomic four months ago with Nikon/Nippon Kogaku 50mm/F1.4 lens (pre-AI) and I'm a happy camper..every time I use it I feel like I'm using a piece of history. Not to take anything away from Canon..the F1 is a gem too and they sold gazillions of the AE1.

History of Olympus next please.

Thank you. Very interesting, but one omission (in my opinion): the Canon T90. It changed everything in terms of design and ergonomics, AND it was more versatile and more fun to use than anything that came before it. Also, it was so well made that mine works as good as the day I bought it. For my money, it was the best slr ever made. It could also be on display in an art museum. A thing of sheer beauty.

Love, the history lessons! More please.

Great video guys! I really enjoyed it.

You image quality varies. Right this minute, it is excellent.

Thanks Guys

I especially enjoy these history podcasts!

History of Fujifilm next please, one of the oldest camera and optics manufacture still relevant today and has a strange relationship with Kodak and other companies.I agree that phone can now replace the use of P&S or other types of camera for normal people who just want a usuable photo. The average people only need to take picture of their kids, some pictures of the place they went to as evident and to remember it, or maybe just to share something with someone else and take notes. They no need bokeh, crazy cool portraits, lighting control, speedlight and studio lights, fast shutter speeds, RAW files, interchangeable lens, versatility, manual control, ruggedness (depends), crazy low light control, crazy high dynamic range (hdr probably fine for them), extremely high megapixel count, best in class lens that professional requires and what camera manufacturers supply. Camera phone would probably never catch up (you cant beat physics and science), but it can make proper camera not a necessity anymore for the average person.

Obsessive craftsmanship, Leica 🔁 Nikon ❤

I found your presentation both informative and entertaining. However, when you were reviewing the impact certain camera models made on the market you omitted to mention the Nikon D-100. I owned a D-100 not too long after the camera hit the stores and one of my main reasons for choosing Nikon was because I already owned a Nikon F-5 with lenses. Therefore, it made good sense to continue investing in the brand. The D-100 was indeed a superb camera and although it wasn't cheap it still was priced within a more affordable bracket for more people to purchase more comfortably. BTW, although I now shoot with a Fujifilm digital I still own Nikon film cameras and still find their performance fantastic! I also have owned Canon cameras and again, I can thoroughly recommend their products as well! I currently use a Canon DSLR on occasion.

Great video Tony and Chelsea!! I love my Nikon F, I use it more than my dslr

this video was so interesting!! I would love to see a history of Fuji video in the future!

Thanks for the cool video! Side note: perfect sound and picture color. Way better than your last videos :)

The recent news is that Nikon is developing a new line of full frame mirrorless cameras to upgrade from their one inch sensor models. Seems like more and more manufacturers are leaning more towards mirrorless as opposed to DSLR's.

My first Canon point & shoot came with two manuals one for the camera and one for the software totaling over 500 pages. When I moved a few years ago I found my original Nikon F2 manual it totaled 12 pages. I miss my F2 but I don't miss hauling it around with the must have 80-200 lens.

Been waiting to see this one, so good!

Thanks for this great video! I'm Japanese but I didn't know well Nikon's history until watching this video. It was really interesting! By the way, Tony's pronunciation of "Nippon Kogaku Kogyo Kabushikigaisha" was so good :)

Thanks for a great video, though I am quite surprised you have not mentioned the Nikon F4 and F4s.

Tony & Chelsea .. there are several inaccuracies regarding the motor drive speeds you mentioned for both Nikon & Canon . The 9, 10, 13, or 14 fps were only possible with very special Nikon and Canon models (eg; the Nikon High Speed). These camera used a fixed, semi transparent mirror (pellicle mirror). The Nikon version used a whopping 30 volt battery packs, and a limited production drive, and they had some limitations, and were very limited in production. Nikon made about 500 Nikon F2 HS. The 'regular' Canon F1N or Nikon F2 had motor drives that delivered between 4 to 6 fps, depending on batteries used.

I think Nikon's format change from 24x32 in their first cameras to 24x36 in all models thereafter was based on the mindset that 35mm had to be 24x36 derived market expectations for Leica format, and had nothing to do with Kodak or Douglas MacArthur. Too bad, as the 24x32mm format is a much more practical use of the film. Also, while true that Nikon lens mounts were very close to, but not exactly like, the Contax mount, the difference was well recognized at the time. Nikon sold a number of its rangefinder lenses in mounts designed to exactly fit the Contax [and the Leica for that matter], now fairly rare collectibles.

I went to Northrup.org on the wayback machine and oh my goodness you have a ton of anonymous admirers! I love the comments about how cute you are posted in the middle of the night. It really is fascinating though, seeing your old website with all your photos and professional articles.

Very interesting guys!

Loved the podcast.

Deep knowledge! Very nice podcast indeed!

amazing information thanks

A huge part of Nikons success was because it vowed to keep every lens compatible with every body. Back in the day, newspapers/magazines only used in house photographers and supplied their gear. They gave each photographer a basic kit, but kept spares on hand. They would also maintain huge lens 'banks' where multiple copies of every lens was available to their photographers. If a camera company changed mounts, - Pentax and Canon both did - it could cost a newspaper/magazine many thousands of dollars. Nikon also maintained fully mechanical cameras like the FM and FM2, which were cheap and popular backups for F users, they also had faster flash synch and top shutter speeds. Having cornered the market, they led in innovation - the F3 was available with the first way of transmitting digital pictures with a special back and modem set up, you could hold your brick phone up to it and transmit pictures by phone. As for film size, the original 35mm cameras weren’t designed or made to be cameras. They were designed as a device to do test strips on batches of 35mm film stock. In the days of film, emulsions varied and each batch needed to be tested for accuracy. - you actually used to be able to buy old movie stock film, since movie makers had to buy enough to shoot a whole film on the same film batch and have spare for emergencies. I think a couple of companies that used to give 'free' film in return for every roll processed by mail order used to use old movie stock. If you look in old National Geographics, it’s not rare to see somebody wearing a red NG raincoat. These were made to precise specifications and given to every NG photographer. Photographers were required to take a couple of shots of these jackets at the start of the film batch they took with them, in extreme conditions possibly on every roll. NG would then cut test strips with those first few frames and by colour matching, determine processing. They only accepted Kodachrome, so there was no correcting in the printing. I believe they made some exceptions when Fuji released Velvia. But NG looks the way it does, because it’s all Kodachrome

I really like these history video's! You probably noticed the interest in Leica has been growing the last year's. Could you guys make a review of Leica's legendary lenses and for example put them on a Sony a7rII. I'm sure the response will be huge! Thank you so much again for your amazing channel!

Also worth noting is the outstanding Nikkormat, a bulletproof SLR widely used by journalists and enthusiasts.

This is very interesting. I've been a Nikon fan since I chose the Nikon FM as my first 35mm film SLR back in 1980. In the late 1970's I became interested in photography and settled on 35mm as my format of choice. Then I studied all the test reports and reviews of the 35mm SLR's available at the time and the result of my investigation along with my brother in law had a Nikkormat FT2 which I was impressed with; I ended up buying my Nikon FM with Nikkor AI 50mm f/1.8 lens and never regretted my choice. I since picked up a Nikon Ftn Photomic basically because I always wanted one, and it's stature as an iconic camera. Both may not have all the 'bells and whistles' of modern digital cameras but for a pure photographic experience just can't beat the feel and satisfaction of using 'vintage' film SLR's.

Great podcast! Would love to hear more about Canon/Sony/Fuji/Olympus/Panasonic :)

It would be great to get history of Zeiss and Voigtländer, since they are a lot older than either Canon or Nikon. Voigtländer, in fact, is the oldest name in photography, and one of the oldest in optics itself.

I enjoyed this just as much if not more than the history of Canon video. I too was a bit surprised that the D3 and D700 weren't mentioned as they were Nikon's first digital full frame cameras that also bested all other cameras in it's class when it came to high ISO noise performance. I was so excited by it's release that I remember putting up one of the D3 posters on my wall (I'm a weirdo) for motivation to work harder to save for one. I got the D700 instead. Anyway, you guys did an excellent job. Thank you and keep these great videos coming.

In the mid 70's exposure automation was achieved either by aperture(A) or shutter(S), there were no cameras that did both. Canon AE-1 (1976) chose aperture automation, Nikon finally brought out shutter automation in the EM model(1979). The Canon AE-1 was considered a rugged design because it used the new LEDs rather than an analog needle movement. Pentax Spotmatic had the smallest lens mount, M42 screw, and it doomed the company to amateurs only. When they brought out the K-Mount it wasn't for their top-of-the-line camera. Olympus saw an opening in making a camera small again and made the OM-1. That's the road I took.

You're really interesting people because you talk about really interesting topics :) !

Advice for Nikon: Leap ahead in a direction Canon has not envisaged and make your leap profound and game-changing. Suggestions: 1) Offer free or fairly priced unlimited cloud storage for all photos taken. Produce a cardless DSLR that uploads all images automatically anytime there is an Internet connection. Create a quality digital app called “Nikon Photo Stream” to download/view/edit etc. Ensure easy integration with Lightroom. Beat all cloud photo storage competitors in price, quality and service. 2) Improve professional lens range through business-to-business deals, cobranding etc. 3) Add tilt touch screens to all newly produced cameras. 4) Add software theft protection similar to Apple’s “find my phone” that makes any camera that is stolen unusable. 5) Don’t give up on the consumer market - there is plenty of game-changing ideas you could try - work on an electronic contact lens that records everything the eye sees. Create 3D 360 degrees recording and playback capability. Get into the smartphone camera market or create a new market segment in wearables. Basically, don’t give up. Get ahead =)

Nice video! Thank you for your research! I realize my comment is on a 3-year-old video, but it is still worth the view. Interesting how Nikon pretty much took your advice and added a new feature (actually, a catch up feature!) via a firmware update for the Z bodies a few months back! I have the D7100 and the Z6 and both are great cameras!

OMG I remember all that same scanning film pain. The dust, the damn dust!

Leica did do the R series of SLR's... mNikon also did popularize the magazine back. 250 shots on a "single roll". Also I believe Nikon was the first to produce a 80-200mm f/2.8 and a superwide zoom.

cool video. I'm not used to all these sponsors, but overall a good job. thank you.

I didn't think this would be very interesting at first either, but it is!

Chells, how long have you been giving Timothy lessons he seems to learning a lot. Keep up the good work, chells, and boom operator.

Not a peep about the F4...one of the most powerful, best selling and longest running pro film body of all time; fastest autofocus, fastest motor drive, the first Nikon to be multiple (6?) microcomputer. Everyone who was anyone used an F4. It was also the last pro body to be controlled by buttons, switches and knobs which many pros preferred. Thanks Tony for the interesting video. (but I would have rather heard about more Nikons than Canons)

This one is more entertaining than Canons history. I think it's because of all the side notes to what is happening at the other brand at the same time. Thank you, great vid.

I only have had one Nikon in my life, and F3 with a 35mm f/.4 lens. My ex took it when she left. Something about that camera, though... You guys have a very nice style in your presentations. Pixel peepers hate you and that's a good sign. You could have mentioned that Nikon belongs to the Mitsubishi industrial 'keiretsu' or industrial block. Trains and boats and planes and motor cars, elevators, everything...it is not easy to imagine how big Mitsubishi really is!

"If something's in focus, your shot's going to be in focus" Until the mirror falls out of alignment. It's happened to me with a few old SLR's. :(

In the Nikon F and F2 days, commercial photography (the "fast" work) was all done with Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, etc. And the real serious commercial (and art) work was done with 4"x5" or 8"x10" cameras. Nikon glass shots with my F2 did not match in any way the Zeiss/Hasselblad shots. But the F2 was fast. And totally reliable - incredible. Best F2 asset was the TTL viewfinder that went down to EV -1 - incredible. And if shots would be rastered into BW or color print magazines, 36mmx24mm was good enough.

Great podcast!!! Love 😍 it

For a moment I was ready to go through the roof when the the statistics about Canon vs Nikon vs iPhone appeared (you know, because it seemed like comparing apples to oranges); thankfully it was eventually pointed out that someone searching for iPhone is not necessarily a photographer, whereas most people looking for Nikon/Canon most likely are interested in photography. But yes, smartphones are definitely a game changer here. They also put the Leica brand back on the map, b/c they are lending their name for the camera in Huawei's latest "P9" model. I still would love to see a smartphone that shoots raw, though. Although, this would require substantially more storage capacity on a smartphone. So maybe that's never going to happen.