Nikon

Nikon — history

Nikon began in Tokyo in 1917 as Nippon Kogaku K.K., an optical company formed to establish domestic production of precision instruments and optical glass in Japan.

The company registered the NIKKOR lens trademark in 1932 and shipped its first Aero-NIKKOR aerial lenses the following year. NIKKOR later became the name associated with Nikon's photographic lens systems, including the F mount introduced in 1959.

The Nikon name first appeared on a compact camera in 1946 and became the company's best-known international brand. Nippon Kogaku K.K. formally changed its corporate name to Nikon Corporation in 1988.