To the ends of the Earth… and beyond!
Nikon has earned a reputation for constructing cameras that possess robust, tank-like build quality. Tough as nails – and tough enough to hammer nails in some cases – it’s no wonder that photographers have relied on Nikon bodies and lenses to deliver day in, day out in some of the most punishing environments known to man. Ocean depths? Sub-zero temperatures? Zero gravity? Bring ’em on… 1963 Wate r relief Nikon’s first allweather camera is launched. Based on the Calypso, a camera orginally conceived by renowned marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, the 35mm Nikonos is designated an ‘amphibious’ camera; not only is water-resistant down to 50m, it can also take pictures on land. 1992 Wet ’n’ wild The world’s first underwater SLR, the Nikonos RS, handles like a normal Nikon, complete with autofocus, TTL metering and motor-drive, but is waterproof to 100m. Nikon also launches a series of underwater lenses, including a 50mm f/2.8 macro, a 13mm f/2.8 fisheye and a 20-35 zoom.
1999 Ref encounter Jim Hellemn lays claim to creating the first gigapixel photo, PortraitofaCoral
Reef. Using a Nikonos V with 20mm lens and Ikelite 400 strobes fitted to a camera platform, Hellemn shoots over 300 frames of Bloody Bay Wall, a vertical coral reef in the Cayman Islands, stitching them together to create a 1.77 gigapixel, 20x70ft photocomposite. 2006 onwards Freeze frames Nikon becomes the official camera sponsor of James Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) initiative. The EIS has 43 Nikon cameras trained on 24 glaciers in locations around the world, including Antarctica, Austria and the Rocky Mountains, and these record changes in the glaciers every hour of daylight. The result? Around 8000 frames per camera per year. 2016 Missi on you Nikon announces its first action cameras: KeyMission 360, KeyMission 170 and KeyMission 80. As the name suggests, the flagship waterproof, shockproof and freeze-proof KeyMission 360 records 360º movies in 4K Ultra HD. 2013 Digita l splash Nikon’s dominance of sub-aqua photography continues with the debut of the world’s first digital camera with interchangeable lenses that can be used underwater. The Nikon 1 AW1 is waterproof up to 15m and is dripping with smart features, including a flash. 2005 New toscience For the first time in 20 years, a new species of monkey is discovered, deep in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Proof of its scientific validity comes from a series of photos taken on a Nikon D100 by Dr Tim Davenport.
1971 The world is not en ough Nikon starts its long association with NASA, by delivering nine Nikon Photomic FTN cameras (modified versions of the Nikon F) and 55mm f/1.2 lenses plus accessories to be used on board Apollo 15 – the fourth mission to land on the moon. 1978 To infinity … NASA asks Nikon to supply a modified version of the F3 for the first space shuttle (Space Transport System: STS) to be launched in 1981. 2015 Goin g unde rground NationalGeographic photographer Martin Edström uses a Nikon D810 to capture an immersive 360º image of Vietnam’s Son Doong – the world’s largest cave. 2013 Globe trottin g The first Nikon DSLR with built-in GPS (and Wi-Fi), the D5300 can save your location information as Exif data on images. 1977 Pole positi on Nikon supplies a special titaniumexterior F2 to Naomi Uemura, who would become the first person to reach the North Pole on a solo trek (with dog sled) across Arctic ice. He shot 180 rolls of film during his six-month adventure. 1978 ‘The sa vage mountain ’ Jim Wickwire and Louis Reichardt took Nikon SLRs on the first US ascent of K2, the world’s second-tallest mountain. Nikon took out an advert to mark the achievement: ‘When you’re out to make history, you don’t take chances on your camera. You go with Nikon.’ 1963 High point Jim Whittaker becomes the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest; he uses a Nikon F to take pictures at the top of the world.