Nikon History: WAR tools, CRUSHING Leica & Canon... and then... (Picture This Podcast)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- We dig DEEP into the 100-year history of Nikon: Making tools of war for the Japanese Navy, post-WWII devastation, CRUSHING Leica, DOMINATING Canon... and then...
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You forgot Nikon's current rifle scopes, spotting scopes, & binoculars etc. Their action series is great in low light
Really informative! Thank you for making this video!
You all probably dont give a shit but does anybody know a way to get back into an instagram account..?
I stupidly lost my login password. I would love any help you can offer me.
@Cole Kasen instablaster =)
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.'
Love this, thank you!
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.
Yeah, I have owned two FE’s and one FE2. These were fantastic workhorses, durable, with a perfect handling: everything on the right place, no feature bloat. The FE/FE2 were the best analog cameras ever, imho.
these history lessons are extremely interesting, thanks guys.
This is a really great series, congratulations guys!
Jordan @ TCSTV
Thanks, Jordan!
We love you, too
Fnatastic! Very well researched!!!! Congratulations and thanks!!!
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.
That was super awkward to watch. It was like you two had just had a fight or something.
I was going to ask what was wrong with chelsea! Im glad I'm not the only one lol
if they did in fact have a fight, meisha tate would've DESTROYED tony.
I really don't know about this 'channel', but it appears to me neither of the two presenters is into photography, and they feel uncomfortable discussing events and personalities from the 30s and 40s.
They’ve since made up 🥰
Very awkward lol
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!
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.
I agree.I am looking to replace my Nikon D90.I have had it since the day it came out.I am more interested in a mirrorless system now and looking at the Fuji X system but rather than buy the XPro2 or XT2 I will be buying either the Xpro1 Xe2 or if the price really does drop the XT1.All three offer brilliant image quality and will fit my purpose.I can then put the saved cash towards some decent fast lenses and I know whichever camera I use it will still produce excellent images for the next 5, even 10 years.People get so wrapped up in having the latest technology but comparing images from these different cameras blindly and you will be hard pressed to tell which image came from the new cameras as long as you use good lenses and you know you will not be enlarging the photos up to the size of a billboard.
You are on the right path...the XT-, Samsung, or Sony mirrorless camera's take superb images!
Try to go out in winter when is minus 15 degrees and work for couple of hours and then go for coffee to the coffee shop where is 20 degrees and we will see if DSLR are designed to last long time.
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.
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 :)
Japan is an amazing nation. Thanks for this interesting episode.
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.
That may be why it was so highly regarded by professional photojournalists through the 1950s.
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.
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.
+John Schnorr check their financial statements; their earnings are mostly from imaging.
I like Tony's voice and talking, it helps me fall asleep. In a good way :)
Great video!! I love these history videos!! keep em coming pls!:)
No wonder why holding a Nikon body and lens feels like holding a war tool.
holding an F4e feels like carrying a tank
Loved my D1h and my D3s stunning cameras 📷❤️
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'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.
Found this video very interesting and I learnt a lot as well. Thank you for making such well researched content.
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.
what about the very successful Nikkormats??
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.
... and the D3X
I believe that more so a significant camera is the Nikon F3, with a production time of around 20 years, outselling all other Nikon camera models.
Its production time span enclosed the era of the F4, and I believe the F5
Nikon D3, full frame 12,1 Mpx : 2007
Canon 1Ds, full frame 11,1 Mpx : 2002
Canon 1Ds Mark III, full frame 21,1 Mpx : 2007
Why some nikonist lie so often ?
Madraf Tintagel The 1DS MkIII was a studio camera. What made the D3 special was its high-ISO performance, 6400 without boost (the 1DS3 only went up to 3200 WITH boost) and the fact that it had the framerate and buffer to support high-speed continuous shooting for sports.
I never said Canon didn't have great FF bodies before Nikon did, but the D3 was the first FF body that could be a main camera for photojournalism and sports photography, and that's a big deal.
Max Archer No, it's only your point of view, not a big deal. Your opinion is not a fact.
Bye.
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.
i would love a history of zeiss... great video though
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 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.
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)
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...
History of Olympus next please.
It has already fallen ;)
it was still a pretty influential company back in its day. i for one would watch that!
yes. I loved Olympus. still have a E510. had to move to Nikon but loved my Oly.
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.
With all the convenient ways to take photos nowadays, DSLRs are becoming a specialized tool for those who want better quality images; not to mention the ability to be able to tell the difference. It's like quartz watches will never replace mechanical watches.
Giang Vu
To me, dslr and interchangeable lens camera are not that much on better image quality, but the better bokeh that can be achieve, versatility to use filters (nd, circular polarizing, grad nd), ability to use, sync and control flashes, and most importantly, RAW files and Manual control. It is not that much of quartz and mechanical watches, rather pre-made food vs cooking food yourself.
To tell the truth, I do prefer pre-made food somethings, like how average people prefer using their phone, for convenience.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
As the saying goes: The best camera is the one that's on you. People tend to carry a smartphone with them everywhere.
cant win motogp on a 50CC scooter.
Sagar, that's the problem. The scooters are winning because 99% of folks could give af about motogp
That's an interesting take, the influence of culture. I wonder what connection there is with that and with the apparent falloff in the interest in history. It's barely taught in many schools anymore. Everything today is "in the moment" then discarded as "worthless" because it's "old". Like your characterization of the role of photos in our cultural memories. It would be fascinating to contemplate where all this is leading us culturally. And photography, as it was practiced historically, is maybe analogous to the canary in the coalmine? Dunno. Fascinating. Thanks for bringing it up!
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.
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
Great history lesson. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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.
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 =)
This "Leica rangefinders need to to be adjusted every year" line is wildly innacurate. Never had a problem on any of my old film Leica's.
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.
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.
Voigtländer made the first computed lens for photography, right? There is even a modern version made in E-mount.
Interesting stuff Tony and Chelsea,I'm always fascinated by the history of technology!
Good work!
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!
Very interesting, I really enjoy your history series. Thanks for putting this together.
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!
Absolutely loving these podcasts, would really love to hear an olympus history episode!!
Just getting into photography and your channel has been very helpful. Great content that is much appreciated. Thank you.
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!
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.
Heya, Tim. Lots of smartphones shoot raw. Lightroom Mobile can capture raw images directly from many smartphones.
wish granted :)
Tim Berghoff you talk about the word "photographer" and word "raw" did you meant photoshopper?
"a smartphone that shoots raw" i don't see the use, smartphone are for taking snapshots, they are kiiling the P&S cameras, but even a P&S is leagues above an i-phone, MP counts are not everything, a 16MP camera phone produces way way worse results than a first gen under 1MP - 15 years old DSLR. so get a grip and stop comparing a bow & arrows i-phone camera, with larger sensor automatic rifles and bazookas
Also worth noting is the outstanding Nikkormat, a bulletproof SLR widely used by journalists and enthusiasts.
Another fantastic video, thank you so much! BTW, "Canon" vs "Nikon" is not a fair Google Trends comparison since "Nikon" only refers to a camera company, but "Canon" refers to many things, and therefore people searching for "canon" might or might not be looking for cameras. It's also not a fair comparison with "iPhone," since a Google Trend of "iPhone" vs pretty much anything, "Toyota" and "Ford" or whatever you like, will show a massive lead for iPhone. So yes, iPhone is huge, but it's more popular than almost anything in contemporary culture, and as Chelsea noted, plenty of iPhone searches won't be about photography at all. As for your point that Nikon & Canon just don't get the power of mobile phones & software, or barely even get Mirrorless - well taken! I hope they hear you!
BTW, 35mm film is called 35mm because that is the width of the film - originally "invented" for mid-size movie cameras. The 35mm has nothing to do with the in-camera picture frame size.
Oskar Barnack at Leitz built the Leica (Lei [tz] ca [mera]) around it and increased the frame from 22mmx14mm (or so, IIRC) to 36mmx24mm - if you have 1930s National Geographic issues, you can find the Leica advertised as "double frame" because of the increased frame size relative to movie format. In the movie camera the film ran vertically, in the Leica horizontally.
And half-frame 35s are the same 3:2 aspect ratio as the old 35mm movie cameras: 24mm x18mm.
Thanks so much for this informative history of Nikon! Keep it up! Thanks!
Chells, how long have you been giving Timothy lessons he seems to learning a lot. Keep up the good work, chells, and boom operator.
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
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
Nikon also made extra headway in sports because of cameras like the FM2, which had a fast shutter speed AND a high speed flash synch. In indoor sports, such as hockey - or the Olympics - the facilities would have strobes set up in the gantry. Accredited photographers were not only given access to certain spots, they were also given a cable that allowed them to plug into the PC socket of their camera. Each chord connected to separate banks of strobes. An FM2 could synch at 1/250th which was way above most 35mm pro cameras. Even after the F4, preferred the manual focus of the FM2.
When fast reliable autofocus came along, there was some upset. Previously, photographers had relied on their knowledge and understanding of the sport. They despised the 'newcomers' who would just blow through a roll of film instead of watching, anticipating and capturing the perfect moment.
Some of the most amazing sports photographs (to me) are the old boxing photos from the '40s - '60s. They perfectly capture key moments - I’ve met the guys from that era. They were using Speed Graphics and similar cameras - that had to be loaded with individual sheets of film - ISO around 50 or 60, and a magnesium flashbulb that had to be used on a 'bulb' setting, because it took time to deliver its light. My mom was a journalist, I’d go to work with her sometimes or go to an assignment - newspapers still sent a photographer along with the journalists in those days. I met a lot of those old guys. And was working with similar guys when autofocus and high shutter rates came on the market (I was selling cameras during that period) - I still never put a camera on for ‘multiple' shots and I won’t do anything in photo editing software, that I couldn’t do in the dark room
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!
Thanks for a great video, though I am quite surprised you have not mentioned the Nikon F4 and F4s.
Bought my first Nikon last year, and while I have had the chance to use a few Canons I cant say I have much experience with them. However, whenever I've meet another photographer who has used Canon for years, they always tell me that I have the camera they would prefer, or that Nikon is much better overall. While I've generally held them with similar regard, I notice many Canon owners see Nikon as a higher quality tool.
Watching this is like watching an awkward first date. He'll crack corny jokes while she keeps her distance so he can't give her a friendly touch on the arm or leg. He keeps talking about his car, she pretends she's interested while texting her friend to desperately bail her out of this date.
Interesting episode! Always listen to picture this podcast.
It would be awesome to see more videos like this, e.g. Leica, etc.
Eleven years before(1948) the Exacta came with a Reflex system
A fairly interesting video but some Very important models were omitted. Not mentioned were the FM/FM2, FE/FE2, and the FA (with advanced multi-pattern metering) Also the F801/F801S which, along with the F4 convinced many pros to take autofocus seriously.
The audience that this channel has does not care. Basically just re reading a Wikipedia "facts" page anyways.
Obsessive craftsmanship, Leica 🔁 Nikon ❤
Love these explorations of camera brand histories. Thanks!
I'd be keen to see Leica and Hasselblad histories.
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.
Good video. The downward spiral Canon and Nikon are in is caused by their insane pricing strategies. The top of the range models cost as much as year old cars. That is crazy. On top of that they are so slow with technology updates. They have got to change or die.
Their top of the line cameras have always been crazy expensive (for consumers), take inflation into account.
The canon AE-1 was a cheapish, consumer camera and it costed 275$ with the "kit" 50mm lens. Thats $1165 in todays money - for an entry level camera! Cameras have always been expensive.
+Ar364 all camera sells are on a downward spiral not just cannon nikon. The humble phone camera is winning.
It was an entry level SLR, not an entry level Camera. Canon made compact cameras that were cheaper than that. Nikon on the other hand made only SLRs.
Your segment on the Canon AE-1 completely ignored the Nikon FE and FE2. While the AE-1 may have been a more popular consumer camera, the FE and FE2 and their various permutations were IMO a much higher quality camera and were picked up and used by many professionals as a secondary camera next to their F-series pro cameras.
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.
Wow that was a fun history lesson! Learned so much!!!
It's a shame that you didn't go through the Nikon F4 which brought Autofocus, bracketing with the special back, and Matrix metering which at the time was revolutionary (and they were the only one with such a technology), it would exposure compensate automatically, render white white and black black. Matrix metering is still what they are using today.
Important to note that most of the sports photographer switched to Canon because of the superior autofocus (the camera came out after the F4).
Also the Nikon F5, with Coloured matrix metering which is now the standard. That camera pretty much shaped the whole digital future of the brand.
Thank you for your video, it is nice to share and hear history.
I especially enjoy these history podcasts!
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.
What is wrong with 24x32mm? It is closer in ratio to a standard 8x10, would have used some 12% less film. You would get like 40 exposures vs 36. Didn't they process things themselves back then? Would be very easy to adept everything into the slightly smaller film.
I have a Nikon F FTn with a few lenses and it still works fine and it is a 1965 model. I is so strong that I used the body to 'break' one of those clip together plastic boards thing the Karate people use to practice with and sustained no damage. Cool cameras, Pentax introduced the first instant return mirror in around 1954, at this time Canon and Nikon the mirror lock up blacking out the viewfinder until the film was advanced.
Great show guys. Really enjoyed it.
Canon vs Nikon ->
"...and it sells over a million cameras". Yup, it sold very well, I worked at a camera store in 1977 and I must have sold over a 100 myself.
A little note concerning professional shooters. That first Nikon D1 ($5500.) being so expensive marked the transition into digital. Until that moment film was an item (along with Polaroid) which was an expense charged to the client. Business wise, film and polaroid was a profit center because it was customary to mark it up. Also with constant advances in technology It was more expensive to keep current . During this transition, photographers had to figure out how to charge for all the post production investment hardware and TIME. Now you have to build post production costs into your shooting fees.
Thanks for the video. I knew very little about Nikon's pre-WWII history. What you didn't emphasize enough was how much Nikon OWNED the 1960's. Growing up during that era, especially the last half, Nikon cameras were seen probably 90% of the time whenever a photographer would be shown onscreen or in a movie. Sure, Pentax was big as well, but Nikon ruled. The Canon F1 was a great camera, no doubt, but I don't really recall seeing them that much in the 1970's, as the Nikon F2 ruled that decade for pros. Quite true about the Canon AE-1, it was a gamechanger and pulled Canon ahead in the consumer market and Nikon has never caught up. One other historical camera you should have mentioned is the Nikon FA, the first camera with any form of Matrix metering. Now, almost all cameras use some form of matrix metering (although called different names).
For the kind of people who love photography, cellphone pictures will never be enough no matter how much they advance. For example, my first camera is actually a cellphone, a Sony Ericsson K770i. Although it shoots decent pictures, it is nowhere near the quality of a real digital camera. Take note that I print my own pictures using a Canon printer with continuous ink supply system so it's really very convenient to have printed pictures for the album or picture frames. Then I got a Sony Ericsson U5 Vivaz with higher resolution camera and things got even better. I could shoot better pictures but it is still a smart phone. But, that is how I became in-love with photography. I learned from a friend that if I really want to have good pictures, I must buy a DSLR camera. I was able to save enough money for it and purchased my very first real camera, the Nikkon D5300 DSLR and I never look back ever since. For me, the DSLR camera is my dream come true for digital photography. I even bought a better photo printer model with scanner, also from Canon. I also bought an underwater camera from Pentax and is very happy with it. So, smartphones can also serve as a catapult or catalyst for some people to fall in love with photography to buy high end cameras with accessories and photo printers.
You image quality varies. Right this minute, it is excellent.
Little bit of difference in opinion, I had a Nikon Ftn purchased in 1975 followed by two FM bodies with winders in 1976. The FM ran circles around the Canon AE1 imho. I was a a photo journalist and University yearbook photog and the FMs got me through 4 years of photography school. My degree was a BS in Photography, 1980, and we then switched to the F2 and then F3 when using company owned bodies in the early 80s.
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.
The thing with the format of the frames being 24x32mm isn't a uncommon thing at the time for Japanese cameras. I own a Minolta-35 that was a competitor to the Nikon shown and it uses the same format. Minolta changed the format on this series to 24x34mm in 1953 and only with the last few cameras of this model to 26x36mm. It was done so to fit more frames onto a roll of film; the counter of these cameras doesn't stop at 36 but goes up to 40, but it never really took of because the standard of 24x36mm had been too established to be overthrown by the benefit of having more frames per roll of film.
"I don't know what makes Germans great engineers".
Whole Germany is smaller in size than the State of Texas alone. Small countries (incl. Swiss etc.) have limited natural resources and therefore invest heavily and rely on their human capital.
1. In Germany the education is for free (!), so it depends on your mind and interest rather than on your money if you want to have a career in engineering.
2. Companies like Leica see their workers not just as numbers in an assembly line but see them as a valuable asset. All large German enterprises (Bosch, Benz, Siemens) set up their own pension funds and health insurances for their workers.
3. Smaller companies and countries need to work/cooperate on a long term base rather than to insult their partners for a short term profit.
4. Smaller countries and companies do not like to stand in the spotlight but rather prefer to stay in the backroom and work on and improve their product/s. In international politics and business there is something called 'diplomacy', seemingly forgotten in today's political landscape.
5. A President of large country should not promote 'my (x) country first' but actually should learn how to think, work and manage as a president of a small country. Health insurance for everyone e.g. should be a basic human right and not a luxury. Germany's Social Security started in 1889 (!)
I enjoyed your podcast tremendously, keep up your work!
Great explaination!
This is the weirdest commet I ever read.
1. Germany hasn't only a few great engineers way back. Lathe, airbreaks for trains, phones, fountain pens, aircrafts, tanks, automobiles, stean engines, computer, photography, television, synthetic fiber - nothing off 90 % alle inventions nobody want miss today wasn't German inventions.
2. German companies like Leica didn't see workers as number? Gerhard, your name is German, but you are living in Dreamland? Leica produced SLRs soon in Portugal as Leica noted that they can't catch up with Nikon or Canon.
3. Germany is the leader to built walls against innovations in camera design. In the 60s and 70s as Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Yashica, Minolta produced more and more SLRs with built-in exposure-meter and interchangeable lenses German "inventors" settled on leaf-shutter cams with only a fes options of intrerchangeable lenses the frist Leica SLR that hasn't had exposuere metering trough the lens as e.g. Pentax had. Zeiss Ikon cams were built like ever lasting tanks and 10 years after the Nikon F. As result in the mid of the 70s almost all German camera manufactures were dead or struggling.
Picture this: in the 70s and 80s the free educated German workees bought a cheap GDR Pentacon or a high-end Nikon or Canon and watched how they were ditched, coal mines closed, factories outsourced to the Balkans, East Europe and elsewhere.
And so far as I remember, as the the digital age sunrised and digital cams became the future in a developing country named Germany consumers stuck to film cameras and using scanners until one of your German paragons realized: Oops, we missed the new age.
very informative, hope to see the next , Olympus
Konica also produced a fabulous SLR in the 1960s (with an excellent f1.4 lens.)
Great survey! Loved the Nikon Photomic FTn. A friend had a Canon F1 this was the early 70's.
I can't believe you didn't bring up the D700. If I am not mistaken, it is still the highest customer rated camera ever in history.
For years, the D700 was the standard at the newspaper I worked for.
Canon and Nikon work together with release dates in order not to step on each other foot. Amateur digital camera today are the cameras we dreamed about in the 70s. It's like apple vs Mac. Get it
great history video.....thanks Tony and team
The Nikon P900 is literally changing how I see the world, a game changing camera and Im a D7100 and D610 owner.
Hi
Just to mention that you missed to mentionned two important Nikon cameras of the 70ths. The Nikkormat & the first Nikon electronic camera that I still own with my F2, the Nikkormat EL
regards
Hi Tony and Chealsy nice review very well documented as all the remarquable serie on the big brands of photography and thanks a lot for that. One point I don’t agree is when you say to fight with Canon on the non professional market they deliver the Nikon EM. That s not true. They already get a line for non pro which was the Nikkormat since the sixties but it was big built like a tank and not sexy at all just like Canon got his big FT, FTb and EF (which is internally very similar to the AE1). What changed the game is Olympus (and Pentax just after) who produced the compact OM1. Then all the non pro market wanted these small but as efficient as the big ones but nicer and lighter. The answer to this for Canon was the A serie starting with the AE1 and Nikon with thé FM and FE serie. The EM (which was for me not a good camera) appears long time after and to address another part of users with a full automatic mode less build quality and cheaper optics. The genius of Canon was to produce a speed priority automatic camera which is for me (as a photographer) not the best one but the easiest one to understand for beginners. It s easy to understand that if a subject is moving fast you need to take a photo with a high shutter speed, it s less easy to understand that for isolating the subject from the background or to take a quick shutter speed you need to use a opened dia and for me that s why Canon sold a lot of AE1 which is a good camera but not a good tool to learn photography as no aperture priority and an a not really usable dOF lever (you need to put the aperture manually at the same value than the one indicated in the viewfinder … which is crazy and doesn’t t work in speed priority mode as aperture is mechanically set to minimum value). This is just the point I wanted to correct.