Nikon

Nikon Corporation
Native name
株式会社ニコン
Kabushiki-gaisha Nikon
FormerlyNippon Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha (日本光学工業株式会社) (1917–1988)
TypePublic
TYO: 7731
IndustryOptics, precision equipment, imaging, healthcare, industrial technology
FoundedJuly 26, 1917 (1917-07-26)
Tokyo City
HeadquartersNishi-Ōi, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
ProductsStill cameras, SLR cameras, DSLR cameras, digital cinema cameras, binoculars / monoculars, binocular telescope, laser rangefinder, field microscopy, precision equipment, microscopes, surveying equipment, regenerative medicine solutions, material processing equipment, ophthalmic lenses and many instrumental products
Brands
Revenue¥677.163 billion (FY2026)
−¥112.448 billion (FY2026)
−¥86.088 billion (FY2026)
Number of employees
19,928 (consolidated, March 31, 2026)
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.nikon.com

Nikon Corporation (株式会社ニコン, Kabushiki-gaisha Nikon) (Japanese: [ɲiꜜkoɴ] ⓘ; UK: /ˈnɪkɒn/; US: /ˈnaɪkɒn/) is a Japanese manufacturer of optical and precision equipment headquartered in Nishi-Ōi, Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its businesses include cameras and lenses, semiconductor and flat-panel-display lithography systems, microscopes and ophthalmic imaging systems, industrial measurement and inspection equipment, optical components, and metal additive-manufacturing systems.

Founded on July 25, 1917 as Nippon Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha (日本光学工業株式会社; "Japan Optical Industries Co., Ltd."), Nikon initially manufactured optical instruments and later became internationally known for its cameras and Nikkor lenses. It introduced Japan's first commercial LSI stepper in 1980 and changed its corporate name to Nikon Corporation in 1988. Among its notable product lines are the Nikon F-series of 35 mm film SLR cameras, the Nikon D-series of digital SLR cameras, the Nikon Z-series of mirrorless cameras, the Coolpix series of compact digital cameras, and the Nikonos series of underwater film cameras.

Since the 2010s, Nikon has expanded beyond its traditional imaging and precision-equipment businesses into healthcare, industrial technologies and digital manufacturing. It acquired British retinal-imaging company Optos in 2015, German metal additive-manufacturing company SLM Solutions in 2023, and American cinema-camera manufacturer Red Digital Cinema in 2024. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, Nikon reported revenue of ¥677.2 billion, an operating loss of ¥112.4 billion and a loss attributable to owners of the parent of ¥86.1 billion, with the Digital Manufacturing business recording substantial impairment losses.

Nikon is a member of the Mitsubishi group of companies (keiretsu). Its main competitors in camera and lens manufacturing include Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Pentax, and Olympus.