[Nikon] F | Film Cameras | 1959

 

 Nikon F

The Nikon F camera, introduced in April 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera and one of the most advanced cameras of its time. Although many of the concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was revolutionary in that it was the first to combine them all in one camera. It was produced until October 1973 and was replaced by the Nikon F2. Aspects of its design remain in all of Nikon's subsequent SLR cameras, including the current Nikon F6 film and Nikon D6 digital models, which still share its Nikon F-mount for lenses. The "F" in Nikon F was selected from the term "re-f-lex," as the pronunciation of the first letter "R" is not available in many Asian languages. This tradition continued through Nikon's top line of cameras until the introduction of the Nikon D1 (digital) cameras decades later.

Specially modified Nikon F cameras were used in space in the early 1970s aboard the Skylab space station.

The Nikon F professional SLR camera with an eye-level prism and early NIKKOR-S Auto 1:1.4 f=5.8cm (1959) was the first 35 mm SLR system to be widely adopted by professional photographers, especially photojournalists covering the Vietnam War, as well as by NASA astronauts.

It was originally priced at US$186 with a 50 mm f/2 lens; in November 1963, the US price was $233 for the body with a standard prism plus $90 for a 50 mm f/2 lens or $155 for a 50 mm f/1.4.

A combination of design elements made the Nikon F successful. It had interchangeable prisms and focusing screens; the camera had a depth-of-field preview button; the mirror had lock-up capability; it had a large bayonet mount and a large lens release button; a single-stroke ratcheted film advance lever; a titanium-foil focal plane shutter; various types of flash synchronization; a rapid rewind lever; and a fully removable back. It was well-made, durable, and adhered closely to the successful design scheme of the Nikon rangefinder cameras. The camera was the first to use the F-mount bayonet lens mount system, which is still used as of 2024. The lead designer of the Nikon F was Yusaku Kamekura, the man behind the 1964 Summer Olympics logo.

The Nikon F evolved from a rangefinder camera, the Nikon SP. The prototype model, in particular, was an SP with a mirror box, pentaprism, and larger lens mount grafted on.

The Nikon F revolutionized the photographic market, stealing the thunder from German manufacturers Leica and Zeiss. The F had a reputation for being extremely resilient to damage or mechanical failure, becoming known as "the hockey puck."

In some markets, the camera was marketed as a "Nikkor F" due to trademark conflicts. In Germany, "Nikon" was seen as too similar to the Zeiss Ikon camera line. Nikkor F cameras have become collector's items.

The Nikon F was succeeded in 1972 by the Nikon F2 series after a production total of 862,600 bodies. Subsequent "single-digit" F cameras continued as the top of Nikon's professional line of film SLRs, through the Nikon F6 introduced in 2004. Since the introduction of the digital Nikon D1 in 1999, Nikon has continued to reserve single-digit model numbers for top-of-the-line cameras.