Is Nikon happy to be 2nd to Canon?

Once Nikon accepted that in camera focus motors were the wave of the future and figured out how to provide similar features to Canon's EF mount while retaining nearly complete legacy support for its millions of f-mount lenses, there's really been little question that it has provided better engineering AF, better sensor quality, and better consumer grade lenses.  In fact, when the D40 came out years ago, it completely changed the market.  Canon's big leap forward came when it switched to the EF mount and obsoleted all its previous product.  This would be death to a manufacturer of system products were it not for the fact that: 1) Nikon's AF implementation was very accurate but dog-slow compared to the Canon in-lens-motor system, and 2) Canon released some very impressive exotic telephotos with the EF mount AF system which sports and action photographers went for in droves.  Canon's AF accuracy wasn't necessarily more accurate, just faster.

Since the turn of the 21st century, Nikon has been pushing image quality and AF system responsiveness pretty consistently, to the result that they usually outperform Canon's consumer offerings (where the money is), particularly in lens quality, which is of course Nikon's roots.  Canon often finds itself playing catchup in the still-photo arena, but where it eats Nikon's lunch is in video, where Canon is a much more established player.

In general, Nikon has a lot of engineering patents and projects on its bench but plays it conservative in marketing them.  Until a technology is proven and it can be fit into their established egonometrics and system it won't get out of the labs.  They never cannibalize their existing product lines.  This can create some interesting marketing dissonances; for example, their Series 1 line has some pretty fabulous engineering in it and addresses the issue of responsiveness in mirrorless style cameras pretty definitively, but its was implemented in an interchangeable lens format.  Sony's take on the 1" sensor market - the RX100 - ticks more boxes that compact camera shooters looking for quality want - it's much more pocketable and convenient.  Nikon would have been wise, in my view, to bring out an RX100 like product first, but they didn't.  Similarly, they're taking their time releasing a mirrorless DX system, though they've got patents on lenses for one.

With regards to unit sales, yep, it sure looks like Nikon hates being #2.  But the way they address that is by price discounting their products like crazy rather than experiment in their established markets like their competitors do (and have to do, by the way...otherwise, why would you buy something other than Canikon?).  That's more their real problem.