Nikon has been around for 100 years, which is pretty cool, and to celebrate the anniversary it has launched a dedicated anniversary site alongside a pretty amazing movie that traces Nikon’s history.
The video features an epic intro from outer space and a catchy song with the lyrics 'I can see the light, oh yes I can see the light,' repeated. It's the kind of song where if I lived in say, Berlin and enjoyed underground dance parties, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if it came on in the club. There’s also cameos by famous photographers, recreations of historic moments, famous magazine and newspaper covers and a narrator with a Hollywood blockbuster-style voice.
In all seriousness it’s a very cool, albeit over the top, video. And Nikon is certainly a company with a rich and important history worth celebrating. The anniversary site also features a really cool timeline of the company's achievements. Here’s hoping they’ll be around for another 100 years.
I've never bot a Nikon, probably will not ... yet owned SLR (now ILC) since 1968 Mamiya Sekor. However, that was a great video celebrating achievements, fast-paced and proud. Kudos, Nikon. Now, as others have said, please adapt to newer, smaller, more friendly bodies and lenses, compatible with other makers, and you may survive another 10, let alone 100 years. Imagine if there were 4 sensor sizes used by all makers (from smartphones to full-35mm format), with matching lens hardware, pins and specs. All the compatibility, choice to consumers and benefits of competition that would bring would be outstanding. A market leader could rally others to join ... Just do it.
Ok, long time reader, first time posting. Here is an article about the Apollo space program and the cameras involved. No Nikon, No Canon.. An Ansco Autoset 35mm camera, manufactured by Minolta and Hasselblad 550C.
Minolta user since 1976 with an SRT101 and satisfied Sony A77II owner. I really wish you Cannikon users would get off your high horse...
At the beginning of the space program hardly anyone thought of photographs from space as anything more than a branch of industrial photography. There were pictures of the spaceships, and launches, and of astronauts in training, but these were all pictures taken on the ground. When John Glenn became the first American in orbit, bringing a camera was an afterthought. An Ansco Autoset 35mm camera, manufactured by Minolta, Gary H. Kitmacher, Author Steve Garber, NASA History Web Curator For further information email [email protected]
OK guys, happy birthday. And now - please get inspired by GH5, A7RII and EM1 II and finally bring FX mirrorless so that we, your clients, will not have even to think about migration. Hurry up please!
Actually they made a beter video, set to classical music, called Lux Centuriae. Its a bit long, but has interesting pictures of some of the cameras they made for NASA. Its on their 100yr anniversary site here: http://www.nikon.com/100th/luxcenturiae
True, dpreview got it right, it is over the top, the music is quite "un- cool" and sounds like a very typical ad song. Outer space, galaxies, what else? They say "sometimes less is more", would have been a good advice here. I'd already be happy if they finally get color right in their cameras. Fuji, Canon and even Sony are better at that....
I'm decades deep in Nikon pro gear, and I'm pretty open-minded creatively, but that music is terrible - it makes it unwatchable. At the very least, play it with the music but ditch the terrible, terrible vocals... Yeesh.
Under "history" tab, 1980, I can read "...the Nikon F3 adopted brand new electronic technologies ... The camera was designed with the motor drive not as an accessory but part of the camera body, achieving up to 6 frames per second. The integrated camera and motor drive design by Giorgetto Giugiaro ... " Was that written by someone from the Nikon staff ? I for myself was not lucky enough to get my two F3 bodies with internal motorization, needed to buy the MD-4 for sequential shots. What the f... ? JpP
I am a Nikon user and I thought it was cringe-inducingly bad.
1. The opening is awful - so pretentious and basically nonsense. Why is there a heavy-breathing astronaut narrating about light anyway? We can even glimpse the future? Really?
2. That song is utter tripe. It would not feature at any club. It would only ever feature at a Eurovision Song Contest and would deserve null points.
3. The grammar is dire: "To make the impossible give way to become the realities for tomorrow." If you are going to use an English voiceover, make sure what they say makes sense.
4. Nothing of note happened between 1950 and 1993?
5. What about featuring classic photos that were taken with a Nikon? You know, the main thing Nikon is known for?
6. The deep, bass-toned voiceover is completely at odds with the video. The voiceover belongs to an action/superhero movie not a Nikon vid.
7. Seriously, this is one of the most unimpressive promo videos I have seen. It's like a school video project.
The main message for me from the video was that photo equipment is not Nikon's main business. Now I can see how they can survive for another 100 years ;-)
If you're struggling to watch it, try muting the sound.
That song has to be one of the worst I've ever heard on a promotional video. Shockingly bad, even though I enjoy a wide range of music genres. It sounds like it was made up and performed out of tune and on the spot, complete with meandering, nonsense lyrics.
Otherwise interesting, if somewhat over-cooked, footage. A good editor could cut it down to an amazing 2 minutes.
why not?.... its time for nikon to become interesting again.... a small nothing like an engraved edition of their best compact , would say "pride"if nothing else its would be a more tangable nod to nikons history than that forgettable video
I loved my Coolpix A. Loved. It got washed into the Ocean. First chance I get, I will get another. Call it silly, or me being emotionally attached to an object, but some of the very best photos I have taken in the last two years, was because of that camera.
I liked it very much but I do agree that it's over the top; it's too bombastic, which is why I liked it in the first place :) ... Who on Earth wants to watch boring? It's anything but
Dan, it is not ridiculous at all: the majority of people fail to register that photography IS all about the light ("And God saw the Light that it was good and divided the Light from the darkness"etc) Akhenaton, and Turner, and me too regard the Sun as God, just as the Hindus and yes, the Japanese do- "the land of the Rising Sun" Danny boy!!
The only tragedy involved here other than the failure to realize simple longstanding truths and beliefs as even relevant is Nikon's failure to pack their precision goods properly in foam cut-outs inside decent strong boxes, so that our machinery cannot be damaged in transit.
Other than that it is one of the planet's most important companies, and it is an amazing company, here maybe trying to clue you into what thay want as competition entries!!
Yeah, that thing about the sun dying and resurrecting after 3 days of apparent lack of movement (hence, "death"), on the 25th of December, from the constellation of the Virgo.
I don’t know if every real Nikon-Fan knows these wonderful two Nikon-videos. It is in Japanese language but no reason not to lean back and enjoy. The videos bring good vibes, better mood. It’s really worth to look!
Careful. You're sounding like a hipster. Next thing you know, you're going to be buying Ektachrome and engaging in all manner of "trying to keep vintage thing BS alive."
LOL No no no.. I don't care about the "superior" artistic qualities of film that we already discuss, besides I don't have a beard, use tight pants or stroll the city on a vintage bicycle. Don't fill the profile!
Not a Nikon user, but I wish Nikon a Happy 100th Birthday. Their contributions to photography, and optics, in general, have made the world a better place, no doubt.
I don't find the video to be "ridiculous", but it could've been done a lot better, and without the song, which ruined the video. It's an OK video for, perhaps, introducing a product, but doesn't remotely rise up to a 100th anniversary level. Budget must be really very tight!!!
You have had ups and downs, but always remained a force to be reckoned with and when some were losing faith you came up with some of the very best photographic gear one could have wished for.
One of the highlights of this video for me is the pronunciation, by an American, of the word 'Nikon', heard about 75% through to the end, in the European English way. Nik-on, rather than the usual 'Mercan way of Nike-on.
Doesn't necessary make it wrong. I pronounce it Nike-on, if you will, and that due to how we speak where I live. Every region has its particular dialect, accent and pronunciation, and granted if that's how the company wants to have its namesake pronounce then so be it rightfully so, but its ridiculous how so many debate over this as if one is superior than the other.
That's correct. Nikon should be pronounced "Nee-kon" just as in Japan do, however most people in the US think America is a country not a continent so I am not surprise.
It is indeed good form to pronounce words as they would be pronounced in the country of origin, if that pronunciation is known. Which it is in this case of course. Not that it matters greatly. As far as I'm concerned it is just a point of interest.
@villagranvient "most people in the US think America is a country not a continent" That's probably because America, or more correctly the USA, IS a country and not a continent. It is part of the continent of North America.
America is a country. It's one of the names of the USA. It is in the lexicon, it's officially recognized as such. America means many things. The Americas the US. But America used as shorthand for the USA is also correct.
Yeah : just as Tibet, or Taiwan are officialy recognised as being China because Americans need to do Business with chineses ;) more than with Tibet or Taiwan.
Why the need to qualify the vídeo as ridiculous, or any other epithet for that matter? Just provide the link and be done with it. Really poor editorial work.
80% of any good video is all about the audio, so why did Nikon fail so badly with this?
The voiceover artist was sooooo wrong and the music just made me screw my face up is disgust spoiling what looked like an ok promo for Nikon's 100th Birthday.
The chap who said the video is ridiculous is really with very bad taste. The video is beautiful. And happy birthday Nikon we love you. The best of the best in cameras and all the rest they make. Together with Nokia and Ektachrome return, wonderful and exciting news. Don't stay with us for another 100 years, please!!! Stay with us until this planet dies in approximately 5 billion years.
I just don't see how this video can be seen as "ridiculous" and "over the top." And knowing Berlin quite well the comments on the music are beyond me.
It's always easy to criticise but considering they are no doubt aiming for a Worldwide audience of all ages with a 100 year history of achievements to tell in a short period of time I think they've done a pretty good job.
(Disclaimer: Have worked in broadcasting most of my prof like and also ran marketing budgets for promos. Also use Canon DSLRs not Nikon so no bias there.)
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