All the cameras taken to the Arctic Circle by Naomi Uemura on his 12,000 km solo expedition of the Arctic Circle on a dogsled (1976) were broken, unable to withstand the severity of the weather and terrain there. Uemura was unable to take photos to his satisfaction. "I felt bad because the dogs had to carry cameras that were almost useless, " Uemura later recalled.

In June 1977, Uemura requested Nikon to develop a camera for use on a solo dogsled expedition to the North Pole. In his discussions with Nikon's engineers, Uemura explained, "The air temperature in the Arctic Circle sometimes drops to minus 50℃ and the shaking of the dogsled while breaking ice peaks resembles running up and down a flight of stairs." Uemura sought a camera that would withstand the low air temperature and shocks experienced in the polar region. The NIKON F2 Titanium Uemura Special is the camera developed by Nikon to meet Uemura's rigorous requirements.

In January 1982, Uemura left Japan to travel 3,000 km across the Antarctic continent by dogsled and scale Mt. Vinson Massif, the highest peak on the continent. Nikon developed the NIKON F3 Titanium Uemura Special for these adventures. This camera is now exhibited in the "Feature Showcase" corner of the Nikon Museum.

Some cameras developed for Uemura are still missing. One of them may rest on Mt. McKinley with Uemura.