Nikon Museum

Nikon Museum Special Exhibition

The Second 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition
"Prototype Cameras - Developers' Memories"
Dates: April 4, 2017 (Tue) - July 1, 2017 (Sat)
Place: Nikon Museum, Shinagawa Tokyo

The Nikon Museum is holding a second 100th anniversary special exhibition entitled "Prototype Cameras - Developers' Memories" from April 4 to July 1, 2017.

In this exhibition, Nikon exhibit approximately 40 prototypes made from the 1940's to the 1980's, including interchangeable lens cameras. Each prototype was developed to test and verify new camera designs, functions and mechanics, and is the embodiment of the hard work and dedication of the developers.

However, since many such prototypes were destroyed after testing, even among company employees only the developers saw them, and there has rarely been an opportunity to exhibit them to the general public. This is a very rare exhibition that includes prototypes that never reached the mass production stage.

The "Nikon F prototype" (1957) and "Nikon F3 prototype" (1975) are exhibited with special commentaries by Tetsuro Goto, Fellow and Laboratory Manager of Imaging Product R & D Laboratory, Imaging Business Unit, Nikon.

Nikon Headquarters, Shinagawa Tokyo

Sakura Hanami Season Nippon

Meet the Nikon Museum

Prototype Cameras

Ryu Koakimoto, Akihiko Suzuki, Michio Akiyama and Kengo Kozutsumi of the Nikon Kenkyukai member visited the Nikon Museum on 4th April of the opening date of the special exhibition. Well, let's enjoy a special exhibition with us together.

You can get the large size image by clicking on the following photographs.

Prototype Cameras - Developers' Memories

Nikon Model I Prototype 1, No. 6091 (1947)

Nikon F Prototype (1957)

Beautiful Nikon F Prototype (1957)

Nikon Prototype Tree

Nikon Prototype Tree

Nikon S Leica-mount Prototype (circa 1950)

Nikon S3 Prototype (1957)

Prototype of Nikon F Improved Model (1959)

Prototype of Nikon F Half-frame Model (1960)

Nikomat FT Prototype (1964)

Nikon F2 Prototype Cameras

Nikon F2 Prototype (1964)

Nikon F2 Photomic Prototype (1967)

Nikon F2 Photomic S Prototype (1971)

Beautiful Showcase

Beautiful Showcase

Nikon F3 Prototype 1975

Nikon F3 Prototypes in Early Development Stage (1975)

Nikon F3 Prototype in Late Development Stage (1977)

Electronic Substrates of Nikon F3

Lavish Showcase

Prototype of 8 mm Movie Cameras

Prototype of 8 mm Movie Cameras

Prototype of 16 mm-film Format Camera (1957)

Lavish Showcase

Prototype of Image Magnifying Equipment (1968)

Prototype of the Nikon Macro-unit NB-1

Prototype of a Blimp Case for the Nikon F (1966)

Prototype of Medium Format Camera (1966)

Mechanical Structure Diagram of the Nikon F

Thank you Nikon Museum Tokyo

Large Showcase