>What makes Nikon so special?

The Nikon F introduction, circa 1960 or so, revolutionized
photojournalism and press photography. A rugged 35mm SLR built to
professional standards of reliability with a 100% framing viewfinder,
a range of professional quality lenses (both optically and
mechanically),
with an instant return mirror ... it was nothing short of the holy grail
for a working photographer. Canon did not have a pro quality SLR of the
same caliber until the early '70s. Nikon ONLY made professional grade,
highest quality equipment of this type until the late '70s when the
decision
was made to expand their range of offerings into the less expensive,
amateur
and advanced amateur range of equipment, and Nikon has maintained the
high
quality standards along with a tremendous amount of lens compatibility
all this time in their professional offerings.

The Nikon became The Camera of the Vietnam war era, much like the
Rolleiflex
was The Camera of the 1950s in press and photojournalism.

None of this suggests that Canon, Leica, Minolta or any of a dozen other
camera marques available on the market now are not top notch
photographic
instruments. There are few poor performing cameras on the market now,
competition has driven them out of existence. The introduction of the
Canon
F-1 and its descendents into the EOS line, Canon's aggressive marketing,
and ongoing competition between Nikon and Canon (and others!) in the
areas of focus automation, exposure systems, etc etc have produced a
generation of cameras which are absolutely amazing in their quality and
capabilities.

But for those of us who grew up wanting a real pro 35mm camera when the
Nikon was the only game in town, who have owned our Nikon equipment for
20+ years, who notice that the same 1966 lens that fit my original Nikon
F still fits my 1978 Nikon FM and a brand new F4, and that the reverse
is
also true, and who can point to over a generations' span of superb, high
quality photographs produced with Nikon cameras and lenses ... yes,
Nikon
is special and will remain so.

Godfrey DiGiorgi