The development of the first Nikon camera, the Nikon I, commenced in the late 1940s. Though it wasn't officially named Nikon I initially, it earned this distinction as it marked the inception of Nikon's camera legacy.
Following World War II, the Allied forces in Japan eased restrictions on the production of optical and precision equipment. Nippon Kogaku K.K., later known as Nikon Corporation, seized this opportunity to enter the camera manufacturing industry.
The design of the Nikon I drew inspiration from the German Contax camera. Nippon Kogaku K.K. acquired Contax cameras and Carl Zeiss lenses as part of war reparations, using this technology as a foundation for their camera development. The decision was made to base their camera on the Contax but substitute the complex shutter design for the cloth focal plane shutter of the Leica, thus combining the best features of both cameras. The Nikon I featured the Nikon S (for "Nippon Kogaku") bayonet lens mount developed in-house.
The original Nikon I lacked flash synchronization but was otherwise a fully-fledged, up-to-date rangefinder camera. The designers opted for the 24 × 32 mm (3:4) frame size, known as the Nippon format, which yielded more frames per film length (40 frames per roll) and closely matched common paper sizes (8 by 10). Unfortunately, the camera didn't gain widespread popularity because the US administration in Tokyo prohibited its export to the US due to the non-standard format, incompatible with Kodak slide mounts.
Officially released in March 1948, the Nikon I was bundled with the 5cm F3.5 lens and listed for 57,690 Yen. Serial numbers started at 6091 and went up to about 609758. The first 21 cameras were likely used for testing. Despite the apparent number of over 750 Nikon Ones, it is believed that only around 400 were delivered. This is due to 90 Nikon I's not passing quality control and about 200 unsold units being converted to the later Nikon M. The initial 200 were sold through the Nikon trading department, with 50 exported to Hong Kong.
The subsequent models, the Nikon M and Nikon S, continued to build on the foundation laid by the Nikon I, contributing to Nikon's reputation as a leading camera manufacturer. Although the history of Nikon cameras dates back to the early 20th century when the company, originally named Nippon Kogaku K.K., was founded in 1917, the Nikon I is considered the first camera produced under the Nikon brand, marking a significant milestone in the brand's success. The Nikon I was officially discontinued in August 1949 and replaced by the very similar Nikon M with a larger 24x34 film format, recognized by the M preceding the body number.
Due to its very limited numbers, and the even rarer examples that might exist, my collection starts from this Nikon M model.
Reference
Nikon Rangefinder Camera - An Illustrated History of the Nikon Rangefinder Cameras, Lenses and Accessories by Robert Rotoloni
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