DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

How Nikkor optical glass is made

Oct 27, 2016 by John Aldred 3 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

nikkor_vol_6

The Philosophy of Nikkor is a series of videos which Nikon started to release in April of last year. Every so often a new video is released containing insight into the creation of their Nikkor lenses. There are interviews with everybody from the designers and product managers right down to those making the individual components.

In the latest video, Volume 6 released recently, we hear from those who make the optical glass. As part of the Nikon Group, Hikari Glass produces the optical glass that will eventually go into the Nikkor lenses you mount to your camera. The current Hikari Glass plant was built in 1975 in Akita, Japan. It’s a fascinating look at how our lenses begin their life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxmk87uuC14

Particularly interesting is the fact that they design, assemble and repair all the equipment used to produce the optical glass themselves. I suppose it’s really not surprising. There are few companies producing optical glass, so I imagine there aren’t many companies out there producing equipment for optical glass manufacturers.

Only the Nikon Group is involved in the entire production of its optical devices, from production of optical glass to the completed product.

Unless we keep on manufacturing, we cannot cultivate true engineers, and innovation is not possible.

– Izumi Chiba, Production Division, Hikari Glass Co., Ltd.

Producing the glass is the first step in the manufacture of a Nikkor lens. To bring a bag of glass powder to a final optic is a lot of work. The slightest change in production conditions can easily and drastically affect the quality. So, each piece is continually inspected throughout the process to spot defects as early as possible.

nikkor_optical_glass

They even go so far as to guarantee the refractive index of their optical glass to six decimal places. Despite the extremely strict specifications of Nikkor lenses, they say that the standards don’t feel particularly strict. It’s just the way it’s made.

It’s a great look into how these lenses are born, and the rest of the series is great, too. You can see all the videos over on the Nikkor Motion Gallery channel on YouTube.

What do you think of the series so far? Which is your favourite video? Which parts did you find particularly interesting? Let us know in the comments.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Huawei P30 Pro boasts four cameras, 5x optical zoom and optical image stabilization You Can Now Own a Super-Rare Nikkor 10mm Fisheye Lens With 180º Field of View for Only $10K Nikon announces new Nikkor 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 zoom lens for full frame cameras A look at the men who make sure every Nikkor lens is up to Nikon’s rigorous standards

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: lens, Manufacture, nikkor, Nikon, production

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Google acknowledges lens flare on Pixel camera, plans software fix for hardware problem
Three Photoshop tricks for a scary Halloween »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Jollylook Pinhole SQUARE DIY pinhole camera kit shoots Instax square film
  • The “Digitally Analog Polaroid” runs ChatGPT code on a Raspberry Pi
  • My first year with the Mamiya M645 medium format film camera
  • 2023 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest unveils jaw-dropping winning photos
  • Rare albino giant panda caught on camera in China

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy