120 million Nikkor lenses! Nikon hits major new production milestone

Leonie Helm
·2 min read
Nikkor lens.
Nikkor lens.

Nikon announced that it has reached a major milestone, having produced a total of 120 million Nikkor lenses as of April 2024.

That’s 55 million up from 2011, as the company almost doubled its lens production over the last 13 years. (For reference, Canon hit the 160 million EF/RF lens mark mark in June 2023.)

Nikon is one of the world’s only manufacturers that begins its process with the production of optical glass, offering Nikkor F lenses for single-lens reflex cameras and Nikkor Z for mirrorless cameras.

Last year saw the company celebrate the 90th anniversary of its first Nikkor release, the Aero-Nikkor lens for aerial photography in 1923.

“Drawing inspiration from the Nikkor brand's remarkable 90-year history and its endless technological advancements, Nikon remains committed to contributing to the development of imaging culture, with the hope of expanding possibilities for imaging expression,” said Nikon.

The Nikkor line has had a rich history, with photos taken during the Korean War by David Douglas Duncan featured in Life magazine, and in 1948 the New York Times published an article that highlighted the high quality of Nikkor products, which helped to establish the concept of "made in Japan" quality.

Nikkor lenses have also been used in NASA’s space missions. In 1971, both the Nikon Photomic FTN (NASA specifications) and Nikkor lenses were used on the Apollo 15 mission, the fourth United States Apollo mission to land on the moon, and the first to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle.

In 2009, the D3S and AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses were used to document activities at the International Space Station. Specially modified Nikkor Z lenses, along with a Nikon-designed Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (a modded Nikon Z9), will be used by astronauts on the moon when NASA returns in 2026 on the Artemis 3 mission.

"These lenses, among many others, showcase Nikon’s commitment to providing unique and high-quality options that support users in expressing their creative vision," concluded Nikon.

Check out our list of the best Nikon lenses and best Nikon Z lenses on the market today, as well as the best Nikon cameras.