TOKYO -- Upon its launch in 1959, Nikon declared the Nikon F the "ultimate" single-lens reflex camera, able to "meet all photography needs in a single device."
Though it was not the first of its kind -- Asahi Optical came out with Japan's first 35 mm SLR model in 1952 -- the Nikon F's durability and cutting-edge capabilities made the brand a byword for quality for professional photographers and made SLR the technology of choice for many years.
