Madrid, Spain—Giulio Forti’s latest book, Nikon: A Japanese History, covers the evolution of Nikon from the time of the Meiji Restoration to the digital age. Forti, a former board member and now honorary president of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), is a past editor of the leading Italian photo magazine Fotografia Reflex. He has also authored numerous books on the photo industry and photo technique.
Nikon: A Japanese History
His newest endeavor is a detailed and profusely illustrated 312-page volume that will appeal to both students of history and admirers of Nikon products and their development. The book paints a rich and engaging picture of what Forti describes as the “two lives of the famous company and its competitors.”
Four years in the making, the book is rich in both historical context and deep in its coverage of the development of Nikon cameras and lenses. The company developed the technology that helped change the way images are captured. Additionally, the book covers the game-changing effects of the transition from film to digital that forever altered the photographic landscape. Throughout, Forti, who was intimately involved with the photographic industry throughout his career, gives an insider’s look at both Nikon equipment and the photographers who used it.
As impressive as the historical materials are, Forti’s numerous appendixes and indexes include a filmography of excellent films in which Nikon cameras appear. (Many of which inspired youthful photographers to take up a camera to earn their living.) He also includes an extensive bibliography to inspire further reading. Moreover, a thorough index serves as an excellent guide to topics covered in the book.
Most of all, the book weaves a tale of the interplay of technology with social and historical events. It does so all through the lens of the evolution of Japan’s photo industry from 1870 through today. Additionally, it goes into great detail on the development of advancements in the photographic realm from an insider’s point of view. However, it also serves as a fascinating document that makes for great reading for any student of history.
Nikon: A Japanese History, by Giulio Forti
312 pages with black-and-white and color illustrations; ISBN 978-88-7792-218-2. Available from the publisher (English text).
Review by George Schaub
