Worth watching - Japanese Nikon commercials from the 1970s to the 1990s:
Via Tokyocamerastyle
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80 Comments
Dont know why but it makes me think James bond hehe.
This should end the how to pronounce Neekone discussions.
It pronounce in French the same way.
German +1
Indian English +1
We don’t even pronounce their country name correctly. Why should we bother with Nykon?
The good old day’s. Hope Nikon will build me a Digital F4 Back End for Christmas.
those were amazing…
Those were REAL photographers back then….
The ladies with the white jumpsuits and the berry backgrounds.
WTF? Was that Latoya Jackson?
Yes, at that time many people were still shooting black and white.
(I know It’s bad but I could not help it, sorry !)
These were awesome! A nice, refreshing change from Ashton Kutcher……
Now did I hear Nykon? Didn’t think so.
Ahahaha…
This is the rickroll vid for everyone who pronounces Nikon “Naɪ-kən”
We’ve been over the pronunciation thing before. Until Nikon issues an official statement as to how they want their company name pronounced, I’ll continue to say it the way I always have. When I phone Nikon Canada, the receptionists answers Nykon. Should I be correcting her and everyone else working there?
It’s like IKEA. The way you pronounce the “I” sound in English is different than the way you pronounce it in Swedish, and other countries around the world tend to follow one or the other, though in principle they could make up their own, too.
The Japanese pronunciation of Nikon is “Knee-kon”. The English pronunciation is “Nigh-kon”. That, friends, is the final word on the issue.
Except in England, where we also speak English, and say ‘Nih-kon’, with the I more or less as in ‘click’ or ‘Nippon’. Your ‘final word’ is incompatible with the first of your two paragraphs, which I broadly agree with
Either that’s regional or my parents have adopted “American/Canadian English” pronunciation. Go figure.
Australian from English (Nottingham and Essex) parents – we all say nihkon too..
You don’t have to correct them or anyone. And… you know, you don’t have to follow them or anyone =p
I choose to go with the original though.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Nikon.ogg
OK, no biggie! It’s just humo(u)r.
Agree. I’ve always pronounced it the way I’ve heard it at the photo stores in America–Nykon. So, yes, I was hearing the ad producers pronouncing it–Neekon–but guess old habits are hard to break. Until Nikon (Nykon) tells me differently, I’ll stay with the Americanized version.
The British “Nick-on” is also incorrect. The closest pronunciation without a Japanese tongue is “Neek-ohn”, which neither Americans nor UK/Irish follow.
Left out the Canadians, sorry aboot that.
Anyway all 3 pronunciations are ‘correct’ as Nikon itself uses them.
It’s not a long “ee” sound – that would be spelt niikon in romaji japanese – its short like in nissan or better example the name “Nick”
WOW!
Those dancing skiers … Maybe we could put Ashton in with them and they’d giggle him to death?
Wow, the memories.
That was totally cool.
Oh!!!! This is awesome. Brings back so many memories. How times have changed.
Anyone else creeped out by the kiddie porn? They actually made a commercial about that? Wow.
On another note, it was interesting to see my first Nikon, an F70, in the last bit.
ohhhh..a naked child, and you even see porn in it, you’re a sick one
Societies differ, and attitudes change. Even in Japan now you would not see such a commercial, probably as a result of increasing Western cultural influence in the last 20 years.
We live in a strangely hypersensitive, over-protective world.
I saw a tv host bathing with kids on Japanese tv just recently…
You should have seen the late night game shows….
their market is paedophile lol
Best post since the start of this site, thanks for sharing!
Hey, I know it’s not porn, and most normal people know it’s not porn. But this is what happens these days – people get freaked out over everything.
Even so, I don’t like the idea of a commecial about naked kids.
And that is how it all began……. and will continue well into the future.
Heaven forbid someone else does something that you don’t like. We better make a new law and a new oversight committee (funded by taxpayer dollars) to make sure no other people are exposed to this thing you don’t like!
Think about what you are saying for a second and then look at our society.
wow you are one sick dude, zinchuk!
i guess the abnormal person you mention
that sees porn in this and/or is freaked out is yourself!
Bye bye NY-KON, hello NI-KON.
In the US it’s often pronounced as Kneekon, and Nikon got so tired of it that they will change their pricing policy till as long most of you can pronounce it correctly
Knee-cone is correct. Nikon ads in the USA pronounce it Nye-con though. So your post seems backwards.
The Japanese (who incidentally, coined the title) don’t say NYE KON at all. Listen to the ads (funnily enough spoken by people from Japan) – they say KNEE KON, not KNEE CONE.
British Nick-on is also incorrect; unless you’re a Japanese citizen you have no place nit-picking.
Here here! Finally someone said it!
Something about black pots & kettles comes to mind…….
The commercials were MUCH better before Ashton entered them…
Second that one. I just can’t connect photography and Ashton Kutcher. Time for a major change. I’d rather see Sir Paul McCartney doing some photo shoots with the Beatles singing in the background. Now that’s entertainment!
And what about white teeth Brits like me… do we pronounce it differently to big fat Americans or to slim good looking Americans?.
Sometimes I really don’t know what to think……!!!
Ummm…”white teeth Brits!”????? Its like saying Bob Marley will marry Barbie…a fantasy by any standards! haha….
Anand I don’t know but maybe I’m a fantasy out of Wonderland…. but I’m Brit and I have white teeth. I just have the common sense to clean my teeth and go to the dentist for check ups. But maybe when you say white teeth, you mean fake teeth, bleached to unimaginable limits. You know, just like those fake boobs many women wear they look dam good with a t-shirt on, but when you take it off….
POTY 2011 ! Post of the year.
Just one thing:
I did not imagine anyone could flick the film advance lever as fast as that.
Nikon was remarkably “on message” back then. Nikon cameras were about the thrill of speed, the exhilaration of film flying through the camera. That was “cool” and that was what what people aspired to.
And for amateurs, dancing with La Toya Jackson…
That’s cool, but now I want to see the D800 commercial !
Noo, I don’t want a commercial, I want to see it in stock at the local shop! Hurry Knee-kong!
Ok…so someone has to know who the pretty girl was at 4:23!
Come on…someone has to point it out! haha
@Anand
my wife.
She must be about 52 by now. What does she look like like today? Oh, I forgot, meanwhile she prefers to stay invisible. It’ s a real pity what time does to men and women alike, isn’t it.
Don’t worry, Gawd knows we could stay young longer in the future… 90, 300, 700, 3100, 5100, 7000 years, you name it.
yea that stalker girl is cute!
She can stalk me anytime! ..Sorry invisible man..don’t come after me!
What the heck does 99 percent of that nonsense have to do with taking photos?
This nonsense is called basic marketing. They’re selling a happy and excitng lifestyle. Notice that they rarely showed any actual photos – that would only confuse the buyer.
A philosophy still running strong in marketing photography equipment today, just with different emphasis.
Over here in the colonies I have never heard Nikon pronounced any other way but “Nyecon” so I don’t think it matters whether I am fat or not:-) Oh, except for my ex-sister-in-law who pronounced it “Neecon” but she is a chinese immigrant and I believe that would be the correct way in Pinyin…
My first SLR, and it’s still working!
The F-401, that is.
Whatever you pronounce it, my F2S is still performing !
My Nikon FA is in pristeen condition. I just don’t shoot film anymore. But love to take it out of the camera case and hold a real camera, and remember when it wasn’t too much trouble to advance the film by myself and push/pull the telephoto lens. Miss the days gone by.
Thanks for sharing Peter Parker! Domo Arigatô Gozaimashita
If Nikon were smart at marketing they would dump Ashton Kutcher for Charlie Sheen right now…lol
priceless!
made me miss my N8008s
I have my F-801s in my hand now!
Pronunciation of “Nikon” is regional. NYE-KAHN is how Nikon refers to itself in the United States.
That’s no more “incorrect” than using the English pronunciation of “D3″ rather than the Japanese – which, in English, would be completely pretentious.
I agree completely! Here in Japan it is pronounced “Knee-kon” in the states,
“Nai-kon.” Nothing wrong whatsoever with the “Nai-kon” pronunciation because you arent speaking Japanese!! Samething with the pronunciation or Karaoke, Karate, Toyota or Narita Airport. If I pronounce them the way they are in Japanese to Americans, no one knows what I am talking about! There is nothing wrong with pronouncing a non English word in an English manner when you are speaking English!!! When I speak to my fellow Japanese camera enthusiasts in Japanese I say “Knee-kon” When I speak to my fellow American camera enthusiasts in English I say “Nai-kon” Neither is wrong as long as you speak it the way it is pronounced in that language. You should hear how we pronounce Mc Donalds here!
First explanation I’ve read that makes sense!
I dont want those days back. My photos improved a lot during the digital revolution. Now it is almost free to take pics when you got the gear. Taking unlimited exposures make me try different composes and angles, often with luck. Now i can spend all that money i threw away on film on gear or travelling for new experiences. I think in the old days i spent thousands of dollar a year that way. Now i am a lot more happy.
Film photography. There will always be a special place in my heart
.
But I don’t miss the smell of the darkroom!
Well said.