Nikon is pleased to announce that as of August 2010 total production of NIKKOR lenses, interchangeable lenses for Nikon SLR cameras reached fifty-five million. Moreover, total production of NIKKOR lenses equipped with the Silent Wave Motor (SWM), the autofocus motor developed by Nikon, has reached twenty million. Nikon (then Nippon Kogaku K.K.) released its first NIKKOR lenses for Nikon SLR cameras, among them the NIKKOR-S Auto 5cm f/2, in 1959 along with its first SLR camera, the Nikon F. In the half century since, NIKKOR lenses have been extremely well received by a great number of photo enthusiasts and professional photographers. Total production of NIKKOR lenses reached fifty million in August 2009 with production continuing at a steady rate over the past year.
The Silent Wave Motor, or SWM, is an ultrasonic autofocus motor developed by Nikon. Nikon’s SWM converts “traveling waves” into rotational energy to drive the optics used for focusing. Since its introduction, the SWM has been built into a total of 54 different lenses of all types, from ultra wide-angle to super telephoto DX- and FX-format lenses, zoom lenses, and micro lenses. Since 2007, more than 90% of NIKKOR lenses have been equipped with the SWM.
