73 replies to this topic

[starman876]

 seem to have  a very hard time finding much information on what types of telescopes Nippon Kogaku made.  I find one manual for the 6.5 Cm telescope they use to sell.  I cannot find any manuals for the 5CM telescope.

For anything larger then 6.5 CM I cannot find anything at all.  Are the GOTO telescopes from Nippon?  I found some articles that the emperor of Japan had a 4" Nippon but I cannot find anything indicating  if that size was ever made available to the general public.  I do See that Nikon made some 4" refractors.

[Ken Launie]

Actually, Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) made a QUITE extensive line of astronomical telescopes and research equipment for the professional market. Their 52-page "Nikon Astronomical Instruments" catalog lists a weight-driven 8-inch apochromat refractor, a 6-inch achromat, 12 and 36-inch reflectors, coronographs, nebular, airglow, auroral and grating spectrographs, 12-inch coelostats, solar tower telescopes for museums and all sorts of plate measuring and photometric equipment. It's too bad so little of it found its way to the US, where short-sighted institutions sometimes surplus their unused equipment.

Edited by Ken Launie, 14 March 2016 - 11:29 AM.

[clamchip]

Here is one of my favorite places and it lists a 1964 Nikon catalog:

http://www.astropa.u...troduction.html

If you are reading  Italian you can switch to English once in the site.

 

Robert

[starman876]

More interested in the 4" refractors that Nippon made.   Not looking for information on the later 4" Nikons. 

Edited by starman876, 14 March 2016 - 12:49 PM.

[bremms]

More interested in the 4" refractors that Nippon made.   Not looking for information on the later 4" Nikons. 

Did you buy the NASA laser alignment scope??

[Bomber Bob]

Johann, I went through my archives, and no joy for N-K catalogs - just Nikon.  Strange!  There have to be some around.

[starman876]

There is so little information available.   I find bits and pieces here and there, but nothing that provides the information I am looking for.  did so few Nippon telescopes make it to this country.

[starman876]

 

More interested in the 4" refractors that Nippon made.   Not looking for information on the later 4" Nikons. 

Did you buy the NASA laser alignment scope??

 

where was that for sale?

[Steve_M_M]

Actually, Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) made a QUITE extensive line of astronomical telescopes and research equipment for the professional market. Their 52-page "Nikon Astronomical Instruments" catalog lists a weight-driven 8-inch apochromat refractor, a 6-inch achromat, 12 and 36-inch reflectors, coronographs, nebular, airglow, auroral and grating spectrographs, 12-inch coelostats, solar tower telescopes for museums and all sorts of plate measuring and photometric equipment. It's too bad so little of it found its way to the US, where short-sighted institutions sometimes surplus their unused equipment.

My 1964 version of this catalog is interesting in that all the products are labeled Nikon, but the branding of the catalog itself and the address for the manufacturer is Nippon Kogaku.

[kansas skies]

The following document seems to contain quite a bit of information concerning the history of Nippon-Kogaku:

 

http://www.hansbraak...ogaku-Nikon.pdf

 

On page 10, the author states that by 1931, Nippon-Kogaku K.K. had produced hundreds of equatorial refractors in diameters up to 8 inches.

 

As the document seems to be up to date, it might be possible to contact the author for more information.

 

Bill

[starman876]

The following document seems to contain quite a bit of information concerning the history of Nippon-Kogaku:

 

http://www.hansbraak...ogaku-Nikon.pdf

 

On page 10, the author states that by 1931, Nippon-Kogaku K.K. had produced hundreds of equatorial refractors in diameters up to 8 inches.

 

As the document seems to be up to date, it might be possible to contact the author for more information.

 

Bill

I have read through that a while ago and it did not really provide much information on telescopes.  It is mostly cameras and camera lenses.   Seems the telescope line was kept a secret.

[Ken Launie]

 

Actually, Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) made a QUITE extensive line of astronomical telescopes and research equipment for the professional market. Their 52-page "Nikon Astronomical Instruments" catalog lists a weight-driven 8-inch apochromat refractor, a 6-inch achromat, 12 and 36-inch reflectors, coronographs, nebular, airglow, auroral and grating spectrographs, 12-inch coelostats, solar tower telescopes for museums and all sorts of plate measuring and photometric equipment. It's too bad so little of it found its way to the US, where short-sighted institutions sometimes surplus their unused equipment.

My 1964 version of this catalog is interesting in that all the products are labeled Nikon, but the branding of the catalog itself and the address for the manufacturer is Nippon Kogaku.

 

It could be the same catalog I have. It lists Nippon Kogaku's address on the back, but the scopes are marked "Nikon" somewhere on on their castings. I didn't find a copyright date, but the latest date on their list of where their scopes were being used and when they dated from was 1964.

[starman876]

Does anyone know where Nippon was sold in this country or was it the only scopes that made it into this country were ones that people brought over themselves?

[starman876]

never realized what an exclusive club it is owning nippon telescopes.  Let's see the pictures of who has one.

Edited by starman876, 15 March 2016 - 12:45 PM.

[bremms]

never realized what an exclusive club it is owning nippon telescopes.  Let's see the pictures of who has one.

Yes , Nippon and Goto scopes are not common. Especially here in the states. The Nippon Kogaku scopes are usually priced commensurate with rarity. Goto not so much.

[starman876]

So what is the difference between the Nippon Kogaku scopes and the GOTO scopes?

[starman876]

found this link in our own archives which sort of answers the differences between Goto and Nippon Koguka.  Sort of sums it up as they are very different scopes.

 

http://www.cloudynig...-kogaku-on-bay/

[kansas skies]

never realized what an exclusive club it is owning nippon telescopes.  Let's see the pictures of who has one.

I don't have a Nippon Kogaku telescope per se, but I do have a pair of MIOJ Nippon Kogaku binoculars - I guess they could be considered small twin telescopes. Anyway, the optics are very nice, but I certainly wouldn't want them hanging around my neck if I was out canoeing...

 

Bill

[starman876]

I have the 5CM Nippon telescopes and the optics in them are just plain fantastic.   I would assume that the quality stays the same as the aperture goes up.  

[starman876]

wow,  a lot of research and all I have found is a picture of a anything larger then 60mm with the emperor of Japan using what looks like a 100mm.   And some talk about an oerder by the emperor for something larger. 

[kansas skies]

From my past research on this subject (which is a little sketchy at best), it was my understanding that Nikko was simply an abbreviation for the Nippon Kogaku, K.K. company in Japan. At some point, an "r" was added to "Nikko", and "Nikkor" became the designation for their original line of pre-war camera lenses. Nikko somehow became Nikon when applied to the first line of post-war camera bodies. The following websites tend to back up this line of reasoning.

 

This website states that Nikko was the Japanese abbreviation for Nippon Kogaku, K.K.
http://www.mir.com.m...nikkoresources/

 

This website has pictures of a 20 cm (8") Nikko, or Nippon Kogaku, K.K., refractor.
http://nikon.com/abo...r32_e/index.htm

 

Bill

[starman876]

I have been through that website till my eyes were bleeding trying to find something that would help pin down what other telescopes were built by Nippon.  From what I understand that Nippon stands for Japan and Kogaku stands for telescopes.  So in other words Nippon Kogaku stands for Japan Telescope company.    That would seem to indicate that they started out making telescopes.   Now tracking down those telescopes is the tricky part.  

[catboat]

I have been through that website till my eyes were bleeding trying to find something that would help pin down what other telescopes were built by Nippon.  From what I understand that Nippon stands for Japan and Kogaku stands for telescopes.  So in other words Nippon Kogaku stands for Japan Telescope company.    That would seem to indicate that they started out making telescopes.   Now tracking down those telescopes is the tricky part.  

 

Kogaku means “optics”.  Nippon Kogaku = Japan Optics.  Good luck with your search for info.

[kansas skies]

As stated in catboats post, it was my understanding that Nippon Kogaku translates to "Japan Optical", which is stated as well in the following Wikipedia page. I read somewhere that the quality of Nippon Kogaku optics was developed early on with the assistance of Zeiss. I think the problem with trying to research the company and its name lies with the shift in government resulting from WWII. It appears to me as though the company changed from national to private during the course of the few years following the war. In any case, I think it is safe to assume that the terms "Nippon Kogaku, K.K." and "Nikko" can be used interchangeably.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon

 

Bill

[combatdad]

Among the hundreds of documents I've collected during my research, I have a number of 1960's "Guide Book of Japanese Optical Precision Instruments".  One shows a Nippon Kogaku, "Nikon 36 inch Reflector for Astrophotography".  It came with a 150mm, f/15 Finderscope.

 

Dave