Countless awards for excellence in photography have been won with the products produced by Nikon, which is somewhat predictable since uncompromising professionals have employed Nikon cameras for many years. Nikon continually strive to improve their products and as such remain one of the best manufacturers of digital cameras.

Although Nikon was formed in 1917, the brand name didn't emerge until 1946 when the company decided to concentrate on the manufacturing of cameras and the first Nikon camera, Nikon I, was developed in 1945 and released in 1948. Steady sales were ensured through developments in film advancing, picture size, and other areas. The Nikon S was released at the end of 1950, Nikon's popularity spread even further and production steadily increased. Nikon adopted a no compromise approach to the development of their cameras and this became known as the Nikon culture, and as sales confirm, there will always be users who prefer such products.

Nikon have been prominent in photography for decades and although their digital cameras aren't the lowest priced on the market they come with a seal of excellence. They deliver unsurpassed imaging results with faultless simplicity and technology that explains why they continue to grow in popularity.

Nikon digital cameras furnish the requirements of both professional and recreational photographers and there is a camera that will fit almost any need irrespective of your level of experience, as you will see by the following examples.

In Nikon's Fun and Leisure range is the Coolpix 5600, which is one of the smaller digital cameras on the market with 5 mega pixels, 1.8-inch LCD display and 3x optical zoom. Easy to use and fully automatic, this digital-camera is a standard point and shoot and is for anyone who is looking for worry free picture taking. However, it is packed with features for those that want to be a little more creative with their photographs.

In the Enthusiasts and Hobbies range is the Nikon Coolpix L4, a compact and light weight camera with 4 mega pixels, 3x optical zoom and a 2.0-inch Super Bright LCD display. Stylishly designed, exceedingly well built and probably one of the most basic and straightforward digital cameras that Nikon manufacture. An ideal camera for anyone who is looking to stay within a budget, but are unwilling to sacrifice on quality.

Also within the same range is the Nikon Coolpix 8400, an extraordinary compact digital with 8 mega pixels, 3.5x ultra-wide angle optical zoom and 1.8 inch LCD monitor. The Nikon Coolpix 8400 has the feeling and appearance of a serious camera and, for those who sometimes want the simplicity of a point & shoot, but also want the features available to help improve their photography, this camera is ideal. This is a camera with impressive photo quality and is superbly built.

When you move on to the SLR range of cameras you come into the top of the range of Nikon's products and a good example is the Nikon D80, which is a 10.2 mega pixel camera with a 2.5-inch LCD display. Designed with absolute picture-taking control in mind, previous Nikon owners will not be disappointed with this camera as the intention of producing a camera with fitting features for the serious enthusiast and novice DSLR user alike has been met, combined with fantastic image quality.

Nikon have built their name by manufacturing quality products that have provided professional photographers with reliable equipment for many years and now photographers of every level are experiencing that quality.