It’s worth noting that Nikon has been providing cameras for Nasa for nearly 40 years now, when the then astro-favorites Hasselblad (those big-ass cameras you see used for foto shoots in the movies/real life) were deemed to be too big and bulky (and expensive!) for constant use in missions. Nearly everything Nikon supplies Nasa ends up custom-built in some way, mostly to work around spacesuits and other practicalities.

Nikon’s history with NASA

• 1971: Nikon Photomic FTN* (NASA specifications) was used on Apollo 15
• 1980: The “Small Camera”, based on the Nikon F3 and equipped with a motor drive, and the F3 “Big Camera”, which utilized long film, were delivered to NASA. The “Small Camera” was used aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia launched the following year.
• 1991: The Nikon F4 and F4S were delivered to NASA
• 1999: The Nikon F5 and AI AF Nikkor lens were carried aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to photograph extravehicular activities (EVA)
• 2008: D2XS digital-SLR cameras were delivered to NASA. Eight D2XS cameras are still used in space to document activities such as inspections and maintenance operations.
• In addition, approximately 15 types of lenses, more than 35 all together, are kept aboard the International Space Station for intra- and extravehicular photography that supports NASA’s space activities.

As a big fan of both space exploration and Nikons, all I can say is that I’m… Over the moon.

The pics, courtesy of Nasa:

[Nikon Press Centre] (Includes full size pics)

Update & Extra: More fotos from the trip, although this time it’s of the Gulf Coast BP oil spill seen from space.
Worth a look, even if it is depressing.

Not everyone can rattle off the wide world of tech that comes with carrying a camera. Equally, many keep thier camera fixed on ‘Auto’, since they rarely keep learning texts on hand when out shooting fotos.

Salvation is at hand (literally), as Nikon have released the Learn & Explore app for the iPhone/iPod touch. This free app contains tons of  foto fundamentals and shooting techniques, and covers nearly all you’ll need to know about getting the shot right.

Best off (after the ‘free’ price tag) is that all info applies to all cameras, not just Nikon.

Yet another app to make me drool over the iPhone…

[Nikon Learn & Explore App] via [Lifehacker]

An interesting history of the digital camera via CNET, from its early 4kg, .01 megapixel count (in black and white only of course) beast of a machine, through to the first true digital images (no analogue involved) of the auroras (at a then-mind-blowing 100x100px), with Apple’s entry into the market (the Quicktake) as the other big boys jump in, and even a link at the end to Hasselblad’s viciously high tech latest, the HD3 II, which for it’s 18.500£ price tag will allow you to record up to 39mp images, for which I have no words other than “damn!!!”. A trip through the ol’ skool….