[biz-engineer]

That was a question I had at the back of my mind for a long time.
T&C N. made a video to answer that question.

You Tube

You Tube

How correct is it?

[RobA_Oz]

Not all, as I’m sure you’re aware. At the moment, I can think of four other countries where cameras are made, but of course the overwhelming majority are made by Japanese companies.

When I first started taking photos in the 1960s, most cameras available for sale were German. Even some Kodak cameras (and there were some quite good models) were made there. Japanese cameras were only just beginning to make their presence felt, but they were on an upward climb as their optics were more than good enough, and their prices were considerably lower.

That price advantage and the Japanese manufacturing culture bequeathed by Edwards Deming as part of their rebuilding after WW2 ensured they would continue on that trajectory. Most photographers at the time acknowledged the absolute superiority of the German products, but ultimately the price/performance ratio ensured their eclipse.

[Paul the Sunman]

Leica, Hasselblad and GoPro are significant names.

If you move into cinema cameras (the OP didn't specify stills cameras), then Red, Arri, Blackmagic, ...

[jersey]

Praktica is making (or branding?) cheaper P&S cameras and video cameras.

I think Europe decided that it is not worth it to produce still cameras for same reasons we stopped to produce most consumer electronics. I think someone realised that it is better to make and sell high-tech gear then consumer products. Even CPUs that EU started to develop after Huawei are for servers only. So only expensive brands remained in all (but smartphone - we do not have any) sectors of consumer electronics.

[ffking]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, giving only passing mention to the Japanese brand that was first to sell one million SLRs and first to sell ten million SLRs seems to have an (only too typical) element or historical re-writing about it...

[boriscleto]

Leica, Hasselblad and GoPro are significant names.

If you move into cinema cameras (the OP didn't specify stills cameras), then Red, Arri, Blackmagic, ...

Hasselblad is owned by a Chinese drone company these days.

[StiffLegged]

Why bother with the Northrup view of history? He’ll be no better a historian than he was a physicist…

[Papa_Joe]

Because german engineers and managers thought

• that their cameras were so good, no real innovation was needed
• if innovation was necessary, it had to show their genius i.e. be overcomplicated and expensive
• engineers in other countries lacked the german genius and thus their cameras would for sure not convince any serious customer.

[ProfessorBuzz]

And astronomy cameras Diffraction Limited, SBIG, ATIK, Moravian, ..., and microscopy cameras from Teledyne Lumenera, ..., and so on.

[JPT]

I watched that fully expecting it to be complete nonsense, but it was actually mostly OK. I think he's exaggerating the influence of the American occupation a bit. At some point you have to give the Japanese some credit for just being better at mass-producing gear at the quality/price that would sell. I also think that the Japanese really took to photography as consumers and the strength of their home market means they can fall back on that.

He has a good point about Japan's weakness in software development and the difficulties of hiring good IT specialists in Japan. It's a huge problem across many industries in Japan.

[Martin Stu]

"Wakon yesai (yodzai)" — "Japanese soul, European knowledge", one of the slogans of the Meiji era.
if I mispronounced it (transliterated it), then let the respected Japanese members of the forum correct me

maybe so? 日本の魂、ヨーロッパの知識 Nihon no tamashī, yōroppa no chishiki

[normhead]

I don't watch Northrup. After WWII the U.S. sent as much money rebuilding Europe, with a lot of aid going to Germany, as it did Japan. I tried to watch the video, but, watching Northrup makes me feel ill. He's never understood the concept, if your original facts are wrong, so is everything derived from them.

[Michail_P]

Did Nikon perfect the slr design? Sounds like an opinion more than a fact. Japanese realized the value of balancing costs and innovation. That’s what made them market leaders. Leica has always been a niche choice. Constructing a camera like a timepiece is very challenging and costly but other brands have caught up in optics and surpassed by far in ergonomics. Current times need a more spherical approach to a company’s sustainability. And this is also a cultural thing, not only coincidental.

[ffking]

Because german engineers and managers thought
that their cameras were so good, no real innovation was needed

change german to british and you've got the story of the motor-cycle industry

[normhead]

change german to british and you've got the story of the motor-cycle industry

I remember asking one of the ex-pat Brit cabinet makers why so many good hand tools came from Britain. He said "ya, they're 40 years behind over there." We had to let one Brit go when he wouldn't use production machinery. He was cutting mortices by hand with an auger and chisel and would not use the mortising machine, among other problems. He was good, but inefficient.

But we digress.

Did Nikon perfect the slr design?

This deserves a one word answer.
"Spotmatic"

Northrup is a fool.