Nikon has recently seen a loss of 86 billion yen as of March 2026. Considered to be the worst annual year for the company in its history, the total operating profit has been a negative 112.4 billion yen. These numbers have been alarming, and it has lead the company to think of a new solution. Per a new report, the company is focusing on these two things to make it back.
According to Nikkei Asia (via Tom’s Hardware), the company’s new CEO, Yasuhiro Ohmura, has revealed that the company will focus on cameras and chip making as its tools. At the same time, focus on one area of chip making where the company has a genuine path.
In this case, that area is ArF (argon fluoride) lithography. It is the deep ultraviolet technology that handles majority of patterning steps in chip manufacturing, even on the most advanced processes. At the moment, there are only two companies that build ArF equipment, Nikon and ASML, and Ohmura’s plan is to win back customers by undercutting ASML on price. The CEO intends to manufacture the chip in-house, which will give Nikon an advantage in pricing. Moreover, Nikon is currently in discussions with several large chipmakers in the US and Asia, with conversations “nearing purchase orders.”
The second part of the strategy is to treat the camera industry as a means of its two core businesses worth investing in. While the report doesn’t delve into how the company will intend to do so, it is pretty clear that they are aware of how powerful their imaging business is. Nikon reportedly sold 910,000 interchangeable lens camera bodies, with the Z50II and Z6 III being the top models. Even ZR, the company’s cinema camera, has shown a positive trend. Overall, there has been no decline in demand, just a number of budget models that are being sold at lower than average prices.
With the CEO also naming cameras and chipmaking as core businesses, it only proves that they will invest just as much in the department. In other words, the company already has models such as the Z7 III, Z9 II and Z8 II that need updates. If Nikon is serious about getting back on its feet, they will have to cater to photographers from different walks of life. Even the RED technology is another reason why people think of Nikon as a serious option. One that caters to both photographers and filmmakers alike.
While there are reports of Nikon selling to EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban and Oakley, there is a possibility that it is only the case for glass optics and not lenses. Since there have been no formal reports, it is safe to say that it could be heresy, at best.
Nikon’s financial difficulty only proves that the company needs a new strategy, which they have revealed. The brand investing in already profiting departments can help to push the company out of losses, once and for all. As for photographers, this only means good news. The brand’s survival means relying on chips and cameras, which only means that they won’t take anything for granted.