There are thousands of pieces of literature published by Nikon or EPOI available. They provide perhaps the greatest insight into the history of Nikon cameras, and are the most easily stored of anything Nikon you can collect!

Also interesting are early Nikon ads that appeared in photo magazines and the popular press. Collectors will also want to pursue dealer price sheets, repair manuals, in-house sales information, dealer memos, and bound sales guides.

Sadly popular magazines like "Shutterbug" have fallen victim to the B&H Photo ad flood, and have moved away from the collector, however there are occasionally articles of interest. During the early years of "Shutterbug", articles by Dr. Burton Rubin, and other collectors, were a regular feature, and provided volumes of information about obscure collectibles.

Due to their small press runs, and publication dates, many of these books are out of print or distribution, but are available online from rare booksellers.

Recommendations
☆☆☆☆☆ - 5 stars is highly recommended as a collector reference.
NR - Not reviewed because no English version exists, or there is no review copy.
Recommendations are based solely on how useful the publications are for NHS collectors. Your opinions, and ideas, for other books to be included are welcome.

The Nikon Camera in America, 1946–1953
by Michael Wescott Loder, foreword by Robert J. Rotoloni
This work examines the roles that American businesses and photojournalists played in the early overseas marketing of the Japanese–built Nikon camera and its Nikkor optics between 1946 and 1951. Particular attention is paid to the San Francisco–based Overseas Finance and Trading Company, which was the major U.S. importer of Nikon products between 1949 and 1953. The work also details the roles of Overseas Finance leaders Hans Liholm and Adolph Gasser in providing marketing and technical guidance to Nikon in the company’s formative years.

☆☆☆☆☆

order order this book

The Complete Nikon Rangefinder System
by Robert Rotoloni

☆☆☆☆☆

order this book

The History of the Japanese Camera
edited by Gordon Lewis from a translation by William and Amy Fujimura, 1991
Includes fourteen essays by seven Japanese writers which trace the growth and development of the Japanese photographic industry from the 19th century to the present. Published by the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House in conjuntion with the Japan Camera Inspection Institute.
NR

Evolution of the Japanese Camera
preface by Philip L. Condax, introductory essays by Masahiro Tano, Takashi Hibi, and William S. Fujimura, 1982
Catalog with 136 B&W illustrations. Includes an annotated, illustrated, chronological checklist of over 400 cameras in the exhibition as well as essays on the cameras and optics.
NR

Nikon
by Robert Rotoloni, 1981
Some years ago, Robert produced a small book dealing to a limited extent with the Nikon rangefinder cameras. Historically interesting to the Nikon collector.
☆☆☆☆

Nikon Rangefinder Camera
by Robert Rotoloni, 1983
Robert Rotoloni expanded his original book into "Nikon Rangefinder Camera", shown here, with a considerable number of new illustrations, camera number information, and comprehensive coverage of the forty one lenses introduced by Nikon for the rangefinder camera. He has detailed and illustrated the many accessories, making a most exhaustive history from the end of the war, showing the 'Made in Occupied Japan' period in detail, up to the cessation by Nikon of manufacture of the rangefinder camera. The book comprises 200 pages and about 350 black & white illustrations. The Bible of Nikon collecting, this book provides the most complete information on early Nikons. There are bigger books, and better looking books... but nothing comes close to the information contained in this little book. It is the first purchase all collectors should make! (out of print, some copies available from the author)

This publication, despite its publication in 1983, remains the most accurate reference available.
☆☆☆☆☆

Complete Nikon System, An Illustrated Equipment Guide
by Peter Brackzo
Released in 2001 and is widely available at photo retailers. This book does not have an "enthusiast" feel, the large number of photographs are, for the most part, uninspiring. New collectors may find the overview of the entire Nikon system quite useful.
☆☆☆

Nikon F Nikkormat Handbook of Photography
by Joseph David Cooper and Joseph C. Abbott
Published by Amphoto, and written by Nikon insiders Joseph David Cooper and Joseph C. Abbott. The cover illustrated is in the first series, the later edition has a black cover. These books were first published in the early '60s covering the Nikon F only, however they were sold with a unique subscription service, which kept them current. Buyers received updates on a regular basis, which were then inserted into the loose-leaf binder. (Collectors should always be aware that many of these books on the market are quite incomplete)
☆☆☆☆☆

Also very important for the collector are Nikon manuals and price sheets, published by Nikon.
☆☆☆☆

The Nikon Manual
by George Wright
The manual is the only in depth manual written at the time that the Nikon SP was released. A small supplement was produced when the S3 was released.
☆☆☆☆☆

Nikon Guide
Kenneth S. Tydings, 1956
This little book is easy to find, and contains a number of photos not found anywhere else. The reproductions are very poor, but interesting.
☆☆☆

Nikon F - The Camera/Lenses/Accessories
by Uli Koch, 2003
3 volumes in a slip-case. For more information visit www.nikon-f.de.

Review by NHS member Mike Symons
Mike is one of the earliest NHS members, and has contributed many articles to the NHS Journal.
☆☆☆☆☆

Nikon Compendium Handbook of the Nikon System
by Rudolf Hillebrand and Hans-Joachim Hauschild.
The New Nikon Compendium: Cameras, Lenses & Accessories since 1917
by Simon Stafford, Rudi Hillebrand, and Hans-Joachim Hauschild, revised 2004
These publications have received very favorable mention on the NHS message board, and have been highly recommended for their coverage of modern Nikon cameras, and the exceptional quality of the illustrations.
NR

Nikon: A Celebration
by Brian Long, 2007
From Amazon's description: "Profusely illustrated throughout with rare archive material from around the world, and augmented by a feast of original pictures of the cameras in use, the text is enhanced by extensive appendices containing a wealth of information for the avid Nikon collector."

An expensive hardcover @ $45 it is fun to look through, especially for the new collector who has not seen early Nikon literature. Not a collector's reference, but certainly a celebration of the mark.
☆☆☆

Dr. Kuno's Nikon book
There are several books, in Japanese only, on the Nikon, some of which may be purchased through the Society. Illustrated is Dr. Kuno's Nikon book, which contains some of the most beautiful color Nikon equipment photos available.
☆☆☆☆☆

Japanese camera enthusiast magazines
Japanese equivalents of Pop Photo often cover collecting, and offer rare photos of Nikon equipment, so if you live in a city like New York, check your Japanese news dealer often.
NR

MOOKs
A Japanese contraction of the English words magazine and book. Mooks are books with the look, design, and layout of magazines. A number have appeared covering the Nikon SP and F, which include incredible color photographs, including rare prototypes. They are expensive, and very limited in numbers printed.
NR

The graphic design of Yusaku Kamekura
by Yusaku Kamekura (Kame), 1973 in English edition
The famous Japanese designer who designed all the Nikon rangefinder instruction manuals. A rare book.
☆☆☆☆☆

PHOTODeal
A quarterly collectors magazine in German language covering the whole spectrum of photographic collecting. Each issue contains 68 pages, many of which are in full color. The Publisher is a member of the NHS, so it often contains articles of interest to Nikon collectors, as well as articles articles about classic cameras, news from the photographic scene, exhibition reviews, a calendar of German and international photo shows and many pages of classified ads. For more info and sample articles in German and English language visit their web site at www.photodeal.de.
NR

Nikon 1995-1996 Catalogus
by Hans Braakhuis and Robert Rotoloni, in Dutch.
No photos, but it covers everything from the beginning to the present. NHS member Hans Braakhuis has added to his "Nikon Catalogus" series with a new volume on accessories. This 229 page soft cover book deals with many of the accessories made for the Nikon reflex system numbering nearly 500 items, with about 100 illustrations. Only in Dutch at this time, it still can be a concise and compact guide to the small bits & pieces of the Nikon system.
Information on this series directly from:
Hans.Braakhuis[at]planet.nl (replace "[at]" with "@")
NR

Nikon Faszination
by Peter Braczko
Nikon collector, press photographer, and member of the Nikon Club Germany. "Nikon Faszination" was published in 1988, a second edition, was published in 1992. This book shows the Nikon system from the point of view of a collector who loves the Nikon. It is not a system guide, but approaches Nikons in an informal way, the way most collectors view their collections, and includes many photos.
☆☆

Nikon Pocket Book
by Peter Braczko
The little red book (also available in English) is of special interest, it is arranged in the familiar Leica handbook style. Note: numbers are sometimes in conflict with Rotoloni, however its small size makes it great for carry to shows and flea markets. It is not a price guide, but a guide to the complete system. A must-have book.
☆☆☆☆☆

Christie's Auction Catalogs
Christies is an auction house only, so their catalogs relate just to their auctions. They auction Nikon, Leica, Contax, and many other fine collectibles. Before the advent of eBay they were the only source of prices based on actual sales. Visit Christie's web site for more information. (Photo equipment specific auctions and catalogs have ended, as of 2007)
NR

Online HTML link::
Hans Braakhuis has compiled an extensive list of books related to the Nikon camera. The list is very long, the page may take some time to load if you are not in Europe.

Thank you Hans! Please contact Hans if you know of any publications which you think should be included.

Nikon Camera Repair Handbook
by Thomas Tomosy, 2001
How to disassemble, maintain, clean, repair, and restore camera bodies, including rangefinders, mechanical SLRs, electronic SLRs, and underwater cameras. Each model is discussed individually and accompanied by illustrative photos and detailed instructions. Lists of basic skills, precautions, and tools.
NR

Factory Manuals
Reprints of Nikon manuals for the S, S-2, SP, and F are widely available. Nikon distributed these manuals on microfiche, so these manuals are usually easy to read if printed from the original, and not second generation copies.
☆☆☆☆☆

Romney Publishing repair books
NIKON F, F2, FT , FTN w/ Nikkormat,
NIKON FTN Meter prism
NIKON SP RF
You need the Factory Manuals above to supplement these books, they do however offer many good tips.
☆☆☆