In TokyoWhen I was in Tokyo earlier this year on an Asian speaking tour I met a friend for drinks one evening. He is a journalist and knowledgeable observer of the Japanese camera industry. We had a pleasant couple of hours discussing the state of photography in Japan and also a bit about the industry itself.

I had brought a Nikon D300 on the trip with me and when he saw it he asked if I knew the story of Nikon's recent DSLR resurgence. Apparently, (at least according to my friend) in about 2005 Nikon's board had a break with the company's senior management. After some 50 years as a dominant player in the Pro camera market Nikon was losing not only marketshare but also "face", because of Canon's dominant position in almost every market segment, but particularly with regard to Pro cameras and Nikons lack of a full-frame competitor to Canon 1Ds series. In short – Canon had been cleaning Nikon's clock, and the board was pissed.

It seems (or so the story went) t...