Nikon have posted record profits and record profits for the first 6 months of the financial year. A 58% increase in SLR sales was the main cause of success, along with a 13.6% increase for compact digicams. So Nikon joins Canon as one of the few digital camera makers that are actually making money - the new Nikon D200 (pictured) should only help even more.

“While we managed to maintain our competitive edge in the high-end SLR camera segment, we were also able to escape from fierce price competition thanks to the launch of new models which met the needs of consumers,” Ichiro Terato, the group’s chief financial officer, told a news conference. “But as competitors in the high-end SLR digital camera market are increasing owing to the entry of consumer electronics makers, we view the prospects for the business climate conservatively,” Terato said.”

Website: Nikon posts record interim profits on camera sales