Nikon Patent Shows Password Protection for Lens/Body Combinations

nikkorpassword

Having your camera stolen is not a fun experience. If you’re not fortunate enough to have a camera that catches its own theft in progress, your recovery options are limited to services like Stolen Camera Finder, CameraTrace and, the most likely fix, a good insurance policy.

According to a recent patent, however, Nikon may have another method in the works that will try to prevent and deter theft. Nikon Rumors reports that the camera giant has filed a new patent in Japan (number 2013-61508) that locks certain lens/body combinations using a password.

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The translated text is a bit difficult to piece together, but it seems like the tech would link the lens and camera serials to a passcode. If you can’t enter the password, the lens/body combo won’t work. The idea was inspired by smartphones that have been implementing passwords and locking down to prevent resale for years.

The patent was only released last week, but it’s been filed since September of 2011, so there’s a chance the overdue addition of serious security functions into DSLRs may not be that many generations away.


Image credit: Photo illustration based on Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D by n3rraD

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