Nikon choir
A large group of photographers simultaneously capturing images of a celebrity, producing numerous photographic flashes along with an accompanying din of clicking camera shutters.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The celebrity walked out and faced a loud Nikon choir.”
“A Nikon choir waits outside the hotel for the famous singer to appear.”
“As the actress stepped onto the red carpet, a Nikon choir erupted with flashes and clicking sounds.”
“The politician stopped to answer one question while the Nikon choir drowned out his voice with constant shutter clicks.”
“Security guards pushed the crowd back so the athlete could walk past the Nikon choir without being hit by cameras.”
“The star was momentarily blinded by the intense glare of the Nikon choir that gathered to document her every movement.”
first recorded 20th c.
From the brand Nikon and the noun *choir*. The brand name, established in 1946, is a blend of the Japanese *Nippon Kōgaku* (“Japan Optical”), a shortening of *Nippon Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha* (“Japan Optical Industries Corporation”), and *Ikon*, a camera brand then owned by Carl Zeiss AG.
The term is a piecewise doublet of the phrase *Nikon chorus*.
Last updated August 10, 2026