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Ole Bielfeldt won Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion competition with a microscopic video showing an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper. The contest recognizes moving images made through light microscopes; Nikon also published a top 10 and plans a 2027 calendar featuring this year’s winners.
Ole Bielfeldt has won the 2026 Nikon Small World in Motion competition with a microscopic video of an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper. The winning image turns a familiar printing process into a close-up moving scene, and leads a contest showcasing photovideography captured through light microscopes.
The winning work depicts ink droplets in motion as a printer deposits ink onto paper. Nikon’s announcement identifies Bielfeldt as the winner and describes the subject as a microscopic view of an inkjet printer. The supplied report does not provide technical details about the recording setup, such as the microscope magnification, camera, or video duration.
Eric Flem, a spokesperson for Nikon Instruments, praised the approach behind the image. He said Bielfeldt used a microscope objective “in a different way” to make a familiar object appear new. Flem described the result as an example of microscope imaging combining technical ingenuity with artistic choices.
Nikon has also listed the top 10 winners for this year’s competition, with honorable mentions included in the full results. The company is producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners, according to the report.
Microscopy Beyond Still Images
Bielfeldt’s win puts the emphasis on motion as a way to reveal processes that a single photograph cannot show. The clip follows droplets as they are deposited, making a brief, everyday action visible at a scale most people do not normally see. That is the contest’s central appeal: microscopy can document objects and processes, while also producing images with visual interest beyond a laboratory setting.
The winning video also highlights how microscope equipment can be used creatively. Flem said the work adapted a microscope objective in a different way. The available material does not explain the method in detail, so the specific technical innovation should not be inferred from the result alone. Still, Nikon’s recognition reflects the value it places on both the image and the process used to make it.
For readers, the award offers a vivid example of how familiar technology can look different under magnification. It is not evidence about printer performance or a new finding about ink chemistry; the news is the contest result and the visual record selected to represent it.
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A Contest Founded in 1974
Nikon Small World began in 1974 and is marking its 52nd anniversary in 2026, according to the report. The competition is designed to showcase the beauty and complexity of subjects seen through a light microscope. Its original format recognizes still photomicrographs, while a separate competition focuses on moving images.
Nikon introduced Small World in Motion in 2011. The format accommodates films and time-lapse sequences made through microscopes, reflecting advances that have made recording moving microscopic scenes possible. Bielfeldt’s inkjet video belongs to this motion category rather than the still-image competition.
The 2026 announcement names the top 10 entries and points readers to a complete list that includes honorable mentions. The planned calendar carries the winning work into a print format, although the supplied report does not specify its release date, price, or distribution details.
“Ole Bielfeldt’s winning image embodies what makes Nikon Small World so powerful: the intersection of microscope imaging, ingenuity, and artistry.”
— Eric Flem, spokesperson for Nikon Instruments
Technical Details Not Released
The supplied report identifies the subject and winner but does not state how the video was captured, including the microscope configuration, magnification, lighting, or recording conditions. It also does not provide the judges’ scoring criteria, the number of entries, or details about the other top-ranked submissions.
Nikon’s characterization of the work as previously unseen is a statement from its spokesperson, not an independently established claim that no similar image has ever been made. The report also does not give a calendar publication date or confirm where it will be sold. Those details remain unavailable in the source material.
Full Results and Calendar
Nikon’s full list of 2026 Small World in Motion results, including honorable mentions, is the next place readers can see the other recognized entries. The company is also producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring this year’s winners. No release date or purchasing information for the calendar was included in the report.
The award announcement does not describe a further judging stage or a planned follow-up event. For now, the confirmed next developments are the availability of the complete results and the calendar project; additional production and distribution details have not been stated.
Key Questions
Who won Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion competition?
Ole Bielfeldt won with a microscopic video of an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper.
What does the winning video show?
It shows ink droplets being deposited onto paper by an inkjet printer, viewed through a microscope. The supplied report does not give further recording specifications.
What is Small World in Motion?
It is Nikon’s moving-image competition for photovideography captured through a light microscope. Nikon added the contest in 2011, alongside its still-photography competition.
Where can readers find the other winners?
Nikon’s announcement lists the top 10 entries and points to a full results list that includes honorable mentions.
When will the 2027 calendar be available?
Nikon is producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners, but the supplied report does not state a publication date or sales details.
Source: arstechnica.com
