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Ole Bielfeldt won Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion competition with a microscope video showing ink droplets as an inkjet printer deposits them on paper. The annual contest recognizes photovideography made through a light microscope; Nikon also plans a 2027 calendar featuring this year’s winners.
Ole Bielfeldt’s video of ink droplets in motion has won the 2026 Nikon Small World in Motion competition, which recognizes photovideography made through a light microscope. The winning work captures an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper, turning a familiar printing process into a microscopic moving image.
The subject of Bielfeldt’s winning image is an inkjet printer applying ink to paper. Nikon spokesperson Eric Flem said Bielfeldt used a microscope objective in a different way to record the scene. The supplied report identifies the work as the contest’s top entry but does not provide further technical details about the equipment, recording method or the video’s duration.
Nikon’s Small World in Motion competition is the video counterpart to the company’s Small World photomicrography contest. The motion competition recognizes videos and time-lapse images made through light microscopes, while the original contest focuses on still photographs. Nikon named the top 10 entries for 2026; the complete results include honorable mentions.
The company is also producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring winners from the 2026 competitions, according to the report. The source material does not specify the calendar’s release date or whether it will be available for purchase.
Microscopy Turns Printing Into Motion
Bielfeldt’s winning video highlights how microscopy can make an ordinary process visible in a different way. Inkjet printing is familiar as a result on a page; viewed through a microscope as the ink is deposited, the process becomes a subject for both observation and visual composition. That combination is central to a contest that brings scientific imaging and artistic presentation together.
The award is a recognition by Nikon’s competition, not a claim that the video represents a scientific discovery. Its public value is in showing how microscope imaging can communicate details and motion that are not normally apparent to the unaided eye. The result also reflects the contest’s focus on photographic and video techniques as well as the subjects being filmed.
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From Still Images to Microscope Video
Nikon Small World began in 1974 and marks its 52nd anniversary in 2026, according to the report. The company describes the competition’s purpose as showcasing the beauty and complexity of subjects seen through a light microscope. Its still-image contest and its video competition use different formats to present that work.
Nikon added the Small World in Motion competition in 2011. The newer contest makes use of video and time-lapse imaging through microscopes, in step with technology that allows microscope users to record moving subjects as well as single frames. The 2026 contest therefore recognizes motion-based work rather than a still photomicrograph.
The report lists Bielfeldt among this year’s winners and says the full results include additional entries and honorable mentions. It does not provide the names or subjects of the other nine top-10 entries in the supplied material.
“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 Yet Reported
The supplied report does not explain how Bielfeldt set up the microscope, what magnification or camera equipment he used, or how the ink droplets were recorded. It also does not provide the video’s length or say whether the footage was captured in real time, slowed down or edited.
The available material identifies the winning subject and confirms the award, but it does not include the other top-10 entries, judging criteria or comments from Bielfeldt. Nikon’s calendar announcement is reported, though its release timing and availability remain unspecified.
Full Results and Calendar Plans
Nikon’s complete 2026 Small World results, including honorable mentions, are available through the contest listing referenced in the report. The company is also producing a 2027 calendar featuring this year’s winners. No publication or release date for the calendar is given in the supplied information.
Further information about Bielfeldt’s filming setup, the other finalists and the calendar may be shared through Nikon’s contest materials. Until then, the confirmed development is the competition result and Nikon’s plan to feature 2026 winners in the calendar.
Key Questions
What won the 2026 Nikon Small World in Motion competition?
Ole Bielfeldt’s microscopic video of an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper won the top prize.
What does the winning video show?
It shows ink droplets in motion as an inkjet printer applies ink to paper, viewed through a microscope.
How is Small World in Motion different from Nikon Small World?
The original Nikon Small World competition recognizes still photomicrographs. Small World in Motion recognizes video and time-lapse work made through a light microscope.
When did Nikon start the motion competition?
Nikon added the Small World in Motion competition in 2011, according to the report.
Will the 2026 winners appear in a calendar?
Nikon is producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners. The supplied information does not give a release date or availability details.
Source: arstechnica.com
