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Ole Bielfeldt won Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion competition with a microscopic video showing an inkjet printer depositing droplets of ink onto paper. The annual contest recognizes moving images made through a light microscope; Nikon also plans a 2027 calendar featuring this year’s winners.
Ole Bielfeldt’s video of ink droplets moving from an inkjet printer onto paper has won the 2026 Nikon Small World in Motion competition, Nikon’s contest for photomicrography videos. The winning entry uses a microscope to show a familiar printing process at a scale that is difficult to see with the naked eye, placing everyday technology at the center of a competition devoted to images made through light microscopy.
The image, identified in the source report as a microscopic view of an inkjet printer depositing ink on paper, took the contest’s top prize. Nikon spokesperson Eric Flem said Bielfeldt used a microscope objective in a different way to make the image. The supplied report does not describe the specific equipment setup, the recording process or the dimensions of the droplets.
Flem praised the entry as an example of the combination of microscope imaging, ingenuity and artistry that the competition seeks to recognize. He said the work transforms a familiar object into something new to viewers. That description is Nikon’s assessment of the image; the report does not provide independent technical measurements or further details about how the printer’s ink deposition was captured.
Nikon announced a top 10 for the 2026 competition, with the full list and honorable mentions available through the contest. The company is also producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring this year’s winners. The source report does not identify the other top entries or specify when the calendar will go on sale.
Making Inkjet Printing Visible
The winning video brings an ordinary process into view at a scale that most people do not normally observe. By showing ink droplets in motion, it offers a visual example of how microscopy can reveal details within familiar materials and technologies—not only organisms or laboratory specimens. The appeal rests on making a routine action look different when viewed through an instrument designed to expose small-scale structures.
The result also illustrates the role of video in microscopy. A still image can record a single arrangement, while motion footage can show a process unfolding. Nikon’s Small World in Motion competition is specifically intended to recognize this kind of photovideography, including movies and time-lapse images made through a light microscope. The award is a public-facing showcase, not a scientific finding about inkjet performance or printer design.
For readers, the distinction matters: the prize recognizes the quality and creative approach of the image, while the source material does not report that the video was produced as a research study or that it establishes new findings about how inkjet printers work. Its significance here is chiefly visual and educational, demonstrating how imaging technique can change what an everyday object looks like.
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A Contest With Two Formats
Nikon says the Small World competition was founded in 1974 and marks its 52nd anniversary in 2026. The program celebrates images captured using light microscopes, combining scientific imaging with visual presentation. The still-photography competition and the moving-image contest share that broad focus but recognize different forms of work.
The company added Small World in Motion in 2011, according to the source report. Its format takes advantage of technology that allows microscope users to create movies and time-lapse sequences, rather than submitting only a single photograph. Bielfeldt’s inkjet video is the 2026 winner in this motion category; it should not be confused with the separate still-image competition.
Nikon describes the competitions as a way to showcase the beauty and complexity of things seen through a light microscope. That framing explains why an inkjet printer can fit the contest: the subject does not have to be a rare specimen. The winning entry instead uses an unconventional view of a familiar object, with the contest recognizing the resulting image as microscopy-based visual work.
“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 Still Unreported
The supplied report does not give the video’s length, magnification, camera or microscope specifications, or the exact method Bielfeldt used to record the droplets. Although Flem says a microscope objective was used differently, the mechanics of that approach remain unspecified. The report also does not provide independent technical analysis of the footage.
Details about the other nine top-10 entries, the honorable mentions and the calendar’s availability are not included in the supplied material. Nikon’s praise of the winner is attributable to its spokesperson; no judging criteria, score breakdown or judges’ comments are provided here. The available information establishes the award and the subject of the winning image, but leaves those additional points open.
Calendar and Full Winners List
Nikon is producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring winners from the 2026 competition. The supplied report does not state when it will be available or provide purchase information. Readers seeking the complete contest results can consult Nikon’s full list, which includes honorable mentions, as referenced in the source report.
No further competition schedule or follow-up announcement is given in the material. For now, the confirmed next public-facing item is the calendar; additional details about its release and the other winning entries remain to be published.
Key Questions
What won the 2026 Nikon Small World in Motion competition?
Ole Bielfeldt’s microscopic video showing an inkjet printer depositing droplets of ink on paper won the top prize.
What does the video show?
It shows ink droplets being deposited onto paper by an inkjet printer, viewed through a microscope. The report does not provide further technical details about the recording.
How is Small World in Motion different from Nikon’s other contest?
Small World in Motion recognizes movies and time-lapse images made through a light microscope. Nikon’s other Small World competition focuses on still photomicrographs.
When did Nikon start the motion competition?
The source report says Nikon added the Small World in Motion competition in 2011, after the original Small World competition was founded in 1974.
Will the winning image appear in a calendar?
Nikon is producing a full-color 2027 calendar featuring the 2026 winners. The report does not specify its release date or availability.
Source: arstechnica.com
