RED Digital Cinema joins forces with Japanese giant Nikon, a specialist in digital cinema cameras.
It’s official, Japanese giant Nikon has just bought RED Digital Cinema, an American company specializing in high-end digital cinema cameras. The acquisition marks an important turning point in the image capture and processing industry and signifies great collaboration between the two companies.
Who is Red?
Founded in 2005 by Jim Jannard, creator of Oakley, RED Digital Cinema quickly established itself as a reference in the field of digital cinema cameras. Thanks to its high-performance products, the company has attracted audiovisual professionals looking for exceptional image quality.
Among RED’s flagship products, we find the RED One 4K, a camera launched in 2007 that democratized access to ultra-high definition video. More recently, the V-Raptor
He did not win
RED Digital Cinema’s history is not without its twists and turns as evidenced by the legal battle between it and Nikon in 2022. RED then accused the Japanese giant of infringing video compression patents in its updated Nikon Z9 camera firmware. The case ultimately ended in dismissal last April.
Another anecdote: RED was launched in 2017 marketing the Hydrogen One, an Android smartphone. Equipped with a holographic screen and compatible with modular add-on modules, this smartphone unfortunately did not meet with the expected success and was abandoned after a year.
Although the details of the agreement have not been disclosed, it is certain that this operation marks a major turning point in the history of the sector, and obviously RED will now benefit from the support and expertise of one of the leaders in the world of electronics. .
Nikon’s experience will extend to cinema cameras
Additionally, the acquisition allows Nikon to expand its activity beyond consumer and professional photography. While Nikon cameras obviously offer advanced video functions, the Japanese manufacturer does not have a professional cinema arm, unlike its main competitors: Canon, Sony and Panasonic. By buying RED, it is therefore taking its first step into the world of cinema, which should not only enhance its brand image, but also allow it to leverage RED’s know-how for its own photo and video cameras.
In turn, the Nikon press release suggests that this acquisition “Professional digital cinema cameras will enable the development of innovative products in the market” However, we do not know how the Japanese experience can enable innovations in this area where RED is already in a very good position.
