Nikon acquires the manufacturer of movie cameras, RED

Are you familiar with Oakley sunglasses? Jim Jannard, the founder of a successful sunglasses company, became a fortune via its sale. He then established RED Digital Cinema, a prominent brand in digital movie cameras. Nikon Corporation has announced the acquisition of the camera maker, making it a completely owned subsidiary of Nikon Corporation.

Established in 2005, the company was created to address the challenge faced by television and movie cameras in adapting to the rising popularity of digital production workflows. Existing digital video cameras on the market were inadequate for meeting the quality standards required for high-end television and low-end movie production. The business aimed to develop a 4K digital cinema camera that was unique and reasonably priced, surpassing the prevailing 2K standard at the time.

The RED firm aimed to create a sensor that could provide the superior quality of DSLR cameras, particularly in low-light conditions, while maintaining a high frame rate. This sensor’s dimensions were similar to analog film, serving as a link between digital and conventional film production. The first results were shown during the 2006 NAB Show, when Jannard introduced the RED One camera, quickly gaining the industry’s interest and allowing for preorders. In 2007, filmmaker Peter Jackson showcased the camera’s capabilities in his short film “Crossing the Line,” which was filmed with prototype RED One cameras. The short film persuaded filmmaker Steven Soderbergh to use RED technology for his movie “Che,” a pivotal moment in the history of digital filmmaking.

After the camera began shipping in August 2007, RED rapidly became the leading camera brand for television and movie production, generating excitement among early followers of the photography business. This was the first digital video camera capable of shooting in raw video formats, providing more flexibility for editing, and including compression techniques to handle the large volume of data produced by the camera.

Even when Jannard retired in 2013, RED’s tradition of innovation persisted under the guidance of Jarred Land. The company’s cameras became essential in the film business. By 2016, the company’s cameras were used to shoot almost 25% of the top 100 highest-grossing films in the U.S. that were made using digital video technology.

Nikon’s acquisition of the camera brand is significant and strategically astute. Canon has a strong presence in the industry with its C-series cameras; Sony’s cinema-line cameras are well-established; and Fujifilm is widely used on film sets.

RED’s cameras are a strategic and significant addition to the Nikon brand. It will be interesting to see what RED can do with a Nikon budget.