In an announcement that caught everyone off guard, Nikon has just announced the acquisition of RED Digital Camera, the renowned American manufacturer of high-quality cinema cameras. This merger marks a major turning point for Nikon, expanding its horizons beyond photography to more fully embrace the world of professional video production.
Nikon and RED: A Marriage of Convenience?
Nikon, one of the major players in the world of photography, needs no introduction. Since the release of its latest mirrorless models, the Z9 and Z8, the brand has been offering not just photography excellence but also advanced professional video capabilities. The company notably uses N-RAW (based on TicoRAW), a compressed RAW video format that initially brought Nikon and RED into contact — not necessarily on the friendliest terms.
For its part, RED.com, LLC, founded in 2005 by Jim Jannard, has built a strong reputation in the film industry thanks to its cameras beloved by professionals for their flexibility and excellent image quality — models like the RED ONE 4K and the V-RAPTOR [X]. This small team, with just 220 employees, will now be joining a giant with more than 20,000 employees worldwide.
This acquisition, whose financial terms have not been disclosed, is much more than a product range expansion for Nikon, which had already pivoted strongly toward video with its professional bodies and vlogging cameras. It is, in our view, a strategic leap forward toward deeper integration of video technologies within its ecosystem. Nikon will now benefit from RED’s expertise in cinema camera technology, particularly in RAW video compression — once a contentious issue — and in color science.
As the market has shifted increasingly towards video, this move seems particularly savvy for Nikon. Although the photography market is holding steady, it faces increased pressure from smartphones at the entry level, pushing traditional manufacturers to find new growth opportunities for their Imaging divisions. Video could be a major driver for Nikon.
Nikon now apparently owns all of RED’s patents, including those relating to REDCODE RAW, a crucial technology for managing the vast data of 4K, 6K, and 8K images from RED cameras. Nikon could integrate this technology into its mirrorless cameras. The question remains whether Nikon will offer this RAW compression technology to other manufacturers through licensing agreements.
Nikkor Cinema Lenses and the End of Canon RF Mount on RED Cameras?
It’s highly likely that RED will continue to operate under its own brand — at least for the near future — given RED’s strong reputation. This would position Nikon indirectly as a major player in the cinema industry. Remember, RED cameras are used in countless major film productions, as showcased on the Shot on RED page. The American company can also leverage Nikon’s technology, particularly in autofocus.
Nikon could also benefit from the latest global shutter sensors integrated into cameras like the V-Raptor (X) and V-Raptor (X) XL. Perhaps even the rumors about a potential Nikon ZH with such a sensor originated from whispers during the RED acquisition discussions.
One could also imagine Nikon entering the cinema lens market, perhaps developing autofocus-capable zoom lenses for RED cameras. However, there’s a delicate issue here.
Recently, RED cameras like the Komodo 6K and the V-Raptor Rhino 8K S35 adopted the Canon RF mount. Since the RF mount is not open for third-party use, it’s likely that RED and Canon had an agreement, possibly involving RED’s proprietary RAW video format licensing in return.
Incidentally, Nikon had already acquired the British company Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) in 2016, which designs and manufactures robotic arms and automated video systems for the film and broadcast industries. These systems often use RED cameras.
In any case, there’s a strong chance that future RED cameras could adopt the Nikon Z mount.
What do you think about this acquisition? Let us know in the comments.
