Why Nikon Bought RED

By now you've probably heard the news. Some big changes are coming to the camera world. Nikon now owns RED Digital CInema.

I'm a hybrid-style shooter with a love of photography but a heavy emphasis on cinematic video. My opinions are based on a 10+ year career of producing video content professionally but that doesn't mean my suggestions are always right for every production or individual.

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#nikon #redcamera #reddigitalcinema

[_tographer]

I should have said the court case was dismissed, not that Nikon lost. For some additional context: I'm well aware that Nikon has technically had video on their photography cameras for quite a while. But I'm speaking from the standpoint of what they've emphasized and the fact that they don't have a cinema or broadcast line of video products. Their initial dabblings in video were promising but they really fumbled their strategy. Years and years ago I owned a Nikon D600 but Nikon video has always seemed like an afterthought until recently. Sony gobbled up market share and stole users away from Canon and Nikon by aggressively embracing mirrorless and significantly focusing on video. While it's a very smart move by Nikon, I think this acquisition would have felt better had it been Canon. RED and Canon have often gone hand in hand (and share a color scheme) so it's a little surprising (and concerning) to see Nikon make this move.

[michaelmalodrums]

I think it's fantastic. you can't keep saying Nikon is not on the radar, Nikon is boring, canon isn't boring ?..haha Nikon had camera of the year in 2023 and RED just launched the Raptor V with up to 20 stops of DR with a global shutter. makes perfect sense to me. Nikon made the right move. people will just have to get used to stop saying Nikon isn't any big deal.

[thundering]

In the photography world, Nikon is a giant. They have some of the best lenses in the world. Canon, in the photography world, is just as big but spends GOBS of money on advertising and new products. They release more cameras per year, with added features, etc. Nikon has a dedicated base of customers because they really LISTEN to feedback and directly incorporate that into any next camera - which takes time to research and implement in a solid way which is why they don't have a new camera every 20 minutes like, say, Sony. When Nikon comes out with a new camera, it's going to be a workhorse for someone - not something they will trade in every year for whatever new model has just come out.
It's a completely different mindset.
And just like all other cameras for journalists who need video (which is where the whole DSLR filmmaking revolution came from), they have robust video features FOR A STILLS CAMERA.
Get the difference?
They NEVER saw themselves as any professional video company - ALWAYS stills first.
And something journalists need? Smaller file sizes to offload and deal with - which means compressed RAW for the best looking video.
I really think their purchase was very self-serving, and HOPEFULLY they will open up the patent because Canon, Sony, Panasonic, etc., have been held BACK from creating better RAW codecs for 20 years now.
Can you IMAGINE the QUALITY in codecs we would have if they hadn't been held back for so long?!

[appleninjaever]

Nikon has been and still is one of the dominant brands in the sports industry which is multi-billion dollar industry and has been historically dominant in the photojournalism industry that has been tested as SUPER RELIABLE in war torn countries. Nikon 35mm film cameras would outlast ANY Sony digital camera of today. Even some 30 yr old Nikon film cameras sold used can cost the price of some NEW Sony digital cameras. ZERO of todays Sony digital cameras will last 30 years. I'm not a Nikon fanboy but just like to tell the truth. ARRI cinema cameras are known for many things but one that stands out is reliability. Nikon is known for the same thing.

[ARCUS]

I finally think Nikon and Canon can compete again on the cinema level really good and see what they can do with improvements. Imagine a RED camera with the pricepoint of a C200 or C300....

[meatbyproducts]

Wait... you called Nikon bland? They are the first to do tons of stuff. Nikon brought video to video to DSLR, the Z6 was well regarded for capturing video and even had a cinema bundle, Then 8k internal RAW on the Z9.
Also Nikon didn't lose the court case it was mutually dropped.

[ravholly]

Being a Comercial Photographer for over two decades and an original owner of the Nikon D1 which I bought in 2000, after owning the Kodak DCS-315, I bought the first DSLR to shoot video which was the Nikon D90 in 2009, it was very disappointing to watch Canon and then Sony take that market and run with it while Nikon set on the sidelines. It still boggles my mind that Nikon hasn't been able to produce one decent DSLR or Mirroless camera that is a beast at shooting video. The new Nikon Z8 looks like it may finally arrived but Nikon didn't even put a swivel screen on it which is why I shoot Canon these days as I shoot video as well.

[JessicaaCulbersonn]

saying Nikon doesn't have a cinema line is crazy

[filipmichalsaffray]

Hi
Z9, Z8 are totally capable video camera with N raw...and good AF 8K...no overheating...so they have some capable cameras for video...

[keithbrown]

This was very interesting and deep. I really appreciate the indepth information delivered here. Now I understand more than I did before. Thank you.

[CLIFFLIX]

I see RED as a community "fashion" brand with a gutsy, anti-establishment "attitude". It's a "club" of guys who share that attitude. Does Sony, Nikon, Canon, Lumix, Blackmagic or Fuji have that? No, ...not really. But, ...what of you strip ALL that RED "attitude" away? What is left behind for RED? The hardware itself is not "that" special by today's standards. Will Nikon water down the RED, "All American, edgy, against the system" attitude? That kind of thing does not play well with a super conservative Japanese company. I dont know but RED without "attitude" ruins the "fashion" attractiveness of that RED logo. (A lot!!)

[Sgtrooper]

I think, only time will tell.
I've been an Amateur Film Maker, doing this for a hobby not to earn money, for nearly 22 years. I have worked with so many many camera Brands but Nikon as an film Making Tool was never my weapon of choice.
After 3 Panasonic, 1 Canon DSLR and my actual Sony AX-53 i would love a Nikon who take the part of Film making serous.
A camera like the Sony FX 3 would be nice. A power House in a Tiny little affordable package.

[Integrd]

I think Red looked at Nikon’s argument (which was novel) and realized that the patent game was about to come to an end. Nikon saw them flinch and moved to pounce. Of course, they didn’t have to sell. But they looked at their options and decided to cash out. I’m curious if the settlements with Apple et al will stand (and if it gets them away from Sony for sensors).

[Holtenstein]

IMO, this is fantastic news! I think this will give Nikon the chance to enter the cinema camera market and allow them to create a new cinema line of lenses. I actually don't think this has anything to do with the lawsuit that was dismissed. More just filling the hole in their business model.

[sprocket]

Why not establish a Nikon video division with RED being a flagship product?

[grasworxTTGameplan]

Nikon's video problems were not about their cameras or optics, it was about how they focused.
I get the feeling you read some stuff for this and really missed some of the subtle points in this debate.
There's a lot of backstory here that's missing from the wikipedia pages...

[corneliusdobeneck]

Personally I think not much will change within the two companies. RED will benefit from the resources that Nikon has and Nikon will benefit having a good filmcamera compoany in their portfolio no more relying on just stills cams wich enebles them to forget about HYBRID cameras and instead focussing on ass-blast stills cameras with Nikon.
Should become very interesting. Best of luck to both of them.

[morucek]

RED should ask itself how to compete with ARRI…. That should be the main goal

[felipeignacioortegaarriaga]

Nikon is embarked on the video world since D90 and now with the Z9/8 took a significant step forward but have been learning at the tip of criticism their entry and a place in the video world, I think you have to give time to time and this is what Nikon in his reorganization plan was looking for a partner or acquire a major player in the video and film industry, now Nikon will be able to present a hybrid camera with superior quality video remember acquired MRMC Mark Robert Motion Control and disappeared not only is there a little legend in the background of the web page that says "A Nikon Company" that I learned on the RED page then, there will be mutual benefits but it will not disappear as such.

[highdynamicphotographyfilm]

Nikon has been very aggressive and serious about videos. I don't this will end like Atari…I think we will see some amazing things will come out of this buyout deal. Nikon's recent cameras have great autofocus, they are capable of shooting 8K 60p without getting overheated, N-Raw & Nikon color science is great, and Z lenses are amazingly sharp. Can't go wrong with this acquisition.