Today Japanese camera behemoth Nikon announced that it is buying RED, maker of a series of Hollywood-favorite digital movie cameras. Once the deal is finalized, Red will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Nikon.
It’s a very interesting addition to Nikon’s portfolio – for all its brand recognition and general market share in the consumer and prosumer space, the Red has had nothing close to the penetration and prestige in the professional space, especially for cinema shooting. So Nikon pushed straight to Hollywood.
On the other hand, we’re guessing RED founder Jim Jonnard and president Jared Land will receive hefty salaries from Nikon—unfortunately, the sum was not disclosed.
The Japanese company cited Red’s “industry-defining product” in the digital cinema camera space, praising it for various contributions to the film industry, its Academy Awards and being celebrated for “image innovation and commitment” by directors and cinematographers worldwide. “Filmmaking and video quality optimized for the highest level of production”.
