It wasn’t obvious, but it’s also no surprise: Nikon is reportedly going to use RED camera technology in future cameras.
The camera giant recently acquired RED Cameras for a sum now reported at $85 million, but questions remain about what exactly the acquisition will yield.
Nikon President Muneaki Tokunari answered the overarching question in an interview published by Nipponwho confirmed that “Nikon Corp. aims to expand its camera market share by leveraging the video technologies of a U.S. film camera company it acquired in the spring.”
Nikon is hoping to capitalize on a recent return to form with excellent mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z8 and a recovery in sales of its interchangeable-lens cameras, particularly in China and other emerging countries in South Asia. Tokunari points to video as a key area of opportunity.
“Nikon has seen strong demand for powerful video capabilities in recent years,” says Tokunari. Nikon is now in a prime position to boost sales, bolstered by its recent acquisition of RED.
According to Tokunari, there are also plans to build semiconductor factories throughout Japan. The equipment in such factories produces chips, or image sensors.
Both Sony and Canon already make their own camera sensors. Nikon is the only one of the three that doesn’t. Instead, Sony’s sensors are used in their cameras.
New RED technology and proprietary internal sensors in future cameras? It’s an exciting time for Nikon fans.
What video upgrades can Nikon fans expect in the future?
Nikon has a long history in photography, but the company has gained a leg up on its competitors with the acquisition of RED, a major player in the professional video world.
First, we will most likely see improved video codecs in future Nikon cameras, even existing models like the Nikon Z9, via a firmware update, as Nikon now owns RED’s patent on “non-debayered” raw video recording and RED’s legendary R3D raw codec (known as REDCode RAW). It’s possible that cameras like the Z6 III, Z8, and Z9 will be able to get 16-bit REDCode RAW video.
Combined with its own sensors, we might reasonably expect better dynamic range and color profiles for video, rivaling the very best. However, we don’t know when Nikon will start producing its own sensors.
And what about hardware? Developing a new Nikon Z-mount RED camera or a RED-inspired Nikon modular video camera would take years, so we’re not going to go too far yet. We’ll be keeping an eye on how the Nikon-RED partnership develops, though, as will Canon and Sony, I’m sure.