TOKYO, July 29 — Nikon’s surprising acquisition of the U.S.-based cinema company RED in March has stirred much speculation about its impact on both companies. Nikon’s president, Muneaki Tokunari, in an interview with Nippon, reiterated the company’s ambition to enhance its video technology capabilities through this acquisition. Tokunari believes that integrating RED’s technology will significantly increase Nikon’s market share among video users and the broader industry, leveraging the $85 million purchase as a strategic business opportunity to boost camera sales amid a recovering interchangeable lens camera market.
The collaboration between Nikon and RED engineers, which began shortly after the acquisition, promises innovative future products, though Tokunari indicated that a new camera combining both technologies is still “a few years” away due to the lengthy development process. Tokunari emphasized the growing demand for advanced video features in mirrorless cameras and highlighted the positive CIPA results showing the worldwide digital camera market reaching a three-year high. Additionally, the increasing sales in China and emerging markets such as South Asia have significantly contributed to the camera industry’s recovery, with sales in China now comparable to those in Europe.
At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exposition in Las Vegas, executives from both Nikon and RED expressed optimism about their collaboration. Nikon’s Keiji Oishi, now RED’s new CEO, praised RED’s compression technology and color science expertise, while Hiroyuki Ikegami, Nikon’s Executive Vice President, noted the time required to integrate RED’s technology fully. In the shorter term, Nikon is exploring ways to support 16-bit REDCode RAW in its existing Z series cameras, including the Z8, Z9, and the new Z6 III. The synergy between Nikon, MRMC, and RED is expected to yield groundbreaking products that could redefine the future of the camera industry.
