Fresh off its acquisition of RED Digital Cinema, Nikon has hinted at its plans to incorporate RED’s digital technology into its broad range of digital camera platforms.
To expand market share and compete at a higher performance level, the company looks to bring RED’s superior color science and other professional designs into its prosumer and consumer-grade platforms.
Image Credit – RED
“Video performance is required in recent years,” stated Nikon President Yoshiaki Tounari in a recent interview. “We are seeing signs of recovery in interchangeable lens cameras. There are business opportunities.”
Nikon purchased RED Digital Cinema last Spring, for a shockingly affordable price of $85 million.
Creating such a strategic partnership sent shockwaves throughout the content creation and photography communities, and led to much speculation that with the merger, the convergence of professional and consumer-grade technologies would pick up pace.
Though Nikon was one of the first companies to incorporate digital video into its digital SLR platforms, it was slow to capitalize on expanding its market share. As a result, competitors like Canon, Sony, and Panasonic took the lead in video innovations and driving the digital revolution in cinema.
On the professional side, RED’s start-up mentality and innovation brought to professional cinematography the ability to capture digital video with cinematic quality, and as a result, it became a leader in motion picture production while staying nimble due to its independent mindset.
RED will also bring experience in designing digital image processors to Nikon, the only company in the marketplace to rely on third-party designs for its Z Mirrorless camera platform. The new partnership seems to suggestNikon will finally begin manufacturing its processors.
Over time, competition in the space has led to both companies looking for a partner to maintain and expand market share to keep up. The merger led many to expect that once the acquisition was complete, a technology transfer would begin with both divisions enjoying the strengths of the other.
Nikon, brings advanced optics and mirrorless technology, while RED’s color science and REDCode Raw image codecs for superior resolution and dynamic range.
Now, with Tounari’s admittedly cryptic hints that Nikon will begin that transfer to its more consumer-oriented platforms, Nikon may once again take the lead when it comes to content creation for prosumers and professionals alike.
And while Tounari stopped short of providing details, it’ll be interesting to see how its Z model mirrorless cameras will improve in the coming years, and how RED will benefit from a dedicated optical platform.
The only thing that could stand in the way is the diverse corporate and startup cultures of both respective companies. But if Nikon can allow RED to remain nimble, and perhaps even learn a little from that plucky cinematic startup, it could be beneficial for all of us.
[source: Nikon Rumors]
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