Nikon has announced its acquisition of RED, a leading high-end cinema camera company, for an undisclosed amount. The camera giant, which has faced challenges alongside the imaging industry in recent years, revealed that RED will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Currently employing approximately 220 individuals, RED has not disclosed any plans for layoffs following the acquisition.
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Established in 2005, RED has gained recognition for its cameras featured in popular productions such as Squid Game, Peaky Blinders, and Captain Marvel—an area Nikon aims to bolster through this strategic purchase. Nikon has strategically shifted away from less lucrative segments of the camera market, including discontinuing the development of new DSLRs.
This acquisition holds potential benefits for both parties, as highlighted by RED’s President, Jarred Lang, who expressed on Facebook: “This strategic partnership merges Nikon’s extensive experience in product development, proficiency in image processing, optical technology, and user interface with RED’s groundbreaking digital cinema cameras and acclaimed technologies.” RED’s previous endeavour to diversify independently, notably into smartphones, was short-lived and resulted in discontinued products.
Notably, RED filed a lawsuit against its new parent company in 2022, alleging Nikon’s use of RED’s patented data compression technology in its Z9 camera. Nikon countered by challenging the validity of RED’s patents, leading to a mutual agreement for dismissal between the two companies.
