Nikon has purchased ultra-high-end video company RED Digital Cinema to jump into the pro-video space. A popular name among filmmakers and content creators, RED has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon, which is mostly famous for still-image cameras.

Founded by Jim Jannard in 2005, RED is one of the first major digital cinema camera brands. The company was formed when digital production workflows were becoming popular while popular digital video camera makers weren’t doing enough to set a high standard. The goal was to create a 4K digital cinema camera at a time when 2K was popular.

The company developed a sensor that could match the high quality of DSLR cameras without compromising frame rate. In 2006 RED One camera arrived and its potential was demonstrated in 2007 by director Peter Jackson’s short film Crossing the Line. It inspired Steven Soderbergh to shoot his film Che with RED technology.
RED’s cameras have been used to film numerous major films and TV shows, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Captain Marvel, nature documentaries like Planet Earth II and TV shows like Squid Game, Mindhunter, Peaky Blinders and The Queen’s Gambit.

“This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Nikon, melding its rich heritage in professional and consumer imaging with RED’s innovative prowess,” Red’s president, Jarred Land, wrote on Facebook. “Together, Nikon and RED are poised to redefine the professional digital cinema camera market, promising an exciting future of product development that will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in film and video production.”
The acquisition comes less than a year after RED’s lawsuit against Nikon for infringing on its video compression patents was dismissed.