Nikon Acquires RED

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unless they are processing it on die, which i doubt, i don’t think that’s an issue because gs doesn’t intrinsically get data off sensor any faster afaik.

also, i doubt they do a full merge of the two images, i suspect the second image is mostly used to bolster the color data of the first, so areas that were not full unions you’d probably just throw away
 
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John Navitsky said:
unless they are processing it on die, which i doubt, i don’t think that’s an issue because gs doesn’t intrinsically get data off sensor any faster afaik.

also, i doubt they do a full merge of the two images, i suspect the second image is mostly used to bolster the color data of the first, so areas that were not full unions you’d probably just throw away
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From memory, you are correct, the second stream is lower resolution which is overlayed I think on the lower exposure areas. They implemented it in the new/latest Raptor X to get to 18+ stop, but also from memory, and maybe just marketing-speak, they attributed the ability to the new global sensor.
 
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i was reading about it somewhere but i neglected to bookmark it so i’m just going by my recollection of what was said plus my interpretation based on what i know of how this stuff works, so ymmv 😂
 
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True to form, NR is out of its depth on this subject, besides recycling 3rd hand press copy. A thread on REDUser forum raises some interesting points, notably by the respected industry expert, Phil Holland.

The answers by Keiji Oishi in interviews suggest he is responsible for notable features in the Zed cameras, video especially besides the strategy of regular firmware updates. See parallel thread. He's appears to be a wise choice by Nikon HQ, especially as they will be monitoring funds invest into their new subsidiary.

Nikon must be fully cognisant of the company that they now own in its entirety, including its penetration into and profile in the movie market, alongside the clout of the RED brand. Nikon's plans will also include the US defense and aerospace industries etc

rangerider said:
Acquisition finalized and the first thing they announce:

"Upon RED becoming a wholly owned subsidiary, RED’s President Jarred Land became a close Advisor to the company, along with RED’s founder James Jannard. Keiji Oishi, of Nikon’s Imaging Business Unit, assumed the role of CEO and Tommy Rios, Executive Vice President of RED, moved into the role of Co-CEO." https://nikonrumors.com/2024/04/12/...n-of-red-appoints-a-new-ceo.aspx/#more-192047

Although they're not changing the product lineup for now, I think we have our answer on whether RED will continue to operate the same way and function as an independent subsidiary. Nikon bringing in one of their guys as CEO from day one with the RED founder and CEO stepping aside to advise. Should be interesting to follow!
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These images of Nikon's inventory supporting sports photographers at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics highlight how far the company's Imaging Division has advanced within 3 years.
Their line up for action genres now includes the 2 high-end Z MILCs with top end video plus their battery of industry leading Telephotos.

We're living in interesting times.....

petapixel.com

This is Nikon's Massive Camera Arsenal at the Tokyo Olympics

Photographer Vincent Kalut captured inside photos showing the camera equipment room run by Nikon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
petapixel.com petapixel.com
 
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Interesting times. Oishi does indeed sound a wise choice by Tokyo; the chemistry between the two engineering cultures is good to hear, and that the Z9 technology continues to garner kudos on unanticipated fronts.

A RED camera in Z-mount is probably going to appear sooner than these guys admit. Selling more Nikkors is one of Nikon's priority aims.

As anticipated when announced, RED >< Nikon is certainly a meeting of 2 very different cultures!
John Navitsky said:
www.youtube.com

Live Discussion With Jarred Land - RED, After The Nikon Acquisition - Where We Can Go From Here

The Nikon acquisition of RED Digital Cinema is complete. Many are left with so many questions. I sit down with Jarred Land, former president of RED, and try ...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
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More interesting details from the NAB interview. A completely new, aka integrated hardware will take 3+ years, but integrated features in Nikon software for Z9/Z8 should arrive sooner

“[That is currently] under investigation. Please expect something, not soon, but in the near future. Some input came already from RED which is really valuable. We want to try that,” Ikegami explains.

petapixel.com

A New Camera Using Both Nikon and RED Tech Will Come in 'A Few Years'

Expect to see the fruits of this partnership as quickly as in the next few years.
petapixel.com petapixel.com
 
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Nimi said:
www.newsshooter.com

Matthew Tremblay Chief Design Officer RED Digital Cinema resigns - Newsshooter

In a post on Linkedin, Matthew Tremblay Chief Design Officer: RED Digital Cinema has put up a statement saying that he has decided to resign from
www.newsshooter.com www.newsshooter.com
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Not really a surprise. His departure memo was positive and well worded. I'm sure there are lots of places he can work with start-up or fast growth new tech companies. His role with Nikon/Red was not really going to be a leadership position but rather a staff Finance/Accounting person responsible for a small group after a major conversion to the Nikon accounting and finance system. That sounds like a big headache with no future or upside.

I'd expect marketing, HR, and technology departures as well. Red is a very small company and most of those functions would not have need for more than 1-2 people - not staffs or departments of any size. I'd expect Nikon/Red will go to great lengths to maintain the engineers, design, and operational staff.

In talking about the decision to sell Red, Jarred Land stated they lacked the ability to scale up manufacturing required the lower end/high growth part of the market. They also were completely unaware of the number of changing product components that would impact their "trade-up" program. They found they were losing money on every "trade-up" camera so it was essentially a free hardware upgrade at below cost. That's the kind of thing a large company would have anticipated.
 
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EricBowles said:
Not really a surprise. His departure memo was positive and well worded. I'm sure there are lots of places he can work with start-up or fast growth new tech companies. His role with Nikon/Red was not really going to be a leadership position but rather a staff Finance/Accounting person responsible for a small group after a major conversion to the Nikon accounting and finance system. That sounds like a big headache with no future or upside.

I'd expect marketing, HR, and technology departures as well. Red is a very small company and most of those functions would not have need for more than 1-2 people - not staffs or departments of any size. I'd expect Nikon/Red will go to great lengths to maintain the engineers, design, and operational staff.

In talking about the decision to sell Red, Jarred Land stated they lacked the ability to scale up manufacturing required the lower end/high growth part of the market. They also were completely unaware of the number of changing product components that would impact their "trade-up" program. They found they were losing money on every "trade-up" camera so it was essentially a free hardware upgrade at below cost. That's the kind of thing a large company would have anticipated.
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Agree. Red was more of an IP company (troll) than a camera company, and now the IP sits with someone who can actually use it. In all my years working with others and on sets, I rarely if ever saw a Red. Even less than BMC.
 
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Nimi said:
I actually think that for all their bluster and arrogance, Red simply never amounted to much more than a patent troll with a handful of fanboys. I really don't think they moved many cameras, ever.
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I thought so too.
Their technology isn’t needed in the pro TV/Movie world as much as they think. On set everything is controlled.
Vs, for the pro photographer market.

All my assumptions of course. You would know better.

Question is, Will Nikon glass be the missing ingredient to get RED on high budget sets?
In other words, what is it that the directors were looking for that Nikon can fulfill for them to switch?
 
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JoelKlein said:
I thought so too.
Their technology isn’t needed in the pro TV/Movie world as much as they think. On set everything is controlled.
Vs, for the pro photographer market.

All my assumptions of course. You would know better.

Question is, Will Nikon glass be the missing ingredient to get RED on high budget sets?
In other words, what is it that the directors were looking for that Nikon can fulfill for them to switch?
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No. Nikon doesn't make cine lenses, neither is it respected in that world. Red makes one "high end" camera, that's the Raptor, which has a PL mount which is the standard for the high-end lenses (Zeiss, Arri, Cooke, etc). Nikon brings nothing to the table.

If they decide to enter the cinema market, the Kommodo is probably the right entry lever, at about 6-7k. But again, if Red didn't sell many, why would Nikon be able to?
 
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Nimi said:
I actually think that for all their bluster and arrogance, Red simply never amounted to much more than a patent troll with a handful of fanboys. I really don't think they moved many cameras, ever.
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Maybe long time ago, RED had some meat on the bones, but for the last decades or so, especially after the foray into the smartphone market around 2018, the Hydrogen failed misreably, it gotta hurt the bottomline; the cine bodies like Dragon, V-Raptor, Komodo... have not had the best reputation of reliablilty.

Oliver
 
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I
BlackRockArt said:
Maybe long time ago, RED had some meat on the bones, but for the last decades or so, especially after the foray into the smartphone market around 2018, the Hydrogen failed misreably, it gotta hurt the bottomline; the cine bodies like Dragon, V-Raptor, Komodo... have not had the best reputation of reliablilty.

Oliver
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I agree. That reputation keeps it away from expensive productions where every minute costs $ thousands, especially when the competition is better AND stable. The new Kommodo is actually pretty nice, but that price point is crowded and their choice of lens mount (RF), disappoints. I'd take an FX6 over it anyday.
 
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Excerpts from Nikon's official feedback.
A comparatively small cost for the company to add several entirely new cameras - a new high end category in fact - to its Imaging product line....

Including new hardware (sensors) and software (namely RED Raw and Post Processing Apps) technology, and a strong brand name

ymcinema.com

The Price That Nikon Paid for RED: $85 Million - Y.M.Cinema Magazine

$85 Million. That was the price Nikon paid for RED. That’s not a huge price for owning the privilege to penetrate the cinema market.
ymcinema.com ymcinema.com
 
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