If you follow the filmmaking or photography news you will have noticed the surprise announcement that Nikon has acquired RED. Nikon, the digital cinema camera goliath's tech is often used by solo filmmakers, now owns a Hollywood tech name, and for many that came as a bit of a shock. Immediately after, though, everyone started asking what could it mean when Nikon buys Red?
One of the biggest questions on everyone's lips is: Will RED not support some of the best Nikon Z lenses? Well, what if I told you that RED actually did support Nikon lenses, and I've been using some of the best Nikon F-mount lenses on my RED camera for over 8 years?
As you can see I have indeed been using Nikon lenses on my Red camera. This is where the tale of Nikon's acquisition of Red becomes interesting. Back in the day when Red first announced the Red One in August 2007, costing a massive $17,000. That still sounds like a massive amount of money today (and it's $25,000 in today's money). But back in 2007 this was the steal of the decade for cinematographers!
The RED One featured a Super 35mm Mysterium sensor that could deliver REDCODE RAW or R3D video in 4K at up to 60p and 2K at up to 120p. It was used in plenty of very well-known movies—it’s a near guarantee that you have seen work from the Red One – My own Red is the Red One MX which boosted the video quality to 4.5K at 60fps and better slow motion setting in 3K and 2K resolution.
The RED One and One MX were both able to be equipped with Nikon F-mounting options – which is why I chose it to be my main cinema camera. One I have had and used for the last 8 years. Today Red cameras come equipped with either PL-mounts or Canon RF mounts, but 8 years ago the Nikon F-mount was also an option.
So, will the Nikon Z-mount be equipped for future Red cameras? I think it will. I've always found the image quality from my Nikon F-mount is outstanding, not just when using wide-angle lenses, but also when I've used super telephoto lenses like my Nikon 600mm f/4. I've used to film wildlife and, if I'm honest, when using them it was like they belonged together!
I think the future of RED in the Nikon era will be very interesting as it roles out, a relationship which will strengthen both companies going forward. For this Red and Nikon user, I can say that if Red does start offering Nikon Z-mount options I will certainly consider upgrading to the bigger 8K cameras and Nikon Z-mount lenses.
