Nikon Acquires RED Digital Cinema, Jim Jannard's Video Camera Company Behind 25% of Top U.S. Films
-
Jim Jannard founded sunglasses company Oakley, became a billionaire, then founded RED digital cinema in 2005 to make affordable 4K video cameras for TV and movies.
-
RED's first camera, the RED One, debuted in 2006 and quickly garnered industry attention for its innovative sensor matching quality and low light performance of DSLRs without sacrificing frame rate.
-
RED cameras were used to film director Peter Jackson's short film in 2007 and the movie Che in 2008, cementing RED as a major digital cinema camera contender.
-
By 2016, RED cameras were used to film over 25% of top 100 grossing digitally shot films in the U.S. and became a staple in the film industry.
-
Nikon has now acquired RED, adding professional video cameras to its lineup and strategically positioning itself alongside competitors Canon and Sony which already have a presence in digital cinema cameras.