Both Nikon and Red have made their first public statements following this month's blockbuster acquisition, insisting that "no changes" are forthcoming.
The Japanese photographic giant acquired the American cinema specialist on March 07, prompting many questions from the industry about how the two very separate business interests might crossover – and the consequences, both positive and negative, this might have.
Brand-proud Red users bristled at the possibility of having their 'renegade' products and identity being encroached on by Nikon's logo and traditionally corporate leanings, though Nikon fans were excited at the possibility of codecs and video features finding their way into Z cameras.
For now, however, all of that seems moot.
"We figured we'd clear the air," said Red on X (Twitter), the first to publicly comment on the buyout.
"We're excited about the future and remain fully committed to our products, the Red brand, our team, and our customers. There are no changes to product support, warranties, or policies. Keep Creating."
Shortly afterwards, Nikon echoed the sentiment on its Facebook page.
"We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support and anticipation we have received after the announcement of the Red acquisition. We are planning that there will be no changes to the Red's current product lineup, the partners, and the relationship with the dealers. Red will continue to support its policies with warranty, repair service, customer service, and overall product support."
So it's business as usual… for now. Will Nikon continue to operate Red as a completely separate entity, with no crossover whatsoever? It's possible. But I think it's naive to believe that Nikon spent all that money to not do anything.
"Nikon will leverage this acquisition to expand the fast-growing professional digital cinema camera market, building on both companies' business foundations and networks, promising an exciting future of product development that will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in film and video production," read Nikon's official announcement of the acquisition.
Time, I guess, will tell…
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