When RED Digital Cinema recently revealed that it had been purchased by Nikon, it’s probably fair to say that it was unexpected. Who’d have thought a respected, traditional, measured company like Nikon would buy the maverick Californian upstart that broke through the barrier of decades-old broadcast standards with a viable 4K cinema camera?
Only those within the two companies currently know the reasoning and forces behind the acquisition, and anything anyone else has written is speculation. This acquisition probably illustrates the very high levels of uncertainty in the technology and media industries. There will almost certainly be more surprises like this.
But this is not an article about the state of the camera industry. Instead, it is a warning to expect the unexpected. Being taken by surprise is likely to become the norm, and the reasons are increasingly clear.
