Nikon strikes hard, Red cinema cameras now compatible with the Z frame

In March 2024, to everyone's surprise, we learned that Nikon had just redeemed the American company Red Digital Cinema, which offers professional cameras for many types of productions, ranging from cinema to advertising through clips. This acquisition was obviously part of Nikon's strategy, aimed at positioning himself as a key player in professional video, now dominated by other industries such as Sony, Canon or Panasonic.

A few months ago, Nikon announced the first fruit of this takeover by providing hybrid users with a LUS pack intended to offer unique colorimetric renderings developed by RED. The objective is to allow “Nikonist” videographers to have the color rendering of the RED cameras in order to mix the cameras while maintaining colorimetric coherence.

Today, the manufacturer goes much further and announces the declination of two RED professional cineos in mounting Nikon Z. The models concerned are the V-Raptor [X] and komodo-x. It is therefore now possible to use all Nikkor optics in Z mount and probably compatible optics (proposed for example at Tamron or Sigma). Of course, compatibility is also extended to all Nikkor F optics (from the era of SLR) using the Nikon FTZ II adaptation ring. Finally, there is also a Red Z adapter pack with or without system of electronic ND filters. These cameras are therefore compatible, for example, with the BOKEH MASTERS of Nikon like the Noct 58 mm F0.95THE Plena 135 mm F1.8 And even the new motorized zoom Nikkor Z 28-135 mm f/4 Pz.

The Red V-Raptor camera [X] is equipped with a large sensor (40.96 mm x 21.60 mm) CMOS with a global shutter of 35.4 million pixels. It offers excellent low light performance and displays a dynamic of capture of more than 17 it (luminance indices). It offers highly advanced recording modes up to 8K 120p in Redcode® RAW. The Red Komodo-X camera is, for its part, equipped with a sensor (27.03 mm x 14.26 mm) CMOS with a global shutter of 19.9 million pixels. It offers excellent low light performance and displays a capture dynamic of more than 16 IL. It offers recording modes up to 6K 80p or 4K 120p in Redcode® RAW.

On the price side, beware, the Red V-Raptor [X] is offered from $ 30,000 (bare housing) and the Red Komodo-X from $ 7,000.