Nikon ZR – Hands-On With the First Mirrorless Camera With RED Tech

Camera Review

by Francesco AndreolaSeptember 10^th, 2025

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Nikon has now taken their first official step into the world of cinema with the launch of the Nikon ZR. This is the company’s first 100% cinema-oriented mirrorless camera, the first to integrate RED’s tech inside, and the first member of the new Z Cinema lineup. Was it worth the wait? Let’s take a look!

It may seem ironic now, but in 2008 Nikon had a golden opportunity to dominate the digital video market. Their D90 was the first DSLR to feature video recording. However, the company soon lost momentum: it was almost immediately surpassed by Canon in the DSLR era, and then completely overshadowed by Sony in the mirrorless days.

Fast-forward 17 years, and Nikon now has a new opportunity to be back in the arena. I’ve tested all of their mirrorless cameras since the release of the Z9 in 2021, and I can confirm that, while not perfect, their products have grown considerably on the video side. On top of this, Nikon’s acquisition of RED last year came across as a serious commitment to compete in the cinema world, sparking curiosity and raising expectations across the industry.

The first Nikon x RED-branded mirrorless camera, the ZR, is finally here, and comes at a time of fierce competition. Sony FX3 bodies keep flying off the shelves, and, as recently as yesterday, Canon announced the outstanding EOS C50 (make sure to check our initial coverage and review). However, Nikon seems to have a bit of a different strategy here. A sub-$3,000 camera, the ZR is clearly priced as an entry-level tool. But, as far as I could see, it can deliver much more.

Before we begin

Before we dive deep into my first impressions on the Nikon ZR, a couple of disclaimers are in order:

1. I was invited by Nikon here in Italy to test out the camera and produce a short video behind closed doors (I’ll add a link to this post as soon as it goes public). Despite my friendly collaboration with them, in this article, I will provide my honest, unbiased, independent opinion as a professional filmmaker as well as a RED/Nikon user. I will tell you exactly what I did or didn’t like about the ZR – completely unfiltered.
   
2. The camera I played with was a pre-production unit, and its firmware was not final, so there might be small differences with the production model. Moreover, I wasn’t allowed to keep the camera or the files to dive deeper into image quality, processing, and post-production workflow. I will only briefly touch on these topics, then hand over the investigation to our rigorous Lab Test, which we will conduct as soon as we can get our hands on a production unit with final firmware.
   
3. While the ZR has a Photo/Video switch and basically shares the same photo capabilities as the Nikon Z6III, I will only focus on the video side here. Also, I suggest reading our initial coverage of the ZR first, then come back here for a more informed discussion.

Now, without further ado, let’s break down everything about the Nikon ZR – starting outside with the body and working our way to the RED tech inside.

Compact, cinema-style body with a few quirks

The design concept of the new Nikon ZR totally differs from the existing Nikon Z series hybrid mirrorless lineup. The camera features a completely new FX3-style, cinema-oriented body with a minimal look. So, for a minute, it felt like completely new territory even for a long-time Nikon user like myself.

Luckily, Nikon’s menu structure has remained pretty much unchanged since the release of the D1 back in 1999. So, once inside the menu system, I felt right at home. By the way, while some people argue that Nikon’s menus are poorly designed, all video settings you actually care about are grouped under two sets of menus (Video Recording + Video Custom Settings), thus making it pretty easy to find specific menu items.

When I first held the ZR in my hands, I immediately realized that size was among Nikon’s top priorities when designing this camera. And indeed, they may have succeeded in their pursuit of creating “the most compact cinema-oriented mirrorless camera in the world”. Trust me, it’s tiny. However, this choice doesn’t come without trade-offs: Here are the key ones:

• Compared to the Z6III, the camera has no EVF, no Mode Dial selector, no top LCD display, and fewer physical buttons, especially on the rear side of the body. All these things may not be a bad thing, per se. For me personally, it means fewer distractions while shooting. In the end, the available buttons are all user-assignable, so you still retain a good degree of customization.
  
• The camera’s built-in grip is extremely shallow, especially if you have big hands. This shouldn’t be an issue for most, as this camera will likely be rigged with a cage and top/side handles anyway, since there are no mounting points on the body, except for a 1/4”-20 thread hole at the bottom. Just something to keep in mind.
  
• Unlike the Z9, Z8, and Z6III, the ZR doesn’t have a Full HDMI port, but rather a Micro HDMI one. This may sound like a pretty fragile solution for a cinema camera that’s supposed to withstand the chaos of set. However, it’s not a deal breaker for me. With the right accessories, you can easily work around this, and even if the camera had a Full HDMI, I would use a cage with a cable clamp anyway. Plus, there’s a rationale behind this design choice that goes beyond just saving space – you’ll learn about it in a second.
  
• Lastly, the camera has two card slots: CFexpress Type B to support RAW and high-bitrate video recording, and microSD. Yeah, I know this sounds weird at first. But even so, I don’t think I’ve ever used the SD card slot on my Nikon Z6III. Once you have a reliable standard like CFx, a secondary slot and backup recording are nice-to-have features, but not bare necessities. Even top-tier ARRI and RED cameras have a single media slot, so I can live with this.
  
  In some respects, microSD might actually turn out to be an interesting choice. It doesn’t take up any space, every content creator already has one in their action camera or drone, and you can always leave a cheap card in your camera with your custom LUTs or as an extreme backup solution for low-bitrate recording.
  
  What really gets me, though, is the placement of these two card slots. Indeed, they sit inside the battery compartment at the bottom of the body, which may require some extra care when rigging the camera to make sure you can flawlessly perform card swaps in the middle of a shoot.

We’ve now examined the major shortcomings of the ZR. And, although none of these are real showstoppers to me, you’re probably left wondering – what’s there to praise then? Honestly, there’s a lot for the price.

The shining star: 4-inch built-in LCD with 1,000 nits

Some of the shortcomings I just mentioned are very well-compensated for by one of the true highlights of this camera: the 4-inch, 1,000-nit, vari-angle touchscreen display. This feels very responsive and provides much more screen estate than the Z6III’s 3.2-inch LCD.

While testing the camera in a studio environment, I deliberately chose to rely exclusively on the ZR’s built-in screen. My setup only consisted of the camera body, a top handle, and the new NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8 S II – a minimal rig that feels worlds apart from the way I usually shoot. Nonetheless, I’ve got to say that I seldom felt the need for an external monitor.

Moreover, given that the camera can record all sorts of RAW, ProRes, or H.265/H.264 formats internally (more on this in a second), you don’t even need an external monitor with recording capabilities.

I think this 4-inch display is one of the biggest selling points of this camera. It almost makes you forget about the flimsy micro HDMI port, and can greatly simplify the complexity of your rig, cable, and power management, especially if you’re a solo shooter or content creator, allowing you to move freely from one shot to the next. And the best part is that Nikon managed to fit this larger LCD without compromising the compactness of the body.

Main UI, new shortcut for assist tools, and LUTs

Before moving on to the core of the camera, I’d like to briefly report on a couple of small additions that I really appreciated in the UI. I already mentioned that the menu system is the same as all the other Nikon Z mirrorless cameras, and the same goes for the main shooting UI, as well as what Nikon calls “i Menu” – a useful, quick-access menu that is customizable with the settings you change most often (such as resolution/frame rate, WB, AF mode, audio levels – you name it).

On top of this, a new shortcut has appeared at the bottom right of the touchscreen. This allows you to quickly toggle on/off video assist functions such as zebras, histogram/waveform, peaking, View Assist, as well as adjust the screen brightness, and more. Additionally, the main UI now auto-rotates even in video mode when shooting vertically. These are small improvements, but some that make me feel like Nikon is headed in the right direction.

Another major step forward is the addition of in-camera LUTs support. Next to the existing View Assist function, the camera now has a Rec.709 LUT installed by default, but you can also load your own custom .cube files via the microSD card slot.

A few essentials are still nowhere to be found, particularly anamorphic de-squeeze and false color. Luckily, Nikon has proven to have a strong firmware update game over the last few years, so there’s hope that these functions come with future updates. One thing I’d really like to see on Nikon Z Cinema cameras is RED’s stop-based Gio Scope False Color, which, in my opinion, is one of the most intuitive, yet powerful, customizable tools to judge exposure.

Sensor, IBIS, Dual ISO, RED Log3G10

We have finally reached the heart of the ZR, the 24.5MP partially-stacked full-frame CMOS sensor. This is the same sensor found on the Z6III, and one that is known to be pretty fast, as it enables the camera to shoot RAW in 6K full-frame up to 60fps or 4K120p cropped (16:9 – there’s no 17:9 or Open Gate recording). I visually tested rolling shutter and, unsurprisingly, the results seemed very good to me – but stay tuned for our Lab Test for all the facts and figures.

The camera has built-in IBIS, and, through the i Menu, you can quickly toggle it on or off. I really like this feature, as it allows you to rapidly move between an edgy, aggressive handheld shooting style and gimbal-feeling shots. That’s a benefit you normally don’t get when shooting on proper cinema cameras. The in-body stabilization also works with adapted, non-electronic prime lenses. You just need to enter the focal length and maximum aperture, and you’re good to go.

Interestingly, this is the first time that Nikon openly markets a camera as having a Dual ISO sensor. Though, in truth, it’s easily proven that both the Z9/Z8 and the Z6III sensors have a Dual ISO architecture. On the ZR, the two native ISO values are ISO 800 and ISO 6400 when shooting in RED Log3G10.

Also, I noticed that setting up Dual ISO works a tiny bit differently in Nikon N-Log than in RED Log3G10. In the first case, you need to know and manually enter the desired ISO value (800 or 6400), while in RED Log3G10, the UI clearly provides two options (Low or High Base) to choose from.

.R3D RAW democratized

The thing I like the most about the Nikon Z8/Z9 and Z6III is their versatility when it comes to codec options. Whether you need to prioritize storage with small-footprint H.265 10-bit files, deliver footage to a production demanding Apple ProRes 422 HQ, or maximize post-production flexibility with N-RAW or ProRes RAW files, you’re always covered.

And what’s even more impressive is that, despite the lack of an active cooling fan, the latest Nikon cameras do not overheat even when shooting in RAW for long takes. Now, I can’t speak for the ZR yet, but I recently used the Z6III as a B Cam to my KOMODO-X on a documentary project, and I never ran into an issue despite the long interviews. I think Nikon is really playing some magic with their EXPEED 7 processor, the same found on the ZR.

Now, with the ZR, you also get access to RED’s infamous internal RAW compression. In this camera, this technology exists in the form of a new flavour of REDCODE RAW, called .R3D NE. I’m not sure what “NE” stands for – maybe Nikon Edition? Anyway, this is the only format that allows you to benefit from RED’s “color science” – or, in better terms, it’s the only format enabling you to record in RAW and have the REDWideGamutRGB color space and Log3G10 gamma curve embedded as metadata. On the other hand, when shooting using any other format, Nikon N-Log is the only available log curve.

For my test, I ended up shooting almost exclusively in Apple ProRes 422 HQ using N-Log to speed up my editing, since the new .R3D NE format is not currently supported in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro. However, I could still open a few .R3D NE test shots using a special release of REDCINE-X PRO provided by Nikon. At first glance, I found the images to be quite flattering, with rich details, natural-looking tones, and plenty of room for color grading.

.R3D is an incredibly efficient format to work with, and it’s quite impressive to see it in a camera of this size and in this price range. REDCODE RAW provides flexibility, is highly editable in most NLEs (unlike N-RAW or ProRes RAW), and is optimized for playback and speed. So I truly hope that, once natively supported in Resolve or Premiere, .R3D NE will be no exception. Just like with N-RAW, the camera generates a .MP4 proxy next to the .R3D NE file.

32-bit audio and digital audio interface

Not only has Nikon focused on making the ZR a great image-capturing device, but they made sure it can capture great sound as well. The ZR gets internal 32-bit float audio recording. This option needs to be enabled in the menu; otherwise, the camera will record in 24-bit.

32-bit float recording is compatible with all the audio inputs that the camera can accept, namely the built-in mic, the 3.5mm jack, or the new hot-shoe with digital audio interface.

Z mount – one system to rule them all?

Last but not least, I can’t stress enough that the biggest advantage of this system is its lens mount. I think Nikon really played it smart at the beginning of the mirrorless era by creating a wide mount with the shortest flange focal distance.

Having such a mount means that you can adapt almost any other lens on the market, whether it’s a PL mount cinema lens, vintage glass, or even offerings for other mirrorless systems, like Sony E mount, for example. I think this can encourage and facilitate users who are on the fence about switching to Nikon Z Cinema from other brands.

Of course, Z mount means that on this new cinema camera, you can benefit from Nikon’s well-established autofocus system. The ZR inherits the same snappy AF technology of the Z6III, with 273 AF hybrid focus points, recognition of 9 different types of subjects (humans, animals, vehicles), as well as responsiveness and reliability.

Finally, the modern design of Z mount lenses offers a high level of customization. So you can reverse the direction of the focus gear to match your preferences, adjust the range of the focus gear (up to 720°) to mimic the precision of cinema glass, assign user-defined functions to a control ring or lens buttons, or quickly switch from MF to AF, when needed.

In conclusion, who’s this camera for?

In my opinion, there are two main target audiences for this camera.

1. If you’re just getting started with cinematography and you’re in the market for your first mirrorless-style cinema camera to step up your game, then the ZR is seriously worth considering. It’s a solid, compact, all-rounder for run-and-gun work like events or social media content, but also provides room to grow professionally as you experiment with advanced .R3D RAW workflows on your personal short films or your first serious commercial assignments. Additionally, the versatility of the Nikon Z mount means that you’re not locked into a specific lens mount system. Lastly, all this comes at an extremely aggressive price point that most newcomers who are serious about their job can afford.
   
2. If you already own a RED V-RAPTOR X or KOMODO-X with Nikon Z mount and need a B Cam without breaking the bank, then the ZR could be a good option, as it supports .R3D RAW, provides matching color science with REDWideGamutRGB/Log3G10, uses the same CFexpress media, has the same lens mount, and comes in a much smaller form factor that can be rigged anywhere.

Price and availability

The Nikon ZR should start shipping towards the end of next month. The official retail price is set at $2,196.95/€2.349, which is pretty appealing for a camera of this kind.

For more information, please visit Nikon’s website here.

What do you think of the new Nikon ZR with RED tech? Does it fall short, meet, or exceed your expectations? Would you consider switching to Nikon from your current camera brand? Let us know your thoughts, or drop your questions in the comment section below!