Review: Nikon ZR

Friday 16 January 2026, 14:07 by Nando Harmsen | 4,155 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Nikon has launched the ZR, the first hybrid camera on the market aimed entirely at video. It is the result of Nikon and RED coming together. We had the opportunity to briefly review the camera.

In 2024, Nikon bought the American cinema camera manufacturer RED. Just over a year later, the first Z-Cinema camera has seen the light of day. This is the Nikon ZR, the hybrid camera primarily aimed at video.

The Nikon ZR, the child of the marriage between Nikon and RED.

Specifications

• Full-frame 25-megapixel Back-Side Illuminated CMOS sensor
  
• 4" fully articulating touchscreen LCD with 3 million pixels
  
• Autofocus with image recognition using deep-learning AI technology
  
• Autofocus sensitivity from -10 EV to +19 EV
  
• 3D tracking for photography, subject-tracking AF for video
  
• 253 focus points for video, 299 for photography
  
• 7.5 stops of 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation
  
• Continuous shooting at up to 120 frames per second and Pre-release Capture
  
• Video recording in R3D NE up to 6K 60p in 12-bit
  
• Video recording in N-Raw, Apple ProRes Raw HQ and 422 HQ, H.264 and H.265
  
• Slow motion in 4K 120p and Full HD 240p
  
• Internal proxy recording in Full HD, MP4
  
• Continuous video recording for up to 125 minutes
  
• Log3G10, N-log, SDR and HLG gamma curves
  
• 32-bit float audio recording
  
• Passive heat management, no fan present
  
• RED LUTs available through Nikon Image Cloud
  
• 3.5mm microphone and headphone connections, USB-C-PD and micro-HDMI
  
• Weather sealed
  
• Battery capacity for 380 shots or 90 minutes of video, according to the specifications
  
• Dual card slot, with XQD/CF Express Type B and UHS-I micro-SD
  
• Dimensions 134 x 80.5 x 49mm
  
• Weight 630 grams
  

The appearance

The first thing that stands out about the ZR is its huge LCD screen. It takes up so much of the back of the camera that little space is left for buttons. Everything is designed for touchscreen operation.

The touchscreen is enormous. There is little room left for buttons. Operation is largely designed around touchscreen use.
There are three programmable buttons and the photo and video switch on top of the camera. The shutter button has a lever that is used for menu operation and for the zoom function on a power zoom lens.

The sparse number of buttons gives the body a minimalist and 'clean' appearance.
The shutter button is of course used to start video recording. A second shutter button is located next to the lens. There is a clear tally light, whose intensity can be adjusted in the menu.

The tally light can be set to the desired brightness. The green on/off button only lights up green briefly when the camera is switched on.
Control dials provide access to settings such as exposure. There is no third control dial on the rear, but there is a joystick. The only other buttons on the camera are for opening the quick menu and for playback.

An overview of the Nikon ZR's controls.
The camera accepts two memory cards. You find the card slots next to the battery, on the underside. One card slot is for an XQD / CF Express Type B card, the other for a UHS-I micro-SD card.

An XQR/CF Express Type B and a micro-SD are used for storage. The connections and battery are fairly standard for Nikon cameras.
The side contains the camera's connections. Underneath is a USB-C-PD connection that can be used for both data transfer and charging. There is of course a microphone, headphone and micro-HDMI port.

You need a cage to connect video accessories. Be careful with a tripod plate, as it can block the battery cover and access to the memory cards.
The camera body has a hot shoe with additional contacts. Apart from the tripod socket, there are no extra 1/4"-20 mounting points for accessories. If you want to connect video accessories, you need a cage.

Operation and the menu

There are three programmable buttons on top. The lack of other buttons means that you largely have to rely on the touchscreen. That may take some getting used to.

The menu can be opened with the hamburger menu button. Apart from the functions under the buttons on top, everything has to be operated through the touchscreen.
The back of the camera has a hamburger menu button. A short press activates the quick menu, the i-menu. Holding it down opens the full menu. The i-menu options also include a button for the full menu.

The menu will be very familiar to Nikon users. Everything is there, for both photography and video. You also have everything immediately available, regardless of whether the switch is set to video or photo.

Regardless of whether the camera is set to photo or video, all the menu functions are accessible, for both video and photography.
It is a shame that the menu is not separated according to the position of the switch. This means that you see many functions that are not intended for the way you are using the camera at that moment.

The ZR for video

The name Z Cinema clearly tells you that the camera is primarily aimed at video. The Nikon ZR therefore includes a number of unique video-oriented functions. An important one is the ability to set the shutter angle.

An important setting option for video: shutter angle.
Nikon has thought about how the image is displayed. The ZR lets you choose a waveform monitor and zebra display. False colour appears to be missing, but you can load a LUT and import one if desired.

There are options specifically intended for video.
Besides familiar video formats such as ProRes 4:2:2, ProRes Raw, N-Raw, H.264 and H.265, the Nikon ZR can record in 12-bit R3D NE. This makes the ZR very suitable as a second camera alongside a RED cinema camera.

A wide range of video codecs is available, including 12-bit R3D NE.
The Nikon ZR can record audio in 32-bit float. This means you no longer have to worry about clipping. It makes recording video very simple and carefree, with or without an external microphone.

32-bit float audio. That is very useful. Also note the presence of VR.
It is quite unique and admirable that Nikon chose to build image stabilisation into the ZR. This can be used in the normal mode, sports mode and electronic image stabilisation mode.

Filming with the Nikon ZR in practice

I took the Nikon ZR out with me to see how the camera performs straight out of the box. No cage or other aids, just the camera and a Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens.

For video, it is almost self-evident that the camera is held at stomach height. This provides optimum stability. The LCD screen must be folded out to the side.

Although the ergonomics are not optimal, you can hold the camera in your hand this way. The space freed up by folding out the LCD screen provides a little more grip. I still miss a good grip at the front.

The compact design and large LCD screen affect the handling.
The ergonomics will mainly be troublesome when the camera is used for photography. This matters much less for video setups. Especially when a cage and handgrip are used, this design is perfectly fine.

It is important to take the connections on the side into account. A microphone, HDMI connection or USB-C power cable can get in the way when folding out the LCD screen. An external monitor solves this without any problems.

The camera is pleasant to use, with the front shutter button next to the lens being particularly useful. Since hardly any settings need to be changed for video, such as aperture or shutter speed/shutter angle, it is not that important how the rest of the controls are arranged.

I did notice that the autofocus did not react particularly quickly with the Z 24-120mm f/4 S. Sometimes it took a long time to find focus. I do not know whether this is down to the settings. I would need more time to find out.

A quick trip to the park with Bruc and the Nikon ZR. Notice the moments when the autofocus does not respond properly. That is something I should test a little more.
The image stabilisation is very welcome when using the camera handheld. It provides noticeable extra stability, especially when the focal length gets longer.

Switching from R3D NE to the other video formats can be done quickly through the touchscreen. If you enter the menu, you have to ignore all the photography settings. This can make finding a setting a little more difficult.

Of course, personalising the camera is essential, so that all the functions you use can be reached quickly. You can do this through the i-menu, the custom menu or the three programmable buttons on top of the camera.

The on/off button lights up green briefly and then goes out. When the LCD screen is folded in, there is no indication anywhere of whether the camera is on or off.
There is no way to tell that the camera is switched on when the LCD screen is folded in. You do not fold the screen in very often, unless it is for transport. You need to make sure that you switch the camera off before folding it in.

The camera does show a little rolling shutter. The example below, with the passing train, clearly shows this. I expect little of it will be noticeable in practice, but it is good to know.

Frame from a 12-bit R3D NE LOG clip with a resolution of 6048x3402px at 50 fps. Rolling shutter is present.

The ZR for photography

I did not use or test the camera for photography. After all, it is a cinema camera. Still, I want to mention it briefly because there are no limitations to the photography options.

A standard Nikon photo menu is available, with a range of modern functions such as pre-capture, super-resolution, focus bracketing and more.
The Nikon ZR is basically no worse than the Z6 III. I have not used that camera myself, but every photography function I have seen on Nikon cameras is present. Even so, the camera is not a replacement for the more expensive Z6 III.

It comes down to ergonomics and operation. The lack of an EVF also counts. As a result, using it for photography will always be less pleasant. The ZR is and remains a camera designed for video.

I do think it is good that the functions are built in. This simply makes the Nikon ZR a very complete camera that does not need to be limited in any way.

My conclusion

The Nikon ZR is a good-looking, sleek camera with a substantial range of excellent features. The large screen takes some getting used to, as does the sparse number of buttons. As you use the camera more, you quickly get used to it.

The Nikon ZR is a good-looking camera with state-of-the-art photo and video capabilities. It could have been even more video-focused instead of including the photography features.
The video options are impressive, including 12-bit R3D NE video with up to 15 stops of dynamic range. In addition, no external recorder is needed to make full use of these capabilities.

An extra compliment for the excellent passive cooling and image stabilisation. The latter is particularly perfect for handheld filming. The 32-bit float audio recording is also very useful for carefree automatic recording.

A short video recorded with different settings. The sound was recorded with the internal microphone, apart from the accompanying music.
Alongside all those admirable functions and options, some things are missing. False colour is not available, nor is there an option for anamorphic settings or a built-in ND filter. I would also expect a camera of this calibre to have an Open Gate recording option.

Some of these functions are not necessarily essential, but they would make the Nikon ZR a more complete camera. I would not be surprised if Nikon saved these for a Mark II or Mark III.

A cage is required to use the Nikon ZR in a video rig. There are no extra 1/4"-20 mounting points on the body. Keep the connections and the movement of the LCD screen in mind.
That said, the lack of these kinds of functions does not make it any less capable as a camera. Certainly not at the competitive price the manufacturer is asking for the body. At 2349 euros, the asking price is lower than that of any other brand.

The photo menu is available even when the camera is set to video. This can be confusing. For example, are these autofocus options only for photos, or for video as well?
There are two choices Nikon made that I find rather strange. First of all, there is no separation between the photography and video menus, so everything is always available. Separating them would make operating the menu much more pleasant.

The other strange, or unusual, choice is the UHS-I micro-SD memory card. Recording video to this card will always involve limitations. Even for photography, it creates limitations if you want to photograph fast action with pre-capture.

In short, if you are looking for a video-focused hybrid camera, the Nikon ZR is a very attractive option. The capabilities are extensive, with some unique features such as image stabilisation, 32-bit float audio and, of course, the 12-bit R3D NE recording option.

If you are looking for a video-focused camera, I can certainly recommend the Nikon ZR. You also get a complete set of photography features. What more could you want?

Advantages for video

• Minimalist design
  
• Small and compact, lightweight
  
• Large 4" LCD screen
  
• Extensive range of codecs, including 12-bit R3D NE raw recording in 6K 60p
  
• Internal proxy recordings
  
• All video recording options can be stored internally
  
• 3D LUT and CUBE files can be loaded
  
• Waveform or histogram for video
  
• Shutter angle display option
  
• Passive cooling works well
  
• Up to 125 minutes of non-stop recording
  
• 32-bit float audio
  
• Very competitive price
  

Disadvantages for video

• Autofocus sometimes seems slow? More testing is needed on my part
  
• Ergonomics are not optimal
  
• Menu is not adjusted or limited when choosing video or photo
  
• UHS-I micro-SD is a strange choice as the second card
  
• No full-size HDMI connection
  
• No extra 1/4"-20 mounting points on the camera body
  
• Few buttons for direct operation
  
• Shows a little rolling shutter
  
• Connections obstruct the articulating screen
  
• No Open Gate video
  
• You cannot see that the camera is on when the LCD screen is closed.
  
• No built-in ND filter or anamorphic settings
  

Thanks to Nikon for making this camera available.

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