The Nikon ZR: A Cinema Camera Identity Crisis
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Watch My Live Reviewing The ZR
The Nikon ZR represents an intriguing milestone—the first camera born from Nikon's partnership with RED. While it carries impressive technical capabilities under the hood, this compact shooter seems caught between worlds, struggling to define whether it's a cinema tool or a content creator's companion.
First Impressions: Promise Meets Reality
At $2,200, the Nikon ZR enters the market with ambitious claims of competing against established players like the Sony FX3 and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K. However, after extensive testing, it feels more aligned with vlog-focused cameras like Sony's ZV-E1 rather than purpose-built cinema equipment.
The camera houses the same partially-stacked sensor found in the well-regarded Z6III, which initially seemed promising. Yet many of the thoughtful design choices that made the Z6III successful have been mysteriously stripped away in this "cinema" iteration.
Design Decisions That Raise Questions
Port and Storage Compromises
One of the most puzzling choices involves connectivity. While the Z6III featured a full-size HDMI port—a staple for professional video work—the ZR downgrades to a micro HDMI connection. For a camera marketed toward cinema applications, this feels like a significant step backward.
The storage situation proves equally frustrating. Without a protruding grip, the EL15 batteries must be installed sideways, forcing the card slots to relocate to the bottom compartment alongside the battery. This setup combines one CFexpress B slot with a MicroSD slot—an odd pairing for professional work.
The real problem emerges during actual use: accessing storage requires removing the camera from its mount every single time. For longer shoots requiring card swaps, this design choice transforms a simple task into a workflow disruption.
Mounting and Rigging Challenges
Professional cameras typically offer multiple mounting points and accessory attachment options. The ZR provides just one 1/4-20 thread on the bottom, positioned without logical forward placement for standard video plates. This limitation means extensive third-party rigging solutions become necessary for serious production work.
The control layout presents its own hurdles. The joystick feels undersized and awkwardly positioned, leading to frequent navigation errors. While two exposure dials are present, they can't be customized to control ISO directly—forcing users to sacrifice precious custom buttons for basic functionality.
Audio Capabilities: A Mixed Bag
The 32-Bit Float Advantage
One genuinely impressive feature is the ZR's 32-bit float audio recording capability—a technology shared with only the LUMIX S1II. This allows for incredible flexibility in post-production, essentially making it impossible to ruin audio through incorrect gain settings.
The system works with both the built-in microphone and 3.5mm inputs, offering various directional recording modes and OZO sound processing for audio zoom and cleanup. While these features excel for content creation, they feel more suited to solo creators than professional film sets.
Missing Professional Audio Tools
Despite audio innovation, the ZR lacks XLR inputs—a standard requirement for cinema work. Rumors suggest an XLR top handle may eventually arrive, but its absence at launch feels like a significant oversight for a camera positioning itself against the FX3.
The RED RAW Advantage
What Makes It Special
The ZR's marquee feature is internal REDCODE RAW recording to CFexpress B cards. Using proper Log3G10 with REDWideGamut, it becomes the smallest and most affordable camera capable of seamless integration with RED cinema cameras.
The 12-bit R3D implementation, while limited to a single compression ratio, delivers excellent results. Dynamic range testing revealed 14 stops total with 10.9 usably clean stops—impressive numbers for a camera at this price point.
Performance Metrics
Rolling shutter performance excels across all modes, measuring just 9.1 milliseconds in 6K RED RAW. The camera handles frame rates up to 6K60 and 4K120 (with 1.5x crop), providing solid high-speed options.
However, these capabilities come with storage demands. Expect approximately 190MB/sec for 6K24 recording, scaling up to 470MB/sec for 6K60. A 320GB CFexpress B card provides roughly 28 minutes of 6K24 footage.
Color Science and Workflow
The LUT Situation
Nikon's traditionally excellent color science carries over to the ZR, but the RED RAW mode introduces workflow complications. The standard Nikon LUTs won't work with Log3G10/REDWideGamut footage, requiring RED's official LUTs instead—and these don't match Nikon's color intentions.
The camera does support custom LUT imports up to 65-point cube files, but frustratingly, this feature only works with RED RAW modes. N-Log modes remain locked to basic view assist options, creating an inconsistent user experience.
Codec Recommendations
While multiple recording options exist (N-RAW, ProRes RAW, ProRes 422 HQ, H.265), the RED RAW mode clearly represents the camera's best image quality. Other modes suffer from varying degrees of over-processing, with H.265 being particularly problematic due to variable bitrate issues and inaccurate storage calculations.
Thermal Management and Battery Performance
Impressive Heat Handling
Despite lacking active cooling fans, the ZR demonstrates remarkable thermal performance. Testing in 32°C (90°F) conditions revealed no overheating warnings during extended recording sessions. Battery life reached approximately two hours of 6K24 RED RAW recording—respectable for a compact camera.
However, Nikon's arbitrary two-hour, five-minute recording limit persists, requiring manual restart regardless of thermal or battery status. This limitation feels particularly antiquated in a cinema-focused camera.
Missing Features and Quirks
Stabilization and Focus
In-body stabilization performs adequately for static handheld shots but falls short during movement-heavy scenarios. The system can't match competitors' performance for walking shots or dynamic camera movements.
Autofocus inherits the Z6III's reliable system with good detection modes, though the Hi-Res Zoom feature disables tracking—a limitation Sony previously solved in their systems.
Modern Connectivity
The ZR finally includes UVC webcam functionality via USB-C, supporting 1080p60 streaming with just a cable connection—a welcome addition for hybrid shooting scenarios.
Final Verdict: Identity Crisis
The Value Proposition
Viewed purely as a $2,200 camera capable of internal RED RAW recording with excellent rolling shutter performance, the ZR presents compelling value. Similarly, compared to vlog-centric cameras like the ZV-E1, it offers superior screen quality, thermal management, 32-bit audio, and higher resolution.
The Cinema Camera Question
However, when evaluated against cinema camera expectations, the ZR stumbles. Ergonomic compromises, workflow limitations, and missing professional features create a frustrating experience for serious video production.
The camera feels like it needs extensive third-party support to reach its potential—reminiscent of early Blackmagic Pocket cameras that required significant accessorizing to become truly useful.
Looking Forward
The Nikon ZR represents an intriguing first step in the Nikon-RED collaboration, but it feels more like a proof of concept than a fully realized cinema tool. With proper rigging solutions and firmware updates addressing some usability quirks, it could evolve into something more compelling.
For content creators seeking RED RAW capabilities at an unprecedented price point, the ZR delivers remarkable value. For traditional cinema applications, it may be worth waiting to see how this partnership develops—or considering more ergonomically refined alternatives.
The technology is impressive; the execution needs refinement. Here's hoping future iterations better balance innovation with practical usability.
