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Or is Mackey playing Depp playing Mackey...

It's official! 🤯 https://x.com/Blackmagic_News/status/1965611991441252600

Why are you guys in such a bad mood this morning? Is everyone a Roger Deakins now? I'm not a professional, and a camera for less than 3K would be great for me. I film underwater every week, and sometimes I do small jobs too. Nevertheless, knowing that every time I film I bring home half a terabyte of stuff scares me, because I would also like to have the option to make some compromises. Right now I film with a GH5MII, and I only use the ALL-I codec when I'm doing something special. Having a camera that only shoots RAW is too limiting for me. So yes I leave my garage sometimes but Nikon should address that. 😄

This was at the top of my YouTube feed today. Genuinely thought at first glance it was going to be Mackey’s review of the ZR. Maybe the world has got so twisted around that Depp is now cosplaying Mackey.

And that mount. Megadap will be rubbing their hands at the amount of E mount lenses that may well be finding a home on this camera. Not just from Sony defectors either but from new owners of the ZR who look at the plethora of appropriately sized E mount lenses on the new and used market and will consider the ZR as a de facto E mount camera.

Hey everyone! I wanted to share something I've been working on for the past while - Lumap, a DCTL for Resolve that consolidates all your basic grading adjustments into one intuitive panel. The Problem I Was Trying to Solve I got tired of using complex node structures just to do basic exposure, contrast, and saturation adjustments that would look natural. Coming from a photography background using Capture One and Lightroom, I missed having simple sliders in one place that just worked without having to think about CSTs, colour spaces, and multiple different nodes. What Lumap Does Instead of wrestling with lift/gamma/gain wheels, Lumap gives you: Photometric exposure - Linear stops like changing exposure in-camera Temperature and Tint - For white balance Intelligent contrast - References your source’s format's middle grey without overcooking the toe/shoulder Brightness - Targets midtones while preserving highlights and shadows Organic highlight/shadow recovery - create organic, film-like roll-offs that seamlessly blend into your midtones Smart saturation - Preserves luminance and prevents skin tone oversaturation Film-style density - Control the intensity and depth of colours you get from subtractive saturation techniques Why Sliders Instead of Wheels? Most of us aren't using professional grading panels - we're using mice and trackpads. Sliders are just faster and more responsive for cursor input. Plus, if you're coming from photo editing, this interface will feel immediately familiar. There's a free demo version so you can test if it fits your workflow. https://www.dhyanverco.com/lumap Would love to hear your thoughts if you give it a try! And happy to answer any questions.

Nikon’s Japan site showing official release date there of 24th of October. That tax inclusive price of ¥299,200 is taking the value for money to another level really isn’t it 😂

Somehow I missed this promo short film, its kinda brilliant in how it showcases a lot of the features in a pretty creative narrative, really liking the overall image from this new sensor:

So is NRAW really REDCODE or is REDCODE really NRAW, I am confused now.

During my “Shall I get a Z8” research project - which has been going on so long it is featured in the Bayeux tapestry - I found the MC-N10 grip really appealing if a little pricy. However, what is a setback is that it is a right handed grip (good for me) that connects by cable to cameras, including the ZR, with left sided USB ports. I initially thought “well that’s awkward having to have that USB cable trailing across the camera but will use it over Bluetooth anyway”. Except that was a flawed assumption as it doesn’t have Bluetooth. Nikon makes a virtue of it being wired only in their product page. ___________ Reliable connection This grip connects to your Nikon camera via USB-C, ensuring a stable connection no matter where you shoot. You won’t have to rely on a wireless signal if you’re shooting in a crowded location where radio interference is a problem. _____________ And I completely get that of course. There are always cable routing solutions to make it less janky than Nikon’s own promotional materials of it show so I’m sure some mitigation can be had. The £69 Smallrig ZR cage has locking clamps for USB C as well as HDMI ports so it’s only a couple of zip ties away from not being a massive issue. At £400+ though, I’m sure they could’ve incorporated the small addition of a Bluetooth capability with a small internal rechargeable battery to provide the option and still made money. With the ZR having fewer hardware buttons it’s a product that could have a lot of appeal if you can swallow the price and the lack of wireless.

If you're upset about hybrid-styled cameras with somewhat awkward ergonomics being called "cinema camera," you must have been frustrated since 2018 or so. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera I'd be inclined to say that "cinema camera" is just about as meaningless as calling an image "cinematic." It means plenty of different things to different people. "How can you call it a cinema camera when it doesn't even have SDI output?" "That ain't no cinema camera, it has no mounting points on top or the sides!" "Cinema cameras don't have autofocus" "Cinema cameras need to be dedicated to ultimate image quality and it's not a true cinema camera without 16-bit raw." The ZR is obviously not going to be the A camera on a lot of professional shoots. It has no TC, no SDI, bad HDMI, and bad memory card location. On the other hand, it might finally be fulfilling some of the promise of the Komodo - a small, light crash camera that you easily fit in small spaces - or that you can easily throw at an AC/second shooter to go get some b-roll or a second angle handheld or with a light tripod and have it be a good match SOOC for what you're shooting with your Komodo-X or V-Raptor. Lack of a physical shutter lock is a bummer for some crash cam use cases. Sorry it's not for you, regardless! I'd be willing to bet that the next iterations of the Z6/8/9/etc start working in Redcode NE too.

It’s the international break. The world turns to shit when there is no club football. There is only so much England vs Andorra that people can take. Everything will be OK again on Saturday.

People here would have dreamed about this camera just two years ago. People were crying for 10 bit and log like 5 years ago, and some people filmed movies with the Gh2 or Canon 5D. I am not saying this camera doesn't have flaws. But saying this is a camera for content creation when you have multiple Raw formats, and one color science that was only available to cameras costing 7k, but more precisely 10 k when you add the accessories in the apsc red komodo, and about 15-20k in full frame. In fact you can film a movie with this. I am sad it did not happen 10-20 years ago, or I was not 10-20 years younger, thinking about this I prefer the later... Oh shit, looking how the world is going, I prefer the former. LOL

I like this camera. The problem is I like about twelve other ones as well. The indecision is saving me a fortune.

Nikon cornered themselves with nomenclatures in this one. They wanted to make a first RED semibranded product to buzz the market. But at the same time, they want a piece of the VERY profitable "creator camera" market (the Sony ZV-E10s sells a boatload). And got the Zr stucked in the middle. This is not a "cinema camera". Is a ZV-E1 competitor / step up ZV-E10 camera, compared it (and Nikon is promoting it) to the FXs is a mistake. If you see it as a top "creator camera" or a B-cam / crahs cam for REDs, it makes more more sense. And is an amazing value - if fact, for amateurs like me, it is one of the most interesting cameras of the year. I hate cameras without EVFs, but with a 4 inch display, for the first time it could be acceptable. It have a af joystick. It have internal 32 bit audio without adapters - amazing for shotguns use. It will make a lot of people to wet their feet on REDCODE (even a lesser version of it). Is small and light, great for gimbal work if needed. Compared to a ZV-E1 for $100 more, it trounces it completely. And we have to see how is the overheating issues, but it could yes be used (albeit with compromises) in pro shooting. And if Nikon makes a hybrid camera with this form factor, they would get a new customer instantly.

I think this is a really compelling camera, especially for the price, BUT the card slot on the bottom, lack of active cooling, and no back up recording is really disappointing. The screen is very cool, though. I really hope more cameras come with larger, brighter screens like this. If I was choosing between the C50 and the ZR I think I'd go with the ZR on price alone, but also because of IBIS. Overall though, I'm pretty content with my Lumix S5IIX and two S5s set up. None of these releases have made me feel like I'm missing out.

Raw controls, at least for my Ronin 4D 8K are pretty basic compared with some other editors, but the most important stuff is there. I'd like to see black and white point adjustments in the raw tab, but there are other tools that can be used in a node to accomplish similar things. Highlight recovery would be nice too. Maybe more advanced controls will come in subsequent versions.

Newsshooter is there and brings these exciting news: https://www.newsshooter.com/2025/09/13/viltrox-nexus-pl-to-e-pro-adapter-that-enables-full-af-capabilities-when-using-pl-mount-cine-lenses/ Comes by 4Q 2025 in the end of the year...

After playing more with NEV to R3D converted Z6iii clips I prefer the Resolve’s NRaw Camera Raw panel controls, especially for adjusting WB, exposure, highlights and shadows. In Red Raw panel your options are a bit more limited. Chroma NR tab is nice and could be the reason why ZR DR is said to be better, at least it cleans the raised shadows a bit without touching Resolve’s other NR controls. Tried also to shoot from the hip by using Z6iii’s LCD to mimick shooting with ZR. Hard to imagine how big a difference a 4 inch screen could make compared to 3.2. I guess I am just an EVF shooter, as on my first Canon 550D back in 2010 I had EVF loupe attached,which magnified the LCD 2x and gave additional contact point. But it’s nice Nikon users have now more options to choose from.

ProRes RAW... https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20250910-02

No indication C50 can do this either but they should definitely consider it if not already. I also hear they are releasing a bunch of "stylised" LUTs including day-to-night for the C50. As for open gate, if the R5C (or even the R5 II) sensor could actually handle full-height 3:2 video readout, Canon would have probably leaned on that already.. either through firmware or at launch. Instead, they built a brand-new lower MP sensor for the C50. That tells me the older 45MP architecture just isn’t optimized for it (whether it’s readout speed, heat, or the processing pipeline). So while open gate on the R5C would be fantastic, the fact Canon didn’t already enable it when they had the chance is probably the clearest sign it’s not coming. Also for product segment reasons. But you never know..

This is getting tedious, you’re over-correcting things I never claimed. I didn’t say FF magically changes lens physics, just that for equivalent framing it naturally gives shallower DOF compared to S35, which is why focal reducers even exist in the first place. You basically repeated that back to me, so we actually agree there. Same with open gate: yes, 17:9 is technically “open gate” on many cinema sensors, but when filmmakers talk about open gate they often mean 3:2 / 4:3 full-height readouts because those give more latitude for aspect ratios and anamorphic use. That’s all I was pointing out. As for “character,” I never said every FF lens suddenly blooms with quirks on 44×33, just that bigger sensors can reveal parts of the image circle not usually seen, which some DPs (like Fraser) like to exploit. Whether that looks beautiful or boring depends on the lens and the shooter’s taste. No need to nitpick every word.. we’re actually saying a lot of the same things. At the end of the day, people are going to pick whatever tool makes sense for their workflow, budget, or taste. I never claimed MF was a magic bullet, just that it offers options and aesthetics some shooters care about. You prefer the practicality of the Raptor, others might be drawn to the Eterna 55. Both views can be true.

Technically a sensor by itself doesn’t have a “look,” but bigger sensors change how lenses behave and how we can use the image circle, which is where the cinematic signature comes from. FF already gives shallower depth of field for equivalent framing and a FoV closer to classic 35mm photography. Open gate modes on 3:2/4:3 sensors take that further by giving you the full vertical readout, letting you reframe, use anamorphic, or extract stills without losing resolution. Medium format pushes this even more, however Fuji’s GFX sensors aren’t “true” MF like Alexa 65 or Hasselblad backs, but it’s about 1.7× the area of FF, which is enough to reveal more lens character, smoother falloff, and a slightly different perspective than FF or S35. So when you pair the sensor with fast primes and open gate capture, the format really does offer creative possibilities that smaller sensors simply can’t match. I'm loving what I'm seeing from the Eterna so far by the way!

No translation, but you don't need to.

For context, I went to film school and have worked on many projects with 2-3 people per camera, ones where I managed multiple cameras on my own, 16mm film projects, and everything in between. On the other side, I've also shot live concerts for music videos, which, incidentally, the ZR would be a fantastic choice for. So while I don't have the experience of many of the active pros here, I understand camera use cases. I never said anything about single cards being a requirement. I said that if you use the camera on any kind of support (tripod, jib, car rig, shoulder rig, gimbal) it's going to be a massive pain to change the card, ergo the ZR is designed almost exclusively for handheld, unrigged use. Almost every shot on most (not all) cinema projects uses a support system. The Alexa and Raptor are quintessential cinema cameras. Actually, I consider dual cards to be most beneficial in documentary settings, where retakes are impossible and you don't have multiple cameras for coverage. @eatstoomuchjammentioned the Z Cam F6. Z Cam's original prototypes for the E2 put the CFast card on the bottom, but they changed it because of feedback saying it would be too cumbersome to access. I consider the F6 to be a cinema camera, as a category, because it is designed to be used in a variety of situations that are typical for cinematic capture, and Z Cam discovered that included being able to change the card. Obviously, it's a lower end camera, relatively speaking, and there are plenty of photo cameras with better video quality. Because it's impossible to tell on the internet, I'll reiterate that I'm quite happy to agree to disagree about terminology! And I am genuinely happy when people do things differently than I would.

I hadn’t truly appreciated just how much of a normalised activity this was until I saw these for sale in my local supermarket recently. I do fear for what people are eating who use this one if their bowel movements are such that they have to take their watch off to do it. Although maybe that is to stop the watch thinking they are having a vigorous workout when they are doing a more old fashioned bathroom activity.

Gerald is pissed that they call it cine camera, then complain why the only dependable codec of the camera is the one used in cine cameras. Tho I understand for a video shooter who never leave his garage room YouTube studio, the quality of h.265 is important and Nikon should address that.

I don't know, I think you answered your own questions... bigger LCD, internal Raw (multiple Raw formats... and ProRes HQ) ... those alone are worth the price increase. When you add internal 32bit float audio (a real game changer) ... as far as tools, I have a feeling some of Red's exposure tools may be implemented... I've heard a lot of folks refer to the stop light as being a really cool one? Listen, I get it. I like Panasonic too. I still really enjoy my GH6 (with LogC) and will probably keep it. Am going to test the pixel:pixel mode today with some old Cosmicar c-mounts, but not every thread, or new camera release, has to be an affront, or comparison, to Panasonic. That said, this idea of Raw video, r3D or otherwise, is NOT for most video shooters and probably unnecessary for most YouTubers and people who frequent this site. The storage requirements are insane. Someone upthread said that you get 28 minutes of footage on a 320GB CFExpress card... I assume that's 6K, so I'll do a little better with 4K but that's still a lot of media and storage needed. But if you look at the camera for what it is... a powerful, entry level, Raw video camera, then even with its quirks, it's an epic release.

That's about the gist of it. But I'd add that the heavier body is also, from what it seems, a more robust body. Also, less rolling shutter, shutter angle setting, 2 hours vs 30 minutes recording, uncropped 4kp60, much higher resolution on the lcd, headphone port, environmental sealing, and CF express. Also, ability to get an adapter and use Sony lenses for people who have invested in them. On the other hand, S9 can do 3:2 recording if that's a selling point for you. And aside from being lighter, it's noticeably smaller in side-by-size pictures. I'd also add that at least a nubbin of a hand grip is preferable to a completely rounded body for a camera that I'd intend to shoot mostly handheld (making the ZR preferable)

I was exactly the same watching the CVP review. And then right at the end they showed some Z8 clips. The one I’m least arsed about is the HDMI port as no matter the size they can all snap off if you hit them. Theres an argument to say the Micro version is preferable because it’s a smaller target 😂

I know the phrase of the day is content creator, but I, personally, see this as the ultimate, low/no budget, DIY, short film camera. I don't think I have ever been so tempted to hit preorder. I understand its inconveniences and there are a couple things I need to research... battery life (the FP is atrocious), overheating, IBIS quality, etc... but I must say this is the most excited I have been for a camera since I bought my 5D3 and installed ML Raw onto it.

This is the most exciting cinema camera I've seen since the 5D3 got cDNG RAW with Magic Lantern. Not a fan of Z mount but the camera specs make it irrelevant. I may even buy into their lens ecosystem now. Hopefully Sigma starts making FF natives for their system. Anyway. Instant buy. It's amazing, cuz I never thought I'd own a RED. Nikon buyout is the best thing ever. Edit: Note to self, buy Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ and Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 in Sony E.

And with the Techart Pro MZ adapter you can have them autofocus as well.

Keep in mind that most, if not all of the actual Red cameras from Red don't support redundancy recording. I don't think I ever saw an older one with more than a single Red mag slot. Komodo has a single CFast card. Komodo-X has a single CF Express card. I'm not sure about V-Raptor. As far as open gate, yes, Reds do this, but their sensors are 17:9 so open gate matches that. If they support 3:2 recording, it's by cropping the left and right edges of the frame. I'm not sure if all of their sensors are 17:9, but again, every one that I've seen has been.

My guess, they didn't want to kill their RED brand. It would also have cost minimum, 5000+ USD to 10 000 USD, and not many Nikon shooters could have afforded this. I would have liked a bit better spec even with a more costly body. But in the end, this will be found in a lot of Nikon shooter camera bag, as a secondary or third body for professional. And it would become their primary body for video. For photographers, 5000 USD is already flagship level camera bodies. This is also the ultimate content creator camera, people might not care or even despise it, but it is a big market. Nikon has loss so much market share, and more importantly in the younger demographic, that it might revive a new generation of shooters for the company. It is a bit of a jack of all trade, from someone who would just pick the camera and either film himself or do some content filming some dancers or skaters. To someone rigging it and going to shoot a doc or a short film.

Well, Nikon have come a long way in 10 years since the D750 at least. R3D, a proper screen, 32bit float, IBIS all very welcome as you say. But Nikon should have made a much bigger splash with the first Cinema Z camera. It should have been a cutting edge flagship at a really aggressive price. Instead they have gone with what is practically a point & shoot camera. It fits the philosophy of the "DSLR video revolution" though doesn't it? Cheap (by today's norm), small, light, cinematic image quality, great codec and hybrid photo/video features. Micro SD and HDMI is idiotic though.

That's exactly why they started with an "entry-level" camera. They are re-implementing their algorithms in Nikon's processors and hardware, which are cheaper and more efficient (it wasn't hard to figure that out, given the economies of scale). We should also expect big news regarding other Red features, such as the integration of a global shutter sensor. I imagine that the process will then be a two-way street. A future Red camera will have Nikon processors and technology.

I feel like this is a supercharged version of Sigma Fp

Off topic, but nice image.

Official announcement: https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2025/0910_imaging_01.html Redcode NE?

They mention it at 1:06:21 - below is linked to timestamp: I must admit that if BM camera supports it then it's a step towards it being supported in Resolve. It's not currently listed on the BM website, but that makes sense as (IIRC) no iPhone can record it yet: I'll be ordering a new phone and my GH7 already records Prores RAW internally, so I'll be in a strange place where both my main cameras support internal Prores RAW but my NLE doesn't! 😆 😆 😆

I didn't catch it while streaming the Apple keynote earlier, but apparently they mentioned that its ProRes RAW capture (I did hear that and I approve, but I just bought a 16 Pro last year so it'll be at least a couple more years before I get a newer iPhone) would also work in Blackmagic Camera. So at least on the capture side, it seems like their allergy to PRR is fading. IBC starts this week. Dare we hope for an announcement for new input codec support in Resolve? At this point, it seems silly that they would capture it and then refuse to edit it.

Between the two, the new Canon and this, obviously if you are in the Canon ecosystem or with Nikon, the choice is obvious, providing either of these things can do what you need them to do. I think they both look the part, but neither of them really suit my needs so still perfectly happy I went full Lumix, and even if they had been Captain Amazeballs, I still wouldn't have jumped. If I had gone for one of them, I'd have gone the Nikon route, but only if I'd stayed within the Nikon body, adapted E Mount glass camp where I partially previously was. I am happy they exist even if they don't tick all my boxes.

Wish it had external SSD recording. How you're supposed to change the CFe card in this setup?

and also confirmed here (linked to timestamp):

Also, the new iPhones all use a new "Apple Log 2" profile, so that will require Resolve to be updated as well to support the new colour space:

Yeah but I imagine Smallrig/Tilta could maaybe make a special cage that has the right compatibility with those screws? I shot Smallrig a quick email just to see what they say. So much of their stuff is inspired by custie requests and I love them for that! Just looking at my R5C right now, it technically might be doable. The tradeoff would be reduced access to the power switch and top facing LCD panel on either side of the hot shoe. But of course that's all provided that the hot shoe is even compatible 🤷🏾‍♂️

Not really. Blackmagic does not seem to have any interest in supporting BM Raw outside of their own cameras and recorders. ProRes RAW, on the other hand, is now used at least in cameras from Panasonic and DJI, and apparently, their own camera app on iPhone. By that logic, they also shouldn't support Canon raw or Nikon raw since they are also ostensibly competitors. The historical reason was that they didn't support it because they hate Atomos, which I get, and the format was primarily recorded by Atomos recorders. Nowadays, that use case is fading as more vendors record it directly in camera without forcing users to deal with a shitty third party.

An important question for me is whether the C50 top handle/audio mixer is compatible with the R5C? Looks like it's secured with two screws on either side - but maybe Smallrig or Tilta can make a modified cage that allows the top handle to be bolted down that way? 🤷🏾‍♂️ If it is compatible I wouldn't need to be pinning for that Tascam Fr-AV2 anymore. But if it isn't it would be another head scratcher bcuz between the C400's detachable monitor and now this top handle/audio mixer, I feel like Canon is missing these really big opportunities to open the door for Canon made essential accessories that are compatible across/within their cam/cinema lines which would further strengthsn their ecosystem. Either way, seems like a great piece of kit!

Looks like the video got pulled, but NikonRumors summarized some stuff: At $2,100, it's a much, much more interesting option than it was at $2,600.