I Tried the Nikon ZR and It Changed How I Shoot Video

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Cinema-quality cameras have traditionally been expensive, bulky, and out of reach for most creators—but the Nikon ZR is trying to change that. Built with technology influenced by RED (which Nikon acquired in 2024), this compact mirrorless camera brings professional-grade video tools and color science to a much more accessible price point.

For $2,200, the Nikon ZR is a cinema-lover’s dream. After testing it across multiple real-world scenarios—from filming cars and lifestyle footage to shooting portraits and short-form video—it became clear the Nikon ZR isn’t just another hybrid camera. It’s a serious filmmaking tool that can deliver cinematic results without the five-figure investment.

What It Is

My first take on the ZR is that my hands are too big to grip the side, but I was pleasantly surprised at how firm the ZR felt. The design reminds me of many recent mirrorless cameras from Sony and Canon in that it’s compact and light enough to carry around all day. This is coming from someone who uses a Canon 5D Mark IV as a journalistic photographer—my camera feels like a brick at over three pounds. Compact and portable, the ZR weighs only 1.2 pounds—or a little more than that with the included 50mm lens (that kit costs $2,650).

Excuse the pun, but the focus here is on professional filmmaking, not the birthday party and balloons home videos I’ve done for decades. Aspiring filmmakers like me know you need flexibility for a given scene, and the ZR lets you record in dozens of formats—from YouTube ready H.264 all the way up to the R3D NE 6K with log files. The idea is that you will edit your production in something like Final Cut Pro and you are serious about your craft.

Nikon ZR Camera Overall Impressions 

I used the Nikon ZR for multiple test projects including filming at a park with my wife, capturing clips of a car I’m testing (a sweet-looking Alfa Romeo Tonale), a few gadget photos, and doing a professional video shoot with a five-month-old baby. Right away, I could tell the Nikon ZR is a step above other models I’ve tested, including most Nikon and Canon photo and film cameras. The ZR is even cheaper than some Sony Alpha cameras like the 7R at $3,300.

I mentioned RED’s color science, and that’s the real differentiator here. Using the R3D NE format at 24 frames per second (the frame rate movies have used since the 1920s), my clips had a lush, colorful, and clear look. I’ve filmed with my Canon 5D Mark IV hundreds of times, and there was a stark difference in color quality—with the ZR, clips of a sunset at the park had a cinematic look. I felt more and more motivated to learn the settings as I started planning a movie concept, but that is one word of caution: the settings can seem overwhelming at first. 

Key Features

I’m going to avoid covering detailed specifications that would only appeal to technical engineers. Instead, I used the camera in different situations to see how it actually performed and how the settings helped me get started on the road to making a feature length film.

I started by filming a water spigot at a park. The sun was setting in the background and the scene was a perfect place to test the different formats and frame rates. The Nikon ZR’s main claim to fame is the R3D NE format that can capture a high dynamic range (which you can only see later when you use an app like Adobe Premier Pro with the metadata). The rusty reds and watery rocks with a sun-kissed orange tint looked stunningly realistic in my test footage. Put two people in that scene talking about relationship problems and I could make an indie film. I also tested H.264 for comparison and the scene did not pop quite as much.

The four-inch display on the back of the ZR flips and rotates to the side of the camera body, which is helpful if you mount the ZR on a tripod. You can maintain a sight line for the lens and use the display as a monitor, still highly visible and clear even in direct sunlight. 

I loved the sound of the water spurting out of the spigot—it almost seemed like the perfect ASMR recording—and that helped me test the built-in microphone. The camera records 32 bit float audio which just means it has an exceptional dynamic range. Those water droplets would have sounded like a hose on my driveway, but I noticed they had a more distinct splat on the grass and dirt that the ZR captured nicely, even without a detachable mic. A trade-off is that, even a short five-second clip took up about 35 MB of space. That’s because the audio files are bigger than what you might record with a normal 4K camera.

Fortunately, the ZR also uses professional-grade memory cards like the OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B that starts at about $200 for the 325 GB size. High-end video recording uses up a lot of space—one short clip can use 100MB easily. A 1TB card can cost $550. That’s important to know if you plan to do pro videos, since the memory cards are expensive. I also noticed they are a little hard to insert into the memory card slot compared to SD cards.

I tested more video recording formats, and then started diving into the settings. Aspiring filmmakers will love this—there seems to be a setting for just about every scenario. For my baby videos, I chose to use a wider focus to capture blankets in the background and her little smiling face, and the results look astoundingly good. I filmed a few car clips on a sunny day and easily found the white balance settings, choosing the direct sunlight mode. Interior clips had a color range and crispness that made me think my Canon 5D is for amateurs. 

Next, I used the Nikon ZR for photography, snapping photos of a smartphone in a lightbox. The one main takeaway from all of this testing is that the ZR captures a wide range of colors, even when the colors involve a lot of whites and grays mixed with black accents. My photos looked warmer, more realistic, and more professional than I’ve seen with some mirrorless cameras. I doubt anyone will buy the ZR only for photography, but it provides a ton of flexibility.

Pros

• Dynamic colors
• Light and portable
• Great built-in mic

Cons

• Memory cards are expensive
• Complex settings

Final Verdict

It’s always important to evaluate a product based on the intended audience. The Nikon ZR is a true cinema-quality video camera for people like me who would make an actual feature-length indie movie, record a commercial for airing on television, or snap pro photos in a studio. The settings are overwhelming because they provide so much flexibility, but if you are looking for a point-and-shoot film camera, this is not the right one for you. If you take the time to learn the focus modes, white balance, and other settings, it’s capable of some wondrous results.

Why You Should Trust Me

I’ve been a professional journalistic photographer for two decades. I use a Canon 5D Mark IV but have tested most makes and models over the years, including many Nikon, Sony, and Canon models. My other claim to fame is that, in a previous career, I led the production of major advertising projects and made commercials in the corporate world.