Since Nikon's pivotal acquisition of RED Digital Cinema in March 2024, the brand has wasted no time embedding high-end cinema technology into its mirrorless Z series.
The defining product of this merger so far is the Nikon ZR – a compact cinema camera launched in late 2025 that brings RED's legendary colour science natively into the Nikon ecosystem.
The key to this cross-pollination is "R3D NE", a proprietary 12-bit RAW video codec co-developed to utilise REDWideGamutRGB and the Log3G10 gamma curve.
For working professionals, this means Z series files can now drop effortlessly into established RED post-production workflows.
Nikon is also continuing to close the gap between the two systems through firmware updates, bringing RED's industry-standard file-naming conventions to the Z system for better on-set data wrangling, and extending RED colour profiles to compressed H.265 formats for shooters requiring a lighter, more agile workflow.
The latest firmware 2.00 release for the ZR
Nikon has released firmware version 2.00 for the ZR, the camera’s first major update since its October 2025 launch. The update focuses on video workflow improvements, notably introducing RED colour science to compressed formats and expanding external monitoring options.
The core addition is support for RED’s Log3G10 gamma and REDWideGamutRGB in H.265 recording. This allows shooters to utilise RED's grading pipeline with smaller file sizes and longer record times compared to shooting RAW. Nikon has also added four levels of adjustable High ISO Noise Reduction for H.265 (Log3G10 and N-Log) and ProRes 422 HQ (N-Log) formats.
Monitoring and customisation receive several practical upgrades. The firmware enables 3D LUT output via HDMI to external monitors, while focus peaking now remains active when a 3D LUT is applied during R3D NE RAW recording.
Operationally, users can map ISO, exposure compensation, white balance, and colour temperature directly to the command dials, and assign 3D LUT/View Assist to an Fn button. Additionally, new background processing reduces black-level fluctuations to suppress visible shadow flicker in high-ISO scenes.
You can download the latest firmware here. Or find out more about the Nikon ZR on the Nikon website.