Nikon has officially confirmed that firmware version 2.00 is in development for the Nikon ZR — the first Z Cinema cinema camera — and it's the update the community has been asking for since the camera shipped in October 2025. The announcement (September 8, 2026, Nikon press room, with details echoed by NikonRumors and RedShark) reads like a response to field feedback rather than a marketing exercise.
| ZR firmware, at a glance | What it changes | When |
|---|---|---|
| v2.00 — H.265 + Log3G10 | REDWideGamutRGB / Log3G10 color science in the compact H.265 codec, not just R3D NE — smaller files, same grading latitude | Later in 2026 |
| v2.00 — High ISO NR | Selectable [High ISO NR] level while recording H.265 Log — cleaner base image in the log workflow | Later in 2026 |
| v2.00 — R3D NE focus peaking | Focus peaking display while recording in R3D NE — the top ask from manual-focus / B-cam users | Later in 2026 |
| v2.xx — Open gate recording | Capture the full sensor (no fixed aspect crop); reframe 16:9, vertical, and other ratios in post | 2027 (planned) |
| v2.xx — Anamorphic desqueeze | On-camera desqueeze display for squeeze glass | 2027 (planned) |
| v2.xx — RED Control apps | RED's RED Control and RED Control Pro wireless remote-control apps, extended to the ZR | 2027 (planned) |
The detail:
Log3G10 + REDWideGamutRGB in H.265 — the RED color pipeline the ZR is famous for now works in the compact codec. Nikon says the result keeps the high grading latitude of the log while delivering much smaller file sizes and longer record times.
High ISO NR during H.265 Log recording — a new setting to trade a little shadow noise for a cleaner base image, "tailored to the creator's intent and the tone of the work," in Nikon's words.
Focus peaking in R3D NE — the single most-asked fix, and the one that makes the ZR a credible B-cam for teams running RED glass and manual focus.
The 2027 roadmap — open gate recording, an anamorphic desqueeze display, and RED's remote-control apps. These are "planned," not dated; treat them as confirmed-in-development.
Our take: the headline is the H.265 + Log3G10 combination. For a year, the ZR's "cinema" workflow effectively meant R3D NE — gorgeous, 12-bit, and large, with media bills that scare off solo shooters. If you keep the exact same color science and latitude in an H.265 file that's a fraction of the size, the ZR's sweet spot widens from "indie A-cam" to "the camera you shoot every job on." That's a meaningfully different buyer. Open gate in 2027 is the patience test: it's a real production ask (vertical crops, 1.33:1 deliverables), and Nikon credibly committing to it tells us the ZR isn't a one-and-done product — it's a platform Nikon intends to keep feeding. Our only caution: until 2.00 ships, "later this year" is still a rumor, so treat it as confirmed-in-development, not confirmed-on-your-desk.
For the full feature-by-feature walkthrough — including the open-gate debate, live LUTs, and how the new peaking behaves in R3D — this is the best independent breakdown we've found:
NIKON RED
