Nikon ZR on a store display, shown with a 24-70mm zoom (not included with the body). Photo: 昼落ち via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)
HIGHLIGHTS
Nikon announced the ZR on September 10, 2025 as its first cinema camera and the first of its Z CINEMA series. Co-developed with RED, it went on sale in late October 2025 at $2,199.95 body-only. It records RED's new R3D NE RAW internally at up to 6K/59.94p in 12-bit, alongside Nikon's N-RAW and Apple ProRes RAW HQ, and Nikon claims 15+ stops of dynamic range in Log3G10 with dual base ISO 800/6400 in R3D NE.
Why it exists. The ZR is built for solo filmmakers who want RAW cinema files without a rig. Instead of an external monitor you get a 4-inch, 1000-nit vari-angle touchscreen, plus what Nikon calls the world's first 32-bit float audio among interchangeable-lens cameras, through the built-in mic and a 3.5 mm jack. In-body VR is rated at 7.5 stops, the fan-less magnesium body has dust and drip resistance like the Z6III's, and it weighs about 630 g ready to shoot. Slow-motion modes reach 4K/119.88p and Full HD/239.76p.
Our stills gallery comes from three photographers: a grey heron at Tokyo's Institute for Nature Study, the Minato City Center for Traditional Culture, bollards on a Shenzhen street at night, a 200-year-old chair in Calabar, Calabar's waterfront and the entrance of the Nikon Museum in Shinagawa.
The story
Nikon Inc. announced the ZR on September 10, 2025, saying it would be available in late October 2025 for a suggested retail price of $2,199.95 body-only, with kits at $2,499.95 (Z 24-50mm), $2,749.95 (Z 50mm f/1.8) and $2,849.95 (Z 35mm f/1.4) (Nikon Inc., via PR Newswire; Nikon Corporation).
Nikon's product page lists ISO 100–51200 for the camera; we quote that figure (Nikon).
Specifications
Key specs for the Nikon ZR, from Nikon's ZR product page, the ZR online manual specifications and Nikon Inc.'s September 10, 2025 release. Source for each row in brackets.
Sensor
24.5MP effective (26.79MP total) FX-format CMOS, 35.9 × 23.9 mm; Z mount [Nikon manual]
Internal RAW
R3D NE 12-bit, N-RAW 12-bit, Apple ProRes RAW HQ; up to 6048 × 3402 at 59.94p [Nikon manual]
Other video
ProRes 422 HQ, H.265, H.264; 5.4K up to 59.94p; 4K UHD up to 119.88p; Full HD up to 239.76p [Nikon manual]
Dynamic range / color
15+ stops (Log3G10); REDWideGamutRGB; dual base ISO 800 / 6400 in R3D NE [Nikon Inc.]
ISO
100–51200 [Nikon product page]
Audio
32-bit float via the built-in mic and 3.5 mm jack; OZO Audio [Nikon Inc.]
Screen
4.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, about 3,070k dots, 1000 cd/m² [Nikon manual]
Stabilization
5-axis in-body VR; 7.5 stops [Nikon Inc.]
Autofocus
Detects nine subject types; −10 to +19 EV (photo mode, ISO 100, AF-S, f/1.2 lens) [Nikon Inc., Nikon manual]
Six stills taken with the Nikon ZR by three photographers, shared on Wikimedia Commons or Flickr under Creative Commons licenses or in the public domain. Each caption gives the settings the file records. Select a photo to enlarge it. More samples from Wikimedia Commons
f/4, ISO 100, 1/60 s, 48mm: a grey heron at the Institute for Nature Study, Tokyo. Photo: Doricono via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)f/5, ISO 100, 1/100 s, 24mm: the Minato City Center for Traditional Culture, Tokyo. Photo: Doricono via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)
f/2, ISO 1100, 1/50 s, 40mm: bollards on a Shenzhen street at night. Photo: Vincent4486 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)f/1.4, ISO 100, 1/25 s, 35mm: a 200-year-old chair in Calabar, Nigeria. Photo: Otomeonoge via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
f/13, ISO 320, 1/320 s, 35mm: the waterfront at Calabar, Nigeria. Photo: Otomeonoge via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)f/7.1, ISO 1000, 1/200 s, 24mm: the entrance of the Nikon Museum, Shinagawa, Tokyo. Photo: Doricono via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)
Nikon: Launched at $2,199.95 in 2025 (US SRP, body only).
Verdict
Who it's for: solo filmmakers and small crews who want internal 6K RAW, RED color science, 32-bit float audio and a big built-in screen in a small Z-mount body.
Look elsewhere if you mainly shoot stills: it has an electronic shutter only, and Nikon's specs list no viewfinder. See the Z6III.
Pros
Internal R3D NE, N-RAW and ProRes RAW HQ up to 6K/59.94p
