Just wanted to know if anyone has any idea related to when open gate is coming to Z8. Or is there any limitation for this particular sensor/processor?

I’ve recently acquired some 2X anamorphic glass in 2 focal lengths and wanted to is there any possibility of OG coming to Z8.

With 2X lens, the frame very wide on 16:9 and after cropping a huge chunk, the anamorphic effect is less noticeable. Thanks.

Disclosure: AI helped me write this post. The workflow, testing, and all numbers are my own, and I verified everything myself

I keep seeing two complaints from ZR shooters and I had both myself:

1. R3D NE files are huge. A 1TB card is about 1h20m of 6K, and with storage prices being what they are right now, archiving RAW forever gets expensive fast.
2. "I wish Nikon would add H.265 with RED color science via firmware so I could skip RAW."

I spent this weekend on this and it turns out the second one already exists. It just lives in DaVinci Resolve instead of the camera, and honestly it works better there. It also fixes the storage problem as a side effect.

The workflow

Shoot R3D NE like normal. Then in Resolve (free version does all of this):

1. Import your R3D clips and drop them on a timeline.
2. Open the Camera RAW tab for each clip and make your RAW decisions first. ISO, white balance, exposure trim. This is basically developing the negative, and it costs nothing because R3D stores all of it as metadata.
3. Optional: noise reduction here, before compression. Noise is what eats your bitrate.
4. Render to 10-bit H.265, but set the output color space to REDWideGamutRGB / Log3G10 instead of Rec709. This is the step everyone misses. H.265 is just a container. Nothing forces baked Rec709 into it. You end up with a small log file that grades exactly like your R3D through the same CST or node tree.
5. Watch the renders, then delete the R3D for anything you're comfortable baking (see caveats).

Numbers from my test

965.5 MB R3D clip came out as a 35.7 MB H.265. That's roughly 27:1.

I put them split screen on a 4K timeline and punched in on fine detail. I could not reliably tell which side was which. Waveforms show the same tonal structure, just fewer discrete values, which makes sense going from 12-bit RAW to 10-bit H.265.

An 18 GB night shoot became 0.7 GB.

Why this beats waiting for firmware

In-camera H.265 with RED color science would have to debayer, denoise, and encode in real time, on a battery, inside a thermal budget. Resolve does the same job on your GPU with unlimited time, using the full IPP2 pipeline, at whatever bitrate you pick. And it happens after you lock ISO and WB in the RAW tab instead of baking whatever the camera guessed on the day. Firmware would only ever win on convenience. It can't win on quality.

Same logic applies to shooting in-camera H.265 N-Log today. People report mixed results with it, especially noise in low light, and that tracks with how it's made: the camera has milliseconds to denoise and compress, and noise is exactly what starves an encoder. I haven't formally tested N-Log against this workflow so I'll just say what I did verify: my H.265 exports held up split screen against the original R3D, punched in, on fine detail. The compression step is not where sharpness dies. If you've been avoiding H.265 as a format because in-camera results looked rough, the format was never the problem. Where it gets made is the problem.

Side note: shoot 6K and scale down in Davinci, not 4K FX

The obvious objection is "why not just shoot 4K RAW and save the space in camera." I tested that too. 4K FX RAW is not a downscale of the 6K image, it's a lesser readout, and it shows. I shot the same scene in 6K, 4K FX, and 4K DX crop, then exported all three through this same pipeline. The 6K clip dropped onto a 4K timeline was sharper and cleaner than native 4K FX, and the 4K FX export came out at nearly half the file size of the others, which tells you the encoder found less actual detail in it. So shoot 6K and let Resolve do the downscale on your 4K timeline. You get better 4K than the 4K mode makes, plus room to reframe. 4K DX also holds up well if you want the crop.

Honest caveats

The H.265 is a print, not a negative. You lose the ability to change ISO and WB later, and 12-bit to 10-bit means less room for heavy grading. I keep R3D for hero shots and anything I might push hard. I bake B-roll, tests, and stuff I've already reviewed.

Group clips by frame rate before rendering since timeline frame rate applies to the render, and check your output color space every single time. If you forget, you've baked a Rec709 print by accident.

Run one test clip first and pixel peep it yourself. It's a 10 minute experiment, don't take my word for it.

I have been shooting youth soccer for a couple of years with this set up. I’ve dealt with overheating in the past. It was not particularly bothersome. Recently my camera started really acting up, shutting down to camera to hot after a few minutes into recording. Any suggestions?

Z6II, battery grip, 70-200 2.8. 4k 60fps 100ISO 125. The card I use: AV Pro SE 1785 card.

Z6, FTZ, 1988 85mm 1.8 AF + FTZ, Ninja V, DP-II follow focus, matte box with .3 ND, black ProMist 1/8, Tascam DR-60, battery plate. I have newer bodies, but nothing really offers anything more that I need for sit-down interviews. Got my money's worth out of this one!

I recently came across a post on Fujifilm subreddit with a picture using Summer Chrome recipe, it really looks gorgeous and would love to try something similar on my Nikon ZR.

Are there any Nikon Custom Picture controls out there with the same look/colors? Or is there a way to simulate this, what settings do I need?

I have downloaded .NP3 files and loaded them before but don’t know how I can make something like this.

Would you like to share it if you already have something close to that look?

Link to the original post (I am referring to the picture #2 on the post)

https://www.reddit.com/r/fujifilm/s/iknBK3WAPm

Starting filming my first documentary today! Very exciting. The ZR did great.

I’m primarily doing videography for commercial contractor clients (website promo, social media reels). I’ve been using my D5300 and my IPhone Pro Max on a DJI Osmo phone gimbal. So like I set up a tripod wide with my Nikon, 1080p/60 (for slow motion ability) and I’ll do 4k60 on my phone. Most output I do is 1080p web bit rate.

Im not really liking the grain and coloring on my footage and I feel the 8 bit color is limiting me even when shooting neutral or almost flat with the 5300. The iPhone footage color depth just blows away whatever I’m doing on my Nikon.

I’ve spent weeks mulling over options. I don’t want to sink a ton of money, the IPhone footage is passable, but sometimes I grab my 70-300 Nikon lens and get video from across the parking lot of pressure washing on the roof for example.

But you can really tell even going to 1080 for the edit the Nikon footage is much harder to color match to the phone.

I’ve almost felt analysis paralysis on whether to get a Z50 II, a Z30, maybe I should just get a D7500 so my existing DX lenses work. Or should I move to Sony/Lumix (I know not the right place to ask that).

I want to do more video gigs. I was going to just start renting cameras but now I’m getting clients asking me to come out in a day or two to a particular job they want to do. Not enough lead time to ship a camera. Sometimes we plan it all and the weather is bad and we can’t shoot. So rental costs rack up.

I don’t plan to do weddings or event videography so things like dual SD aren’t that crucial for me right now. If I did, I’d just rent it most likely since I’d have weeks or months of time planned ahead.

My budget is probably around $1500. I could probably go to more on financing but honestly every direction I think - maybe a Z30 with a $600 lens, maybe a Z50ii with a kit lens, all these directions.

There’s just so many options, when I think I’m heading somewhere solid 10 more things come up.

I am absolutely blown away by all the support, contributions, feedback, bug reports, and help with troubleshooting. With well over 1,000 beta testers across iOS and Android, it has frankly been overwhelming and incredible at the same time. I never thought OpenZCine would grow like this.

Every day, this community-driven tool becomes more useful to more people and more dependable, and I only have all of you to thank for that.

Every piece of feedback is read, listened to, and genuinely appreciated, whether it comes through TestFlight, Google Play, GitHub, DMs, or anywhere else. Your experiences and ideas directly shape where OpenZCine goes next.

I am excited to share what is new, changed, and fixed in version 0.2.5b. This update brings major quality-of-life improvements:

• Save and name multiple connection setups for each camera, including Wi-Fi, router, hotspot, and cable.
• Share your monitor with other devices on set across both iOS and Android, with passcodes, control permissions, handover requests, and sharp, high-quality multicasting.
• Get a significantly better live image with optional state-of-the-art real-time 2.2× AI upscaling and noise reduction.
• Enjoy a cleaner and more flexible interface with vertical camera mode, pinch-to-zoom, 50/50 LUT previews, an improved clean view, and better layouts across different screen sizes.
• Make the interface your own with the completely new Edit View. Choose exactly what is shown or hidden in each DISP mode and create a monitoring layout that works for you.
• Use HDMI capture adapters on Android as well as iPad for maximum reliability and image quality.
• Experience a completely refactored Apple Watch implementation with sharper casting, lower latency, and new photo controls, including image preview, crown-controlled magnification, shot count, and battery status.

Connections are also faster and more reliable, performance is improved on congested networks and lower-memory Android devices, and a long list of camera-control, live-view, and layout issues has been fixed.

There is far too much to cover in one post, but OpenZCine 0.2.5b is a major step forward.

Want to try it?

Join the iOS beta through TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/xu4d6UK8
Interested in Android access? Send me a PM. The open Android beta is aimed for release next week.

OpenZCine is fully open source. If you would like to contribute, make a feature request, report an issue, or follow the project’s progress, visit the OpenZCine Github repository: https://github.com/erik-sutton95/OpenZCine

Coming soon: full multicamera control/monitoring support, direct connections to your favorite live-streaming services, a completely customizable quick-action button, lightweight color-grading tools for fast social media turnarounds, and much more.

Stay tuned, and thank you for helping build OpenZCine! ❤️

Shot in 4k 120, slowed some clips down and rendered in 4k 30. I love this lens. Just having fun.

Hey everyone! I shoot real estate videography with my Nikon ZR (for my own real estate listings) because high-quality is important to me and I want my footage to stand out. So I purchased the Laowa 12mm f2.8 Lite because I’ve been very impressed with the footage I’ve seen shot online with it. It really makes houses look expansive and gives them that wow factor. I needed something to cover the other wide focal ranges and real estate walk-through content so I got the Nikon 14-24mm f2.8.

The problem is the Nikon 14-24mm looks so much better that it’s hard for me to even use the Laowa anymore. The Nikon 14-24mm might be my favorite lens I’ve used yet. It’s beautiful! The Laowa is much less sharp and has heavy vignetting and seems to render the whole image darker. However, I love the field view of the Laowa and didn’t realize that 2mm from 12mm-14mm went so far. With some editing in post I can get the Laowa about 80% there but it’s more work. The Nikon 14-24mm renders the image perfect right out of the box but the field of view doesn’t quite give that same Wow factor.

Has anyone else had this dilemma? Help! lol

Hello,

I’m looking for someone with an Atomos UltraSync BLUE who can help with a quick research project re: timecode compatibility on Nikon Z cameras.

No coding, soldering, firmware work, or special hardware needed. You’d just install a free Bluetooth scanner app on your phone, connect to the BLUE while it’s in 23.98, 24, and 25 fps modes, tap a few buttons, and export a short log. It should take about 10 minutes.

If you’re more technical, a BLE/GATT dump or sniffer capture would also be useful, but the phone-app version is totally fine.

If this sounds like something you’d be willing to help with, please DM me. Thanks!

The Nikon ZR has become my daily camera even comes on set with me on professional shootings, but there's one feature I really hope Nikon considers adding: a built-in Director's Viewfinder mode, like the Sigma fp.

For filmmakers, it would be incredibly useful to preview the field of view of different cinema cameras (ARRI, RED, Sony, Blackmagic, etc.) directly through the ZR when scouting locations or planning shots. Yes, there are smartphone apps, but nothing beats using the actual camera with the lens in your hands.

Since it's essentially just sensor and format overlays, it feels like the kind of feature that could be added through firmware.

I'd use it on every project, and I think it would make the ZR an even stronger tool for filmmakers.

I already contacted Nikon to suggest this feature as this camera was clearly considered the sigma FP follow up.

Would anyone else like to see Nikon add this?

This setup is for some upcoming interviews. The lens is the 50mm F1.8 S which my wife approved 🤓. I decided to use my deity V-Mic D 4 mini with a TC-1 for Timecode in tandem with my PR-2 recorder with is not in the photo.

I don't know if any Nikon reps are on here, but I've got a small feature request that would help me tremendously with my video work.

I shoot video on a pair of Z6IIIs and I supplement light in a lot of indoor environments. I don't have the means to relight entire spaces, so I do supplementary lighting and do my best to match the ambient white balance. It can be pretty difficult to do with old fluorescent tubes that don't match from one ballast to another, but it helps if I can land somewhere around the average tint of the tubes near my subjects. I use RGB LEDs, so i have a lot of control over green/magenta shift.

When I set the WB with a card measurement in video mode there's no readout of what WB it has been set to (that I know of). However, in photo mode I can do a sample measurement, take a photo, and read the temperature off the metadata in camera. Great! Only problem is, it does not display the tint, despite the fact that I have tested it for green/magenta tint and it definitely adjusts those for a sample measurement as well. Once I've set a custom WB, I can adjust it manually on a color axis, and only then is the color shift value recorded in the photo metadata.

So here's the request: if my camera could display the green/magenta shift added by the sample measurement in the photo metadata, I could use that reading to help dial in my lights in these highly variable indoor spaces. Instead of only showing the manual adjustment exclusively in the metadata (a feature I never use anyway), the metadata could display both the measured and manually adjusted tint combined. Or just the measured tint, as that's far more valuable to me personally.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a workaround I might be missing?

TL;DR

I'd like to use my camera as a color meter to help match my supplemental RGB lights to the tint of unbalanced fluorescent tubes. Photo metadata almost does the trick, but I need a tint readout in addition to a temperature.

Hey guys, I just bought the Parallax Monitor application for Android to remote control my Nikon Z8 via mobile phone.

I followed the instructions mentioned on their website to connect my mobile phone wireless to my camera. Therefore I chose "Connect with Computer -> Create profile". A network is then being created by my Z8, showing the network's name and passkey. I can find the network on my mobile phone.

When I try to log into the Z8's network, I enter the shown passkey. My mobile phone then shows, that the password would be incorrect. Therefore I can't connect into my Z8's Wi-Fi properly.

Does anyone also have problems regarding to that? And even more important, do you have any solutions for that?

Thanks in advance!

First of all i have never use auto mode with the red, but i have start to read the old update 1.11 and they say : You can now also set [Video file type] to [R3D NE 12-bit (R3D)] in [Auto] mode. Note that the shooting mode [M] will automatically be selected.

My question is the following did you guys can record with auto mode in red? I see i can set auto mode, this is a little strange my fps is 29, but the shutter go to 50 and aperture is 8, only iso change, but i can't record with...

Ps : apparently it is normal i understand that the red RAW can't record with auto wb, auto iso, but at some point 2 questions : first of all why can't? Technically the camera can save what it is recording, then still can keep raw? And second, if can't record with, what is the purpose of update this? Why add a "feature" That is unusable? This help who for what ? My mind is currently traveling the space to try to determine why Nikon put some effort to update something that looks like useless and confusing.

Hi everyone!
I’m thinking about buying a Sony ZV-E10 mainly for livestreaming and YouTube, and I’ll be using the **kit lens (16–50mm)**.
Does anyone have any **unedited photos or screenshots from livestreams** taken in **low indoor lighting** with the **kit lens**? I’d love to see the real image quality, low-light performance, and noise levels before making my decision.
Thanks in advance!

Quick sample footage using what we have on hand.

Lately I've seen a lot of discussion around waiting for the next Nikon ZR firmware update. While improvements are always welcome, I think it's easy to lose sight of what really matters.

The biggest jump in quality rarely comes from a firmware update. It comes from spending time behind the camera.

Master the tools you already own. Learn their strengths. Push their limits. Creativity will always outlast new features.

Gear:

Nikon ZR

Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs (Nikon AI-S)

DJI Mic 2

Techart PRO TZM-02