28/08/2026
Took the ZR, Nikon Singapore’s first cinema camera, to Sprint Fest SG and it did not disappoint.
There are many things to love about the ZR, and its stabilisation doesn’t get talked about enough. The in-body Vibration Reduction (VR) held panning shots and even walking handheld (slide 6) steady enough that most of the footage you see isn’t stabilised in post at all. It can be hard to stabilise fast-moving objects in post, and the ZR nails it in camera.
N-Log with RED’s creative LUTs is a properly good combination. Midday sun at a racetrack is unforgiving, but the detail was still sitting there in the shadows and highlights when I went looking for it. Even with high ISO at night, recording at 4K120 (slide 7), there was still enough detail to expose the footage well without noise reduction. Colour straight out of camera is already great and the RED LUTs let you push it wherever you want.
Two more details I didn’t expect to be writing about. The screen is huge and bright enough that I could comfortably see what I was shooting under the Singapore sun, which doesn’t sound like much until you are squinting at a tiny dark screen. And NIKKOR glass on a cinema body is an absolute joy; the sharpness and contrast that we love are all still there, just doing something new.
Ten years shooting Nikon, and this is their first go at a cinema camera. I’m staggered!
All of this would not have been possible without the support from the amazing teams at Nikon Singapore and Camera Rental Centre Singapore. Thanks for backing me to capture car culture in Singapore! 🎥🎥🎥
Hit up Camera Rental Centre Singapore if you would like to try out the ZR for yourself too! Simply quote “NikonSGxCRC” to enjoy a FREE 1-day rental of the Nikon ZR, 24-70mm F2.8 S II and more accessories.
Shot with:
Nikon ZR
NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II
NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II
Nikon ME-D10 Shotgun Microphone
DJI Ronin RS4 Pro (when running 🏃🏼🏃🏼)
