Nikon doesn't announce firmware updates lightly, and it definitely doesn't announce them before they're ready. So when Nikon put out a release on 8 September 2026 confirming a firmware 2.00 update is in development for the ZR, it was worth reading properly rather than skimming the headline.
When Is It Coming
Nikon's announcement confirms firmware 2.00 is in active development, with release expected later in 2026 — no exact date given yet beyond that. A separate, later roadmap update pushes two more frequently-requested features out to 2027 rather than bundling them into this release. Worth knowing before you get your hopes up for everything at once.
What's Confirmed for Firmware 2.00
Three specific features, all confirmed directly by Nikon rather than rumoured:
- Log3G10 and REDWideGamutRGB support when recording in H.265 — RED's colour science extended to the more storage-friendly codec, not just R3D NE.
- Focus peaking during R3D NE recording — a genuinely surprising omission until now, and one that directly affects run-and-gun shooting where you don't always get a second take to check focus.
- A new High ISO NR level option for H.265 Log recording — more control over the noise reduction/detail trade-off in low light.
RED is separately updating its own remote-control apps, RED CONTROL and RED CONTROL PRO, to add remote control of the ZR — not a camera firmware feature exactly, but part of the same announcement and relevant if you already use either app with a RED cinema camera.
What Else Could Be Coming
Nikon's own roadmap names two features it's developing for a future update, targeted for 2027 rather than this release:
| Confirmed for 2.00 (2026) | Targeted for 2027 |
|---|---|
| Log3G10 + REDWideGamutRGB in H.265 | Open Gate recording (full sensor width, 4:3) |
| Focus peaking during R3D NE recording | Desqueeze display for anamorphic lenses |
| New High ISO NR level for H.265 Log | — |
Open Gate is the one most people asked for — shooting the full sensor width and cropping to different aspect ratios afterward rather than committing to one in-camera. Worth noting Nikon has named it as a direction, not promised a date, so treat 2027 as a target rather than a guarantee.
Why This Matters for the Work I Actually Do
Focus peaking during R3D NE recording would have been useful on the Montreal trip — shooting run-and-gun on a stripped-back rig, without a second take, is exactly the situation where confirming focus on the fly matters more than checking it after the fact. Log3G10 in H.265 is the more interesting one for interview and multicam work, where R3D NE's file sizes are sometimes more than the job needs — this closes some of that gap between the two formats rather than forcing a choice between quality and storage.
Official Sources
Read Nikon's announcement directly rather than taking my summary as the last word: Nikon.com, Nikon USA press room, and independent coverage from CineD and Newsshooter.
Shooting on a Nikon ZR and want to talk through what firmware 2.00 actually changes for your workflow? Get in touch: contact@niteshmistry.co.uk.