# Nikon ZR firmware 2.00: Log3G10 in H.265, adjustable noise reduction, and when R3D NE still wins

> Nikon ZR firmware 2.00 brings RED's Log3G10 to H.265 and lets you dial back noise reduction. What changes, card space per format, and when R3D NE still wins.

- URL: https://www.4filmmakers.co/news/nikon-zr-firmware-2-00-log3g10-h265/
- Publisher: 4FILMMAKERS (https://www.4filmmakers.co/)
- Topic: Cameras & drones (https://www.4filmmakers.co/topics/cameras/), Software (https://www.4filmmakers.co/topics/software/)
- Published: 2026-11-04
- Updated: 2026-11-04
- Keywords: Nikon ZR firmware 2.00, Nikon ZR Log3G10 H.265, Nikon ZR firmware update release date, Nikon ZR H.265 noise reduction, Nikon ZR R3D NE vs H.265, Nikon ZR open gate firmware, Log3G10 DaVinci Resolve H.265

Nikon's firmware 2.00 for the ZR adds RED's Log3G10 gamma and REDWideGamutRGB to H.265 recording, so you can get RED colour in files about a fifth the size of 6K R3D NE at 25p, and about a ninth at 59.94p. It also lets you pick one of four noise reduction levels in H.265 Log, keeps focus peaking on with a 3D LUT while recording R3D NE, and sends a LUT over HDMI. Nikon confirmed the list on 3 November 2026 and says the update arrives "before the end of the year", with no exact date yet.

Open gate and an anamorphic desqueeze display aren't part of it. Nikon still targets 2027 for both.

## In short

- New tone mode for H.265: Log3G10 with REDWideGamutRGB, the same colour pipeline as R3D NE.
- High ISO NR gets four levels in H.265 Log3G10 and H.265 N-Log. YMCinema also lists ProRes 422 HQ N-Log.
- Focus peaking now works over a 3D LUT during R3D NE recording, and the HDMI output can carry a LUT.
- Nikon says new processing cuts frame-to-frame black level changes, the cause of flicker in dark scenes.
- The download isn't live yet. At 25p, 1 TB holds about 84 minutes of 6K R3D NE and about 6.5 hours of 5.4K H.265 at Nikon's current bitrates.

## What's in Nikon ZR firmware 2.00?

Nikon announced the update in September with three items. The 3 November statement, reported by Newsshooter and Nikon Rumors, filled in the rest.

Table: Nikon ZR firmware 2.00, feature by feature

| Change | What you get on set | Announced |
|---|---|---|
| Log3G10 + REDWideGamutRGB in H.265 | RED log in 10-bit H.265, matching R3D NE and RED cameras in the grade | 8 Sep, detailed 3 Nov |
| High ISO NR, four levels | You choose how hard the camera cleans H.265 Log footage | 8 Sep (as "selectable"), four levels on 3 Nov |
| Focus peaking with 3D LUT in R3D NE | Peaking stays visible while you monitor through a LUT | 8 Sep |
| 3D LUT on HDMI output | An external monitor gets the LUT without loading it on the monitor | 3 Nov |
| Black level processing | Nikon says less flicker in low light and in dark parts of the frame | 3 Nov |
| More assignable controls | ISO, exposure, WB and colour temperature on the command dials; 3D LUT/View Assist on an Fn button | 3 Nov |

RED is also updating RED CONTROL and RED CONTROL PRO to run the ZR remotely. Nikon mentions it in the September release and gives no date for the apps.

## Log3G10 H.265, N-Log H.265 or R3D NE: what's the difference?

Before 2.00 you had to shoot R3D NE to get Log3G10. In H.265 your log choice was N-Log, which needs its own LUT or transform, so matching it to R3D NE clips takes extra work in the grade. The new mode puts both formats on the same gamma and gamut.

Table: The three log routes on the ZR after firmware 2.00 (Nikon specs; Log3G10 H.265 details not published yet)

|  | H.265 Log3G10 (new) | H.265 N-Log | R3D NE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit depth, chroma | 10-bit 4:2:0, Long GOP | 10-bit 4:2:0, Long GOP | 12-bit RAW |
| Top resolution | Not published; H.265 tops out at 5376 x 3024 | 5376 x 3024 | 6048 x 3402 |
| Bitrate | Not published | 340 Mbps at 25p, 400 Mbps at 50p (H.265 10-bit) | 1590 Mbps at 25p, 3160 Mbps at 50p |
| ISO and WB after the shoot | Baked in | Baked in | Adjustable in post |
| Grading transform | Same CST or LUT as R3D NE | Nikon N-Log LUT or CST | RWG/Log3G10 CST or Nikon's LUT |
| Noise reduction | Four levels | Four levels | None baked in (you denoise in post) |

Nikon hasn't said whether Log3G10 in H.265 uses the same bitrates or ISO floor as N-Log. In N-Log the ZR starts at ISO 800 and lets you go about 0.3 to 2 stops lower. R3D NE has two base ISOs, 800 and 6400. Check both numbers in the manual once the firmware is out before you build an ND kit around them.

## How much footage fits on a 1 TB card?

We worked these out from Nikon's published bitrates at 25p and 50p, the frame rates most of us deliver in Europe. Log3G10 H.265 should land near the H.265 rows if Nikon keeps the same bitrates.

Table: Storage per format (Nikon bitrates, 4FILMMAKERS calculation, 1 TB = 1000 GB)

| Format and size | 25p | 50p |
|---|---|---|
| R3D NE, 6048 x 3402 | 1590 Mbps, 11.9 GB/min, about 84 min | 3160 Mbps, 23.7 GB/min, about 42 min |
| N-RAW Normal, 6048 x 3402 | 810 Mbps, 6.1 GB/min, about 165 min | 1610 Mbps, 12.1 GB/min, about 83 min |
| ProRes 422 HQ, 5376 x 3024 (25p) / 3840 x 2160 (50p) | 1600 Mbps, 12 GB/min, about 83 min | 1640 Mbps, 12.3 GB/min, about 81 min |
| H.265 10-bit, 5376 x 3024 | 340 Mbps, 2.6 GB/min, about 6.5 h | 400 Mbps, 3 GB/min, about 5.5 h |
| H.265 10-bit, 3840 x 2160 | 190 Mbps, 1.4 GB/min, about 11.7 h | 340 Mbps, 2.6 GB/min, about 6.5 h |

On a two-day documentary or a wedding, you'll feel that gap in the number of CFexpress cards you pack and the time you spend offloading every night. For us that's the strongest case for the new mode. You keep the RED look and stop paying for RAW on interviews and B-roll that will never need it.

## Will the NR setting fix soft H.265 footage?

It should help, but nobody has tested it yet. CineD's lab test of the ZR (October 2025) measured 12.5 stops at SNR 2 for H.265 N-Log, more than its 10.2 stops for ProRes RAW and 9.7 for N-RAW. CineD put that down to a "massive" amount of internal noise reduction that also wiped out fine detail. The noise spectrum of H.265 N-Log dropped to about 0.1 at high frequencies, against about 0.3 for R3D NE.

Owners on the FredMiranda and EOSHD forums say the same thing about soft H.265 Log, while SDR footage looks fine to them. Four NR levels give you a way to trade a cleaner image for more texture. Expect more visible grain with NR turned down, so plan to denoise in Resolve if you go that way, and keep your exposure up so the shadows don't need lifting.

## How do you grade Log3G10 H.265 in DaVinci Resolve?

Nikon's ZR technical guide covers Log3G10 for R3D NE. For H.265 you'd use the same colour management, with one difference: an H.265 file has no RAW tab, so you tell Resolve what it is.

Table: Resolve setup, based on Nikon's R3D NE guide (not yet confirmed by Nikon for H.265)

| Step | Setting |
|---|---|
| Timeline colour space | REDWideGamutRGB / Log3G10 |
| H.265 clips | Set input colour space to REDWideGamutRGB / Log3G10 in the clip attributes, or add a CST on the first node |
| Output | CST to Rec.709 on the last node, or Nikon's Log3G10 LUT |
| Mixed R3D NE + H.265 timeline | Both share one output transform, so A and B cameras start closer |

If you're still picking an editor for the RAW side, our [Nikon ZR R3D NE workflow guide](https://www.4filmmakers.co/news/nikon-zr-r3d-ne-workflow/) covers Resolve, Premiere and Final Cut, plus the trimming problem that still makes R3D NE expensive to archive.

## Which format should you shoot after the update?

Table: Our pick by job

| Job | Format | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Interviews, events, long days | H.265 Log3G10 | Hours per card, and it grades like your R3D NE shots |
| Commercial or music video hero shots | R3D NE | ISO and WB stay open in post, 12-bit, no baked NR |
| Green screen | ProRes 422 HQ or RAW | H.265 is 4:2:0; ProRes 422 HQ is 4:2:2 ALL-I |
| B camera next to a RED | H.265 Log3G10 or R3D NE | Same gamma and gamut as the RED |
| Low light documentary | Test both | The black level fix and NR levels are untested; R3D NE leaves noise decisions to you |
| Edit straight away on a laptop | ProRes 422 HQ | Long GOP H.265 is heavier to scrub than ALL-I ProRes |

## Pros and cons of Log3G10 in H.265

Table: What the new mode gives you and what it doesn't

| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One colour pipeline for RAW and compressed clips | ISO and white balance fixed at capture |
| H.265 files are a fifth to a ninth the size of 6K R3D NE, depending on frame rate (Nikon's bitrates) | 4:2:0 and Long GOP, so weaker for keying and harder on older computers |
| NR you can turn down | Bitrates and ISO range for this mode not published yet |
| Free update for every ZR | No release date, and no open gate until 2027 |

Our view: if you own a ZR and shoot long jobs, we think this is the ZR's most useful update so far, and the storage table above is the reason. Keep R3D NE for the shots where exposure or white balance might go wrong. If you shoot outside in log, our [variable ND filter guide](https://www.4filmmakers.co/news/best-variable-nd-filters-82mm/) explains how many stops you'll need at ISO 800.

## Questions people ask

**Q: When is Nikon ZR firmware 2.00 coming out?**
Nikon says before the end of 2026. On 3 November 2026 it still hadn't given a date, and the firmware wasn't on Nikon's Download Center. Some reports from September expected October, and that date has passed.

**Q: Does firmware 2.00 add open gate to the Nikon ZR?**
No. Nikon is developing open gate recording and an anamorphic desqueeze display for a later firmware and aims to release them in 2027.

**Q: Can the Nikon ZR record Log3G10 without RAW?**
Yes, once firmware 2.00 is installed. It adds Log3G10 with REDWideGamutRGB to H.265 10-bit recording. Before the update, Log3G10 was only available in R3D NE.

**Q: Will firmware 2.00 fix the soft H.265 image on the ZR?**
It adds four High ISO NR levels for H.265 Log3G10 and N-Log, so you can reduce the in-camera noise reduction that CineD and ZR owners blamed for lost detail. No one has published tests with the new setting yet.

## Sources

- Nikon, [Nikon is developing firmware version 2.00 for the Nikon ZR](https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2026/0908_01/) (8 September 2026), for the original feature list, the 2027 open gate target and RED CONTROL
- Newsshooter, [Nikon ZR Firmware Version 2.00](https://www.newsshooter.com/2026/11/03/nikon-zr-firmware-version-2-00/), and Nikon Rumors, [the Nikon ZR firmware update version 2.00 will be released soon](https://nikonrumors.com/2026/11/03/nikon-zr-firmware-update-version-2-00-wil-be-released-soon.aspx/) (both 3 November 2026), for Nikon's full list of changes
- YMCinema, [Nikon promises to release ZR firmware 2.0 before the end of 2026](https://ymcinema.com/2026/11/04/nikon-zr-firmware-2-0-release-2026/), for the NR levels by format
- Nikon, [ZR product page](https://imaging.nikon.com/imaging/lineup/z_cinema/z_r/), for bitrates, chroma, ISO ranges and base ISOs
- Nikon, [ZR technical guide: R3D NE and Log3G10](https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/technicalguide/zr/r3dne_log3g10/en/), for the Resolve colour management settings
- CineD, [Nikon ZR lab test](https://www.cined.com/nikon-zr-lab-test-rolling-shutter-dynamic-range-and-exposure-latitude/), for dynamic range and noise reduction measurements
- Luminous Landscape, [Nikon ZR Firmware 2.00: RED Color in a Lighter File](https://luminous-landscape.com/nikon-zr-firmware-2-00-red-color-in-a-lighter-file/); forum reports on H.265 softness from [FredMiranda](https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1919174/6/) and [EOSHD](https://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/90459-nikon-zr-has-harsh-noise-reduction-on-some-codecs-compared-to-the-z6iii/)
- Storage figures: 4FILMMAKERS calculation from Nikon's bitrates. Cover: "Nikon ZR 27 nov 2025e" by 昼落ち, CC0, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nikon_ZR_27_nov_2025e.jpg), graded by 4FILMMAKERS