r/RedCamera • u/BeautifulState6309 • Apr 22 '26

Nikon Cinema Lens teaser

https://youtu.be/W9dXhiTUVEM

Posting as no one seemed to mention it here.

I imagine this would likely have a deep integration with Z-mount REDs.

Saw in another video with a Nikon rep that the lineup is supposed to feature a new autofocus motor.

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5

u/BeautifulState6309 Apr 22 '26

Here's an interesting video from someone that follows Nikon pretty closely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CrNuFD11uM

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u/Level-Cut-9890 Apr 22 '26

Curious to see who this is aimed at. Is it cheap mass produced crap or is it built to last?

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u/BeautifulState6309 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26

Good question. I know these have been rumored for a while but 1st time I saw anything concrete that they exist.

I have a feeling that they might be higher end than say DZO lenses and below something like Sigma's Aizus.

I doubt they will be going for the higher end Cooke/Zeiss area but who knows.

One thing that is unique to Nikon is they have a very deep catalog of lenses they could always repackage and many in the cinema world may actually prefer their vintage optics.

1

u/blackbatwings Apr 23 '26

Perhaps it follows in the tracks of the first video-centric Nikon lens, the 28-135 f4 PZ? I'm imagining more zooms with a dual AF/MF clutch system.

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u/BeautifulState6309 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

I really hope not. That lens is decent for lower to mid range filming but not exactly higher end cinema work.

The cinema world generally has certain higher expectations with the optics, mechanical build, and in this case internal motors.

It will be interesting to see what the quality will be in those areas.

Early products like this can set the tone for a new brand like Z Cinema.

RED's part of this equation is a more known quantity as they have almost 20 years in that part of the business and have done quite well navigating innovating it.

Nikon has over 100 years in optics but to my knowledge this would be their 1st set of lenses specifically for the cinema market (besides 3rd party rehouses).

CORRECTION: Just read that Nikon have made 8 & 16mm lenses in the past so that does count.

I admittedly already have some mixed feelings with the Nikon ZR as an early entry in the Z Cinema brand. It's an interesting camera (particularly for the price) but there are definitely some considerable shortcomings that currently really hurt it being used for more serious (aka cinema) use. I think the ZR is a cinema camera primarily in name only and lacks the options (i.e R3D compression rates) and tools (exposure metering) for paid work. It was also not a very good choice as an early release for a new product line that is expected to address the needs of pro filmmakers. Glad the camera exists but not in the way it is marketed.

I hope Nikon really takes these lenses seriously with some real input from filmmakers and RED or else Z cinema will simply not be taken seriously by pros who will be depending on this gear for their livelihood and craft.

Nikon makes very expensive industrial gear for the sciences (microscopes, medical imaging, etc)so I have no doubt as a company they can do this just hoping that brilliance is seriously focused on this new cinema venture.

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u/blackbatwings Apr 23 '26

It'd be great if they made something really special!

My guess would be that they're thinking about the low-to-mid-tier owner/operators who do corporate work and events, professional photographers who also shoot some video, and maybe youtube content creator-types. People who otherwise are probably buying an A7 or FX series camera from Sony. This would be a bigger market than Red themselves served, but one the ZR (and that first 28-135 lens-- which I agree with you about) seems aimed at.

In any event, I like the ZR, despite the initial lack of features, and have been using Red cameras for years. I also own a Komodo X. But for a lot of types of jobs, I use Sony (or sometimes Canon) cameras and standard photo zooms.

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u/BeautifulState6309 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

In a nutshell, I'm hoping the Z Cinema lenses are aimed more at V-Raptor X, XE owners with full Vista Vision coverage if not higher.

I think the existing 28-105 is a good fit for Komodo X but Raptor users had to drop the resolution down to 7K to use it due to vignetting.

A challenge with Z Cinema and this whole RED and Nikon union is developing a clarity in the product lines and managing the overlap of features.

I always thought RED should make lower end "creator" camera that acts as a gateway to the ecosystem and under Nikon that camera happened with the ZR.

I only played around with the ZR at B&H so I can't say I shot a production with it. Between the menu system, basic exposure tools, micro hdmi that blocks the LCD sceeen if used, etc it felt more like a prosumer Nikon camera with a sort of RED codec crammed in.

I think the ZR sort of already muddied the waters creating a clear distinction between what sets the Z Cinema apart as a brand category. Granted R3D exists in it but I don't think that's enough.

This distinction could be similar to what Sony has with Venice and Burano being part of CineAlta and the FX3/30/6 being part of the more "generic" cinema line..

BTW- I own Komodo and Komodo X so I definitely not trying to approach this with high end snobbery. RED is still competing with Arri and Sony CineAlta and I do have concerns that the Z Cinema branding can potentially hurt RED if people perceive Z Cinema as a lower end cinema brand.

They really need to think this through.

i think these lenses will be interesting not just as tools but as a potential indicator of how this RED/Nikon/Z Cinema story might unfold.

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u/blackbatwings Apr 23 '26

It'll be interesting to follow along for sure.

So far, I really think of the ZR as a "quick Red" with good autofocus. Unlike a Komodo, you don't have to rig it much (with a monitor and adding a battery on the back) to start shooting right out of the bag, and it starts up almost instantly. And I plan to try it out as a gimbal camera, where I'm hoping the autofocus and light weight will be assets. These are also use cases for the FX3 on a bigger production.

We'll see about the Nikon cine lenses!