The old Chinese curse that states “May you live in interesting times” seems particularly apt right now. The idea of a period of uncertainty, instability and chaos being a curse is still pretty spot-on.
The global uncertainty is certainly making for interesting times in the camera world. For a few reasons, supply chains are again disrupted – including the rapid increase in AI data centers creating a global shortage of memory chips.
The result has been a distinct slowing in the number of new cameras that have been launched this year, at least as far as the mainstream categories are concerned.
Yes, there have been a few significant arrivals such as the Panasonic Lumix L10, Canon’s EOS R6 V and the Sony A7R VI, but you’d have to say it’s been very quiet otherwise – no new Nikon, Fujifilm or OM System mirrorless bodies (the specialized OM-3 Astro aside) and no new photo-orientated Canon RF bodies.
Nikon’s last major new camera release was the ZR back in September 2025 and, like the EOS R6 V, it’s aimed at video shooters. And this looks to be a shiny new category of hybrid camera… with, of course, the potential for extra sales. Even better for the camera makers, there are various levels of video user.
Content creators working solo on output mostly for social media; more advanced operators producing for corporate presentations or perhaps a YouTube channel; professional or semi-professionals working at the standard of TV broadcasting or cinematic productions…
There’s plenty of crossover between these various breeds of video-first cameras. And even with the more purely hybrid models, such as Canon’s EOS R6 Mark III and Nikon’s Z6 III, targeting a specific group of potential buyers is obviously Marketing 101.
I have recently been testing the R6 V and the ZR – and what an informative and enlightening experience it turned out to be. Coming from a photography perspective, both were far more enjoyable to use than expected – but the Nikon ZR was a revelation with its rangefinder-style body and yet a very contemporary, monitor-based user interface.
Consequently, it’s quite similar in operation to Hasselblad’s X2D II 100C and it also has a big, high-brightness, high-contrast monitor screen which makes everything work quite efficiently and effortlessly.
Given Nikon’s tendency to stick with design conventions with its Z mount bodies so far, the ZR is out there but it’s brilliant. And, notwithstanding the absence of an EVF, it has the potential to be a great stills camera.
However, it’s as a compact cine camera that it obviously excels. And Nikon has packed so much into it – including superior audio recording – that it does the job without needing to be connected to numerous accessories in a cumbersome rig. What’s more, it’s ridiculously affordable given what it can do.
With its acquisition of US cine camera-maker Red, Nikon clearly sees this arena as an important part of its future business. So where does all this leave photographers? Is the video / cine business going to be more profitable in the future than building cameras that put photography first?
Video is now everywhere because it’s a powerful means of communication, but it’s also a very different discipline to photography if you want what’s on screen to look good.
Many professional photographers now shoot video, too, but there are commercial returns that make any investment in additional equipment and the time taken to learn new skills worth doing (including editing).
In reality, you can’t just ‘dabble’ in video. It must be a commitment – and there’s a lot to learn if you’re going to do it well. Understandably, putting all this effort into bettering your photography will often look like a better plan.
Unless you have the luxury of affording a photo-only Leica or Hasselblad, today’s hybrid mirrorless cameras enable us to still have state-of-the-art cameras for photography.
So even if you have absolutely no interest in video, be thankful that it’s driving a more diverse and constantly developing camera market that is actually good for all of us. And that clever video-first models like the Nikon ZR can inform future designs, which will benefit both video makers and photographers.
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Take a look at our full Nikon ZR review along with our pick of the best lenses for the Nikon ZR.
