Just ahead of IBC 2026, Nikon is demonstrating that the integration of RED technology into its own ecosystem is progressing further. With the development announcement of its very first proprietary cine prime lens series, the NIKKOR Z CINEMA T1.9 VV, along with comprehensive firmware roadmaps for the Nikon ZR, the Japanese manufacturer is uncompromizingly targeting professional filmmakers and cinema workflows—thereby officially entering the market for dedicated cinema lenses.
The kickoff is marked by the development announcement of the NIKKOR Z CINEMA 50mm T1.9 VV, which simultaneously fires the starting gun for a planned series comprising a total of 9 cinema prime lenses in the NIKKOR CINEMA T1.9 VV lineup.
The lenses are based on an entirely new design concept and have been specifically developed for Nikon's two cine camera lines: The image circle covers the RED VV format and is thus designed for large-format sensors such as the one in the RED V-RAPTOR[X] (image sensor dimensions: 40.96 mm × 21.60 mm). At the same time, thanks to the Z-mount, the lens will also be usable across the complete Nikon Z ecosystem, including the Nikon ZR.
In terms of imaging performance, haptics, and functionality, the lenses of the NIKKOR Z Cinema T1.9 VV series are designed to be precisely tailored to the high demands of the professional film industry. All planned prime lenses offer a consistent and uniform maximum aperture with a transmission of T1.9. A special feature lies in the flexible focus control: The first lens combines autofocus with the option for manual focusing via a linear gear ratio, which is intended to enable absolutely reproducible focus pulls.
For the focus scales, Nikon is planning variants in feet and/or metric units; the exact implementation has not yet been officially decided.
The uncompromising cinema approach is also evident in the ergonomics: In addition to a separate aperture selection ring, a mechanical iris lock via a sliding switch is integrated, ensuring maximum practical suitability and reliability in demanding on-set environments.
For late 2026, the company has also announced a comprehensive firmware update 2.0 for the Nikon ZR, which brings substantial workflow improvements.
The Nikon ZR will receive support for the RED color space (REDWideGamutRGB) and the Log3G10 gamma curve within the efficient H.265 video container format. This is intended to allow professional color grading within the RED workflow while maintaining moderate file sizes.
A dedicated setting option for noise reduction during high-ISO shooting in H.265 Log mode will also be provided. Filmmakers will now be able to disable internal noise reduction, which is said to result in a significant gain in organic texture and perceptible resolution.
Furthermore, focus peaking support will now also be available when recording in the proprietary R3D NE1 video file format.
Nikon is also giving its ZR users a glimpse even further into the future by issuing a development announcement for a subsequent update in 2027. This will enable full sensor readout (Open Gate) in order to provide maximum image area for anamorphic workflows or subsequent format crops (e.g., for social media deliverables). This is also slated to be combined with an anamorphic desqueeze display—an integrated preview function for destretching anamorphic lenses directly on the camera's monitor/viewfinder.
