Nikon ZR Camera Review: Perfect for Photography Enthusiasts & Beginners

Today, I dropped by the Nikon flagship store to get hands-on with the ZR and share my impressions.

[1] How does it handle?
The ZR’s handling falls between the Z63 and the Zf—not as slick as the former, but a step up from the latter. Thanks to its thoughtfully designed grip, mounting smaller lenses is a breeze. Even with heftier glass like the 28-135, one-handed shooting is possible, though it starts to feel unwieldy. The ZR really shines when used with both hands—it feels balanced, secure, and downright comfortable.

[2] Does the absence of a mechanical shutter matter?
For everyday shooting, hardly at all. The semi-stacked sensor keeps rolling shutter effects to a bare minimum. If you’re extra cautious, you can stick to 12-bit RAW. Flash sync officially tops out at 1/60, but store staff and users say 1/80 works without a hitch. Rumor has it that with a 16:9 crop enabled, you might even push it to 1/100 second.

[3] How are the body controls and software?
The ZR breaks from Nikon tradition with a completely revamped button layout—far fewer physical controls, with many functions shifted to the touchscreen.

3.1 The ZR does away with the dedicated ISO button, which might disappoint manual mode purists, though it doesn’t hamper aperture priority shooting. On the bright side, it introduces a first-ever auto ISO shortcut, letting you tweak settings swiftly even without that physical button. (See Figures 6 & 7)

3.2 Nikon added a zoom lever around the shutter button. It features two raised ridges, making it easy to nudge with your index finger or thumb. With non-power-zoom lenses, sliding the lever triggers magnification assist for focus—and it’s probably customizable for other functions (I forgot to verify). (Figures 8 & 9)

3.3 The 4-inch screen is an absolute delight—roomy, responsive, and perfect for on-the-fly adjustments. The updated shooting interface includes a handy settings panel, so you can fine-tune screen brightness and widgets all in one place. (Figure 10)

3.4 System responsiveness is blazing fast—switching between photo and video modes feels nearly instantaneous. (Figure 11)

[4] Other observations
The battery compartment and card slot aren’t flush; there’s a partition and a slight gap between them. This likely helps with heat dissipation during extended use.