Nikon has released new firmware for its Nikon Z f full-frame mirrorless camera. Firmware update 3.00 adds a film grain option to both video and still shooting modes.
Nikon Z f
The Z f is inspired by Nikon’s iconic FM2 camera. It blends classic analog camera design with the advanced features of the digital mirrorless Z series. The Z f also has a 24.5 megapixel (MP) full-frame sensor and in-body VR image stabilization. Despite its still camera styling, the Z f can shoot 4K video oversampled from 6K at up to 30 frames per second (fps).
Also, you record slow motion up to 60 fps in 4k or 120 fps in Full HD. The Z f offers 10-bit recording in HLG or Nikon’s N-Log as well.
Film Grain
Firmware update 3.00 for the Nikon Z f adds a new Film Grain feature. It means that you can add a film grain texture to your video clips and still images. You can also choose between six levels of intensity of the grain and three sizes of grain particles. After updating your camera, the Film Grain option will appear in both the video recording menu and the photo shooting menu. In addition, you can add film grain to the Imaging Recipes and Picture Controls for even greater customization.
Other new features
Firmware update 3.00 for the Nikon Z f also adds new 9:16 video and 4:3 photo grids. The 9:16 video grid can help you frame scenes when shooting vertical videos. You can also save the camera’s orientation in the video metadata. This means that your editing software, online platforms, and smartphones will recognize the files as vertical, so you won’t need to rotate your footage.
Plus, you can now adjust the headphone volume level in the “i” menu during video recording. For a full list of updates and enhancements, go to the dedicated page on the Nikon website.
What we think
Adding grain can remove that clean video look from your footage and make it more filmlike. It’s therefore good to see that Nikon has added a grain option to the Z f. Of course, you can always add grain in post-production, and this method does retain a little more flexibility. If you burn the grain into your clips, you can’t remove it later. However, if you want to get a film look straight from the camera, Nikon’s new Film Grain option is a useful feature to have on your Z f.
Pricing and availability
Firmware update 3.00 for the full-frame Nikon Z f mirrorless camera is available for download free of charge from the Nikon website now.
