---
title: 'Nikon ZR H.265 is GOOD!'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=1KJpSbhbDpA'
video_id: '1KJpSbhbDpA'
date: 2026-06-15
duration_sec: 0
---

# Nikon ZR H.265 is GOOD!

> Source: [Nikon ZR H.265 is GOOD!](https://youtube.com/watch?v=1KJpSbhbDpA)

## Summary

The Nikon ZR's H.265 codec is often criticized, but this video argues it's actually very good. The creator demonstrates real-world footage and compares it to RAW, concluding that H.265 is more than usable for most projects.

### Key Points

- **H.265 on Nikon ZR is good** [0:00] — The creator states that H.265 on the Nikon ZR is good and advises not to listen to initial reviews claiming it's unusable.
- **Shooting in H.265 for this video** [1:15] — The video itself is shot in H.265, showing that the quality is decent for YouTube deliverables.
- **Pumpkin patch test footage** [1:33] — Footage shot at a pumpkin patch in H.265 10-bit NLog with only a LUT applied, demonstrating good quality in harsh lighting.
- **Comparison with RAW** [2:45] — A side-by-side comparison shows negligible difference between H.265 and Red RAW for typical use, especially for internet delivery.
- **Versatility of codecs** [3:26] — The Nikon ZR offers multiple codecs (RAW, ProRes RAW, H.265, H.264) at a $2,100 price point, providing flexibility for different project needs.

### Conclusion

H.265 on the Nikon ZR is highly usable and produces great images, making it a versatile option for freelancers and content creators.

## Transcript

The Nikon ZR is the new camera on the
block. And one of its biggest questions
is filming an H.265. Is it actually any
good or is it one big smudgy old mess?
What's up? My name's Royce and welcome
to my channel where I talk about all
things film and tech. And today, I'm not
wasting your time. We're talking about
H.265 with a Nikon ZR. Is it good? I say
absolutely yes, it is good. I'm not here
for the views. I'm not trying to string
you along for the whole video. H.265 on
the Nikon ZR is good. Do not listen to
those initial reviews saying H.265 265
is unusable in this camera because it is
absolutely not true. As soon as I got
this camera, that's the first thing I
tested because to me that's what makes
the Nikon ZR so important and the price
point that it comes in and all the
different codecs that it can film in.
You can shoot in all the RAWs, you know,
or with that H.265 or even H.264, you
can get that more compressed image for
those smaller file sizes, you know, for
projects that aren't as big where you
don't need RAW. So, hearing early
reviews say H.265 265 was practically
unusable or not good to look at. That
really hurt because that I feel like was
what made this camera so unique. And
that's why I'm so glad I didn't listen
to those initial reviews. I kind of went
with my initial hunch thinking like, you
know, I don't believe you and got it
anyway. It's not just good, it's really
good. I am shooting in H.265 right now
in this video. So, you can already tell
if you're watching this and you think
this looks pretty decent, especially for
a YouTube deliverable, then there's your
answer. Yes, it's a little bit softer
than shooting RAW. Absolutely. Of
course, it's going to be. But for what
most people are going to use it for,
it's perfectly fine. And just to do some
further tests, I took my kids to a
pumpkin patch. Really harsh lighting,
different lighting conditions there. I
wanted to see how the footage would hold
up in H.265. So, I just want to show you
guys that footage. You could judge for
yourself. And just so you know, all the
footage you're about to see was shot in
H.265 10 bit in NLog. And all I did was
throw on the red NLOG film by that
I downloaded from Nikon. No other grade
has been done. Nothing else. I literally
threw the L on, put it in my timeline.
So, check that out. Let me know what you
guys think.
And just to compare, I did do a shot one
in H.26510 26510 bit and in Red Raw just
to kind of see the difference here. And
again, honestly, in my opinion, the
difference is so negligible, especially
in this situation, right? This type of
shot, unless it was going to be in a
movie or some type of documentary, what
have you and RAW, you'd want to go that
route. But for me, this is just me
documenting my son. It's a really cool
moment. H.265 is the way to go. And
throwing it up on the internet, you're
not going to know the difference. If I
told you all these shots were Red Raw,
most of you guys would probably believe
it. You know, the pixel peepers would
probably be able to decipher it, but
most people would be like, "Well, this
camera looks great. Red Raw. Awesome."
Me included, most likely. So, again, in
my humble opinion, H.265 is more than
usable. It looks freaking great. And the
reason why this is a big deal is because
of those compression rates and for this
camera for being $2,100
to have the option to go as high of a
bit rate as Red RAW, ProRes RAW, N RAW,
all that stuff to make it look as
amazing as you can, but then when you
just want to dial things down a bit, go
to H.265, still get 10 bit so you retain
more information for color grading and
all that good stuff. It honestly can't
be beat. I'm loving this camera, man.
The image out of this thing is insane.
Going back to those shots at the pumpkin
patch with a grade on it, you can get
some really cool images without even
trying, honestly. Of course, proper
exposure, framing your image, all that's
important, making stuff look good. But
if you know what you're doing, you're
good to go. So, if you currently have a
ZR and you've been nervous about
shooting it, H.265, it's all good.
You're still going to get a really good
image. If you've been on the fence of
getting a ZR, you know, I'm not going to
tell you where to put your money, what
to invest in. But what I can say is if
you're someone like me who is a
freelancer and is highly uh dependent or
it's important to be able to have
different types of filming options
within your camera, but for it to still
be versatile and convenient, I would
highly recommend checking this camera
out and consider getting it because you
can now with these codecs bump up your
line of work depending on what the
budget is and what you're working on.
Right? If you know the budget's a little
bit smaller, the deliverables aren't as
crazy, H.265 it all the way. But if
you're shooting more of a professional
commercial type thing that's going to
need that higher quality or the best
quality possible, you can bump up to
either Red RAW and RAW Pro Red Raw,
whatever the RAW offerings you want to
do. It gives you that versatility to
shoot however you want. So yeah, that's
it for this video. Sorry if it was a
little bit of a ramble, but if you found
this video helpful, please like and
subscribe to the channel to see more
content like this. And until next time,
I'll catch y'all