Nikon today announced nine new Image Recipes that can be downloaded from Nikon Imaging Cloud to Z50II, Z5II, Z6III, Zf, and ZR cameras. The Z8 can also use these new options, but you need one of the other cameras to obtain it first, and then use a convoluted procedure to move it from one camera to the Z8.
As a reminder, Image Recipes is the cloud name for Flexible Picture Control, which only (most of) the Z9-generation cameras can understand. If you have a Z30, Z50, Z5, Z6, Z6II, Z7, Z7II, or Zfc, these new options are unavailable to you.
Recipes/FlexiblePCs show up at the end of the various Set Picture Control menu options (PHOTO SHOOTING, VIDEO RECORDING, i menu, dedicated PC button, etc.). These can only be applied to JPEG, H.264, H.265, and ProRes files, and only if you use SDR (as opposed to N-log or HLG). HEIF and all N-log or HLG as well as raw video formats use different functions and are not compatible with Image Recipes/Flexible Picture Controls.
The new options are:
- R1_CineBias – Clean, cool, soft cinematic base look
- R2_CineBias-T – Cool Atmosphere (moody teal-green vibe)
- R3_CineBias-C – Crisp Teal Contrast (dramatic, edgy)
- R4_CineBias-CC – Noir Vibes
- R5_CineBias WC – Grit & Glow
- R6_CineBias-TC – Green Edge Experimental
- R7_CineBiasOffset
- R8_CineBias Achromic (monochrome)
- R9_CineBias BleachBypass
These correspond to basic LUTs that are available on RED cameras. However, note that they're not exactly a LUT, nor do they utilize the RED secret sauce applied directly to the data coming off the image sensor. Indeed, Nikon recommends setting Active D-Lighting to either Extra high or Extra high 1 for most of these Image Recipes/Flexible Picture Controls, because that better simulates what the RED cameras do in terms of contrast roll offs, particular in the highlights.
You might be asking why you would want these new Picture Controls. Basically, it gets down to having "finished" stills or video that doesn't need to be graded to match video you might have taken with a RED camera. This can be used to quickly evaluate a "look" with a client, or simply give you a quick way to drop in matching stills, B-roll, or supplemental footage into an existing RED project.
Nikon "sort of" did something similar with the 20 Creative Picture Controls built into the Z cameras, but Nikon's choices were random, not overly usable without mixing them, tilted towards pastels and singular colors, and don't match up at all against what most folk have been doing with grading video or using video LUTs. These new RED-based versions are very much more mainstream Hollywood production oriented, and you've seen (and perhaps tried to emulate) the looks they produce before.
What's still missing on the Z System side is the ability to record raw video to one card slot and a proxy (now with RED Recipe) to a second card.
Nikon has been constantly adding new Image Recipes (besides these new RED ones). Along with the RED CineBias series, three additional Recipes that aren't cinema specific were added today, as well.
And dare I repeat myself: why in the world Nikon's top pro camera, the Z9, still is missing the features we've seen added to the Z5II, Z6III, Z8, and Zf has become mind-boggling, bordering on dysfunctional engineering/marketing. All the good will that Nikon built up with the Z9 is slowly eroding as those who bought the most expensive camera in the lineup keep getting left out.
