There is Always a Catch

Ok. So it’s not huge, but the only way to get ProRes footage out of the Z6/Z7 is with an external recorder. The 1DX Mark III can record RAW without an external recorder. I honestly don’t think that is a huge drawback. If you shoot a lot of production quality video you have an external monitor/recorder. Even the EOS R requires and external recorder to shoot 10-bit 4K video, and it’s cropped.

What is disappointing for me is the ProRes. Don’t get me wrong! When I have worked on projects in ProRes I realized it’s a great codec. If you already use Final Cut X for editing video you are in luck. If you use Premiere Pro (Like I do), or Da Vinci Resolve. I have bad news. As of right now these two don’t support ProRes.

Edit: Adobe is actively upgrading Premiere Pro to provide compatibility with Apple ProRes RAW.

I can hear it now, “But the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6k shoots RAW!” Yes, but it is cropped. Not full frame.

Another potential downside to RAW video is the file size. I hope you have a big hard drive because 1 minute of footage is about 3.8GB of data on the drive. That may not seem like a lot, but it adds up fast.

If you like shoot slow motion for your b-roll I have bad news. You can only go up to 30fps in RAW on the Nikon. The 1DX Mark III goes up to 60fps in RAW.

Last, unless you buy the camera new with the update. You have to spend $199 + shipping to send your camera to Nikon to have it updated. That means you will be without your camera until they ship it back. That is no bueno in my book.