The Nikon Z 9 has proven itself to be an amazingly capable device for both stills and movies. With the announcement of the MC-N10 Remote Controller, the system just got better.
In addition to the Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S, Nikon today announced the new MC-N10 Remote Control Grip accessory for videographers. The accessory essentially acts as an extension handle, mimicking the controls on Z 9. The reason this is important is that many different configurations are required when recording video.
For example, one of my personal favorite ways to shoot is using a shoulder-mounted camera rig. In this case, the camera is attached to a mount with a handle. The camera was then raised high above my shoulder and held by the arms extended away from the shoulder mount. This is great because it gives me more stability since I’m using my whole body to support the camera instead of just my arms. The problem with this setup is that it makes reaching the buttons on mirrorless cameras difficult. This is part of the reason why cinema cameras tend to have all the buttons on the camera operator’s side so the user can change settings without having to take it off their shoulder. Because mirrorless cameras are also set up to capture stills, the main buttons tend to be high on the right side of the camera. So if you want to use one with a shoulder mount, you either have to do wild shoulder exercises to reach the buttons or, more likely, lower the stand off your shoulders every time you want to change settings. put your own.
What the MC-N10 does is place those controls in a more convenient location for the operator. With a standard ARRI-compatible asterisk holder, the MC-N10 can effectively replace one of the handles for your shoulder rig. So you can adjust any necessary settings right there from the handle instead of needing to access the camera itself. This is important for efficiency on set and the ability to react quickly to situations.
Of course, this isn’t just useful for shoulder mounts. One can also mount the device to a tripod, hand grip, gimbal, slider, or in any other situation where direct access to your camera would be a challenge. The MC-N10 can control things like start/stop recording, autofocus, ISO, exposure, AF speed, as well as a host of custom functions. With the recent release firmware 3.0 for the Z 9, the grip can also be used to enable the new High-Resolution Zoom capability for smooth transitions without loss of resolution.
This seems like an easy choice for a Nikon Z filmmaker to add to their toolkit. The system will retail for $429.95 and is expected to hit the market in November of this year.
