Nikon Adds New MC-N10 Remote Grip for Video Shooters

The Nikon Z 9 has proven itself to be an incredibly capable piece of gear for both stills and cinematography. With the announcement of the MC-N10 Remote Grip, the system just got better.

In addition to the Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S, today, Nikon has announced the new MC-N10 Remote Grip accessory for videographers. The accessory essentially functions as an extension handle, which mimics the controls on the Z 9. The reason this is important is because of the many different configurations required when shooting video.  

For instance, one of my personal favorite ways to shoot is via a shoulder mounted camera rig. In this scenario, the camera is rigged to a shoulder mount with handles. The camera is then put high up on my shoulder and held with extension arms coming off of the shoulder mount. This is great because it offers me more stability as I am using my entire body to support the camera rather than just my arms. The problem with this setup is that it makes reaching the buttons on a mirrorless camera tricky. This is part of the reason why cinema cameras tend to have all the buttons on the operator side of the camera so that the user can change settings without needing to take it down off of their shoulder. Because mirrorless cameras are set up also for shooting stills, the major 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 gymnastics to reach the buttons or, more likely, take the rig down from your shoulder every time you want to change your settings.  

What the MC-N10 does is put those controls in a position more convenient for the operator. With the standard ARRI compatible rosette mount, the MC-N10 can effectively replace one of the handles for your shoulder rigs. So, you can adjust any necessary settings right there from the handle rather than needing to access the camera itself. This is critical for efficiency on set and having the ability to react quickly to situations.

Of course, this isn’t only useful for shoulder mounts. One could also mount the device to tripods, handles, gimbals, sliders, or in pretty much any other scenario where directly accessing your camera would otherwise 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 recently released firmware 3.0 for the Z 9, the handle can also be used to trigger the new High-Res Zoom capability for smooth transitions without loss of resolution.

This seems like an easy choice for a Nikon Z filmmaker to add to their kit. The system will retail for $429.95 and is expected to be available in November of this year.