Pocket Field Monitor FAQ
Questions, answered
What Pocket Field Monitor does, how it connects to the ZR, and what it never touches.
- What is Pocket Field Monitor?
- Pocket Field Monitor turns an iPhone into an external monitor and controller for the Nikon ZR: a Blackmagic-style HUD over the camera's clean feed, monitoring tools like false colour, zebra, focus assist and scopes, and camera control over USB or Wi-Fi.
- Can I use my iPhone as a monitor for the Nikon ZR?
- Yes. Pocket Field Monitor shows the ZR's own live picture on an iPhone, over a USB-C cable or the camera's own Wi-Fi network, with false colour, zebra, focus assist and scopes computed on the phone. The ZR keeps recording to its own card.
- What do I need to connect it?
- A Nikon ZR and an iPhone. For a wired connection, a USB-C cable between the camera and a USB-C iPhone. For wireless, the iPhone joins the Wi-Fi network the ZR hosts itself, so no router is needed.
- Is it available now?
- Coming to the App Store. The listing is not live yet, so nothing on this site links to it. Until then, there is a free beta: sign up with your email on the homepage for a TestFlight invite.
- How much does it cost?
- A one-month free trial, then $49.99 a year. One subscription includes every feature.
- Does it control the camera, or just monitor it?
- Both. Over USB-C or the ZR's own Wi-Fi access point, Pocket Monitor sets nineteen camera settings and starts and stops recording, in addition to monitoring the live picture.
- How is it different from ZineControl or Parallax Monitor?
- All three connect to the Nikon ZR, but they differ in monitoring tools, multicam support and price. See the detailed comparisons for specifics.
- Does the Nikon ZR have false colour?
- The ZR body itself has zebra and a histogram, not false colour. Pocket Monitor adds encoding-aware false colour, computed on the phone from the live frame.
- Which iPhones and iPads does it support?
- Pocket Monitor needs iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later. The iPhone 17 Pro is the development device; the final supported list will be confirmed at launch.
- Does it work on iPad or Android?
- iPad, yes: one app and one subscription cover iPhone and iPad. On iPad it always uses the landscape monitor layout, with the controls framing the picture, and connects to the ZR over USB-C or Wi-Fi exactly as on iPhone. There is no Android version.
- Does Pocket Field Monitor write video to my phone?
- No. The ZR records to its own card, and Pocket Monitor never writes video or audio. The only files it writes are Gyroflow text files: a motion log, lens profile and project for each take.
- Does it work with other Nikon cameras, like the Z6 III or Z8?
- Not at launch: Pocket Monitor supports the Nikon ZR only. Its design is camera-agnostic, but the ZR is first because of its SDK.
- Is Pocket Field Monitor affiliated with Nikon?
- No. Pocket Monitor is an independent app with no affiliation to Nikon.
Read the comparisons: Pocket Monitor vs ZineControl and Pocket Monitor vs Parallax Monitor.
Coming to the App Store