diff --git a/src/ndr/format/omezarr/ndr_matlab_python_bridge.yaml b/src/ndr/format/omezarr/ndr_matlab_python_bridge.yaml
index 19bd0c7..8fc6866 100644
--- a/src/ndr/format/omezarr/ndr_matlab_python_bridge.yaml
+++ b/src/ndr/format/omezarr/ndr_matlab_python_bridge.yaml
@@ -80,6 +80,36 @@ functions:
       (v2, C-order, Blosc/Zstd or uncompressed, fixed-length numeric
       dtypes). A store the MATLAB reader accepts is also accepted here.
 
+  - name: probe
+    matlab_path: "+ndr/+format/+omezarr/probe.m"
+    status: regular_port
+    matlab_last_sync_hash: "82e1d58"
+    python_path: "ndr/format/omezarr/probe.py"
+    decision_log: >-
+      Cheap metadata-only summary of an OME-Zarr store: pyramid count,
+      names, types, first-pyramid axes order and units, and the first
+      pyramid's level-0 shape, chunks, scale and dtype. Wraps isOMEZarr
+      and listPyramids for callers that only need a "should we accept
+      this?" answer (an ingest / GUI confirmation screen). Straight port;
+      Python returns an OMEZarrProbe dataclass where MATLAB returns a
+      struct, field-for-field equivalent (Python snake_case, MATLAB
+      camelCase per the Strict MATLAB Mirror policy for user-facing
+      names).
+
+  - name: reduce
+    matlab_path: "+ndr/+format/+omezarr/reduce.m"
+    status: regular_port
+    matlab_last_sync_hash: "82e1d58"
+    python_path: "ndr/format/omezarr/reduce.py"
+    decision_log: >-
+      Block-reduce a numeric array by a scalar or per-axis factor with
+      reduction 'mean' or 'max', used when materializing a coarser pyramid
+      level. Trailing partial blocks are kept so level sizing matches
+      bioformats2raw / the lab's make_zarr_levels.py. Straight port; both
+      sides preserve dtype for 'max' and promote to float64 for 'mean'.
+      Python uses numpy indexing where MATLAB uses ind2sub; the block
+      boundaries and reduction semantics are identical.
+
   - name: decompressBlosc
     matlab_path: "+ndr/+format/+omezarr/private/decompressBlosc.m"
     matlab_last_sync_hash: "a847431"
diff --git a/src/ndr/format/omezarr/probe.py b/src/ndr/format/omezarr/probe.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1325b78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ndr/format/omezarr/probe.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+"""Cheap metadata probe of an OME-Zarr store.
+
+Python mirror of ``+ndr/+format/+omezarr/probe.m``. Use this from an
+ingest / GUI confirmation screen that needs "should we accept this?"
+info before the user commits. For anything that must distinguish
+pyramids or reach deeper levels, use :func:`listPyramids` instead.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+
+from ndr.format.omezarr.isOMEZarr import isOMEZarr
+from ndr.format.omezarr.listPyramids import listPyramids
+
+
+@dataclass
+class OMEZarrProbe:
+    """Result of :func:`probe`.
+
+    ``ok`` is False when the directory does not parse as an OME-Zarr
+    store; every other field is then at its default.
+    """
+
+    ok: bool = False
+    n_pyramids: int = 0
+    pyramid_names: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    pyramid_types: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    axes_order: str = ""
+    axes_units: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    level0_shape: list[int] = field(default_factory=list)
+    level0_chunks: list[int] = field(default_factory=list)
+    level0_scale: list[float] = field(default_factory=list)
+    dtype: str = ""
+    n_levels_per_pyramid: list[int] = field(default_factory=list)
+
+
+def probe(zarr_path: str) -> OMEZarrProbe:
+    """Metadata-only summary of an OME-Zarr store."""
+    out = OMEZarrProbe()
+
+    if not os.path.isdir(zarr_path):
+        return out
+    try:
+        if not isOMEZarr(zarr_path):
+            return out
+    except Exception:
+        return out
+
+    pyramids = listPyramids(zarr_path)
+    if not pyramids:
+        return out
+
+    out.ok = True
+    out.n_pyramids = len(pyramids)
+    out.pyramid_names = [str(p.get("name", "") or "") for p in pyramids]
+    out.pyramid_types = [str(p.get("type", "") or "") for p in pyramids]
+
+    axes = pyramids[0].get("axes") or []
+    out.axes_order = "".join(str(a.get("name", "") or "") for a in axes)
+    out.axes_units = [str(a.get("unit", "") or "") for a in axes]
+
+    levels = pyramids[0].get("levels") or []
+    if levels:
+        L0 = levels[0]
+        out.level0_shape = list(L0.get("shape") or [])
+        out.level0_chunks = list(L0.get("chunks") or [])
+        out.level0_scale = list(L0.get("scale") or [])
+        out.dtype = str(L0.get("dtype") or "")
+
+    out.n_levels_per_pyramid = [len(p.get("levels") or []) for p in pyramids]
+    return out
+
+
+__all__ = ["OMEZarrProbe", "probe"]
diff --git a/src/ndr/format/omezarr/reduce.py b/src/ndr/format/omezarr/reduce.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a33df9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ndr/format/omezarr/reduce.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""Block-reduce an array for pyramid building.
+
+Python mirror of ``+ndr/+format/+omezarr/reduce.m``. Only supports
+'mean' and 'max'; those are the reductions first-class in the
+lightsheet NGFF layout the lab writes.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections.abc import Sequence
+
+import numpy as np
+
+
+def reduce(
+    arr: np.ndarray,
+    factor: int | Sequence[int],
+    reduction: str,
+) -> np.ndarray:
+    """Downsample ``arr`` by ``factor`` using ``reduction``.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    arr
+        The input array. Must be numeric.
+    factor
+        Scalar downsampling factor applied to every axis, or one
+        per-axis factor aligned with ``arr.shape``.
+    reduction
+        ``"mean"`` or ``"max"``.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    numpy.ndarray
+        The reduced array. dtype is preserved for ``max``; ``mean``
+        returns ``float64``.
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    Trailing partial blocks are kept (an axis of length 5 with factor
+    2 produces 3 samples: blocks of 2, 2, 1). This matches how the
+    lab's NGFF writers size coarser levels.
+    """
+    if reduction not in ("mean", "max"):
+        raise ValueError(f"reduction must be 'mean' or 'max'; got {reduction!r}")
+    if not np.issubdtype(arr.dtype, np.number):
+        raise TypeError(f"reduce needs a numeric array; got dtype {arr.dtype}")
+
+    nd = arr.ndim
+    if np.isscalar(factor):
+        factors = [int(factor)] * nd
+    else:
+        factors = [int(f) for f in factor]
+        if len(factors) != nd:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"factor must be scalar or one per axis; got {len(factors)} for a {nd}-D array"
+            )
+    if any(f < 1 for f in factors):
+        raise ValueError("factor entries must be positive integers")
+
+    shape = arr.shape
+    out_shape = tuple(-(-shape[d] // factors[d]) for d in range(nd))  # ceil div
+
+    if reduction == "mean":
+        out = np.zeros(out_shape, dtype=np.float64)
+    else:
+        out = np.zeros(out_shape, dtype=arr.dtype)
+
+    # Loop-based; correct and easy to trust for the small ranks used by
+    # existing writers (factor 2 across z/y/x). Swap to a strided view
+    # for performance when a benchmark says to.
+    it = np.ndindex(out_shape)
+    for coord in it:
+        slices = tuple(
+            slice(coord[d] * factors[d], min(shape[d], (coord[d] + 1) * factors[d]))
+            for d in range(nd)
+        )
+        block = arr[slices]
+        if reduction == "mean":
+            out[coord] = float(np.mean(block))
+        else:
+            out[coord] = np.max(block)
+
+    return out
+
+
+__all__ = ["reduce"]