Nikon has announced an updated version of its professional large-aperture telephoto zoom. The Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II gains an array of updates and improvements, in much the same vein as the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II that appeared last August. It’s set to become the firm’s workhorse telezoom for pro photographers shooting such things as weddings, events, portraits, and sports, and therefore one of the best Nikon lenses.
At a glance:
- $3199 / £2999
- For Nikon Z-mount cameras
- Designed for full-frame, but will also work on DX cameras
- 208mm long, 998g
- 77mm filter thread
Compared to its 6-year-old predecessor, the new optic is smaller and lighter with improved ergonomics. It weighs in at just 998g with its tripod collar removed and measures 208mm long by 90mm in diameter, making it 362g lighter and 12mm shorter.
Its control ring now can now be switched between clicked or clickless operation, and there are pairs of both L-Fn and L-Fn2 buttons for landscape and portrait-format shooting. A sliding window in the hood allows easier adjustment of polarising and variable neutral density filters.
Nikon is promising its best autofocus system to date, thanks to the use of Silky Swift Voice Coil Motors (SSVCM) for driving the focusing groups. The firm is claiming 3.5x faster and 50% quieter autofocus, 40% more accurate tracking during zooming, and a 45% reduction in the time it takes for the lens to refocus from one subject to another at 200mm.
Other key attractions include upgraded 6-stop optical stabilisation, and compatibility with Nikon’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The tripod ring can be removed entirely, and includes an Arca-Swiss dovetail so it can be fixed directly onto many tripod heads.
Optically the lens employs 18 elements in 16 groups, with an array of special elements and coatings to minimise optical aberrations. It can focus as close as 38cm at 70mm, and 80cm at 200mm, giving a maximum magnification of 0.3x. It’s fully weather sealed, and employs the same 77mm filters as its Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II stablemate.
The Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II is set to go on sale in March with an RRP of $3199 / £2999.
Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II full specifications:
| Price | $3199 / £2999 |
| Filter Diameter | 77mm |
| Lens Elements | 18 (2 dual-sided aspheric, 1 ED, 1 aspheric ED, 1 Super ED, 1 high-dispersion SR, 1 fluorite) |
| Groups | 16 |
| Diaphragm blades | 11 |
| Aperture | f/2.8-f/22 |
| Minimum focus | 38-80cm |
| Maximum magnification | 0.25x – 0.3x |
| Length | 208mm |
| Diameter | 90mm |
| Weight | 998g (without tripod collar), 1180g (with collar) |
| Lens Mount | Nikon Z |
| Included accessories | Caps, tripod mount, hood, soft case |
