A worthy successor to a living legend!

The previous version of the Nikkor Z 24-70 mm f/2.8 had a stellar reputation for all-around performance. It won, deservingly, many awards and was recognised as the best standard zoom available. Improving a lens of this reputation is no easy task. So, did Nikon succeed in producing an even better lens? Read on and discover for yourself.

- Ashok Kandimalla

NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II ₹2,29,995/-

Design & Build Quality

Nikon sent the older 24-70 mm lens on a diet! The result is that the new lens is 16% lighter and much smaller. The construction, like the previous version, has a hybrid metal/polycarbonate build, three rings - the first for manual focusing, the second for zooming (with focal length markings), and the last ring, called the 'Control Ring', is customisable. There is a programmable button labelled 'L-Fn' (Lens Function). There is also a second button, but this is just a duplicate of the L-Fn button. A switch for AF/MF selection is present along with a focus limit selector. New is the click / de-click switch.

The lens is sealed throughout, making it dust- and drip-proof. Internal zooming and focussing further enhance its resistance to harsh conditions. The display panel that was present on the earlier version- much appreciated by the author - has been omitted.

Key Features

Nikon has packed this lens with many new features, and a few of them appear for the first time. Optically, the design has been simplified and uses 14 elements in 10 groups, including 2 ED and 3 aspherical elements. Various coatings, including meso-amorphous and ARNEO, have been applied where appropriate, and there is a fluorine coating on the front lens element to repel water and smudges. The lens now takes the smaller and less expensive 77 mm filters. The close focussing distance has been improved, resulting in a near macro-like 0.32X maximum magnification. The 11-bladed diaphragm (as compared to 9 in the previous version) results in a smoother bokeh. As with the previous version, there is no in-lens stabilisation.