Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II Lens | Nikon Z

In pursuit of a more compact and lightweight design, enhanced autofocus speed, and superior image quality, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II serves as an upgrade to the reliable telephoto zoom favored by professionals. This model incorporates both optical and external enhancements that facilitate its use, making it a more effective all-around tool for multimedia creators engaged in events, portrait photography, landscapes, and sports situations.

Nikon's Lightest 70-200mm f/2.8

Enhancing the lens's usability across a wider range of scenarios, a newly revised optical design has resulted in Nikon's lightest 70-200mm f/2.8 lens to date. This version II lens is 0.5 inches shorter and 26% lighter than its predecessor. Specifically, this version II lens weighs 2.2 pounds without the tripod foot or protective cover, which is significantly lighter than the previous generation's weight of 3 pounds. With the protective cover attached, the lens's weight increases to 2.3 pounds, and with the tripod foot, it reaches 2.6 pounds. When combined with the 24-70mm f/2.8 S II lens, the total weight savings exceeds 1 pound compared to the first-generation zooms.

Several modifications to the optical design have resulted in a remarkable weight reduction of 12.7 ounces compared to the earlier version: three elements have been eliminated from the design, an increased number of aspherical elements have been incorporated, certain glass elements have been.

S-Line Optics

In addition to enhancing the size and weight of the lens, the revised optical design also achieves better image quality, increased resolution, improved flare resistance, and more pleasing bokeh. The updated optical design incorporates one extra-low dispersion (ED) element, one Super ED element, two aspherical elements, one aspherical ED element, one fluorite element, and one short-wavelength refractive (SR) element; these specialized components minimize various aberrations and color fringing, resulting in high sharpness and color fidelity. The enhanced optical design is also inherently more resistant to flare, providing stronger contrast when operating in bright lighting conditions.

Particular attention has been devoted to the rendering of bokeh, focusing on creating smooth and natural transitions between in-focus and out-of-focus areas for a more three-dimensional appearance. The manufacturing process for aspherical elements has been refined to achieve a smoother aesthetic, and the lens now features 11 rounded diaphragm blades to enhance the roundness of the bokeh. The minimum focusing distance has also been reduced compared to the previous model—1.25 feet at the 70mm setting and 2.6 feet at the 200mm setting, with a maximum magnification of 0.3x at the minimum focusing distance from the 70mm position.

Refined Anti-Glare Coatings

Nikon's Meso Amorphous Coat provides the highest level of anti-reflective performance available from a NIKKOR lens, surpassing the Nano Crystal Coat when it comes to diagonal incident light, while equaling the effectiveness of the ARNEO Coat for vertical incident light. The ARNEO Coat continues to be utilized to deliver enhanced anti-glare protection from all directions, assisting in the reduction of ghosting, reflections, and flare, thereby achieving greater contrast and more precise color reproduction in challenging lighting and backlit scenarios.

Silky Swift VCM Autofocus

The Silky Swift Voice Coil Motor (VCM) utilizes magnets in place of gears to facilitate the movement of the focusing groups at elevated initial speeds, ensuring enhanced accuracy and smoothness. Additionally, a guide bar is incorporated, which aids in minimizing focusing vibrations, thereby allowing for improved continuous focusing speeds. This innovative focusing system operates 3.5 times faster than the earlier 70-200mm f/2.8 model, offering 40% superior focusing tracking during zooming, achieving 17.5 times greater precision, and is significantly quieter compared to an STM motor.

In terms of video applications, the Silky Swift VCM is particularly silent, and the multi-focusing system effectively diminishes focus breathing, resulting in enhanced compositional accuracy when adjusting focus. Furthermore, full-time manual focus override is available, and an internal focusing design is implemented, which ensures that only the internal lens groups are adjusted during focusing. This design maintains the overall length of the lens throughout its use and promotes quicker focusing speeds.

Professional Durability and Intuitive Handling

Designed for professional applications in nearly any environment, the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II is particularly robust and dependable, despite its focus on a more compact and lightweight structure that facilitates prolonged use throughout the day. The enhanced Vibration Reduction (VR) system effectively counteracts 6 stops of camera shake, resulting in sharper images when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. The internal zoom and internal focus mechanisms ensure a consistent overall length, promoting more intuitive handling. Superior weather sealing is incorporated to thwart dust and moisture intrusion, while the front element is treated with a fluorine coating that not only repels dust and moisture but also simplifies cleaning.

The dedicated focus and zoom rings provide direct control and are complemented by a customizable Control Ring, which can be programmed to modify various shooting settings such as aperture, exposure compensation, and ISO. The Control Ring now includes a configurable click feature; an on/off switch alters the tactile sensation of the ring based on the shooting style, allowing for a distinct click when adjusting settings or a smooth, silent rotation to minimize unwanted noise and vibration. Additionally, the lens barrel is equipped with two L-Fn buttons—one located on the top and the other on the left side—which can be customized to set up subject tracking, AF lock, image playback, or other operational modes.

Both a protective cover bayonet sleeve and a tripod foot are included—the protective cover is a lightweight cosmetic covering intended for handheld shooting, while the tripod foot serves as a stable mounting point and features a rotating design for effortless transitions between horizontal and vertical shooting orientations. The tripod foot has been reengineered to include an Arca-type dovetail design, ensuring direct compatibility with a broad range of tripod heads. The included HB-119 Lens Hood features a filter adjustment window, allowing for easy modification of rotating filter types, such as variable ND and polarizing filters. It is also compatible with optional Nikon Z-series teleconverters, which can enhance the effective focal length ranges to 98-280mm with the 1.4x teleconverter and 140-400mm with the 2x teleconverter.