Nikon Z 24-70 F2.8 S II Review: Why Pros Will Love this Lens

Most working pros swear by a fast, rugged standard zoom, and Nikon’s original Z 24-70 F2.8 S was a solid option for Nikon shooters. Now, with the Z 24-70mm F2.8 S II, Z-mount photographers have a choice to make when selecting their workhorse lens. I’ve spent the last month shooting with this lens, documenting community events, and using it for many of the recent product images on this site – here’s what you need to know before you consider making an upgrade.

The Big Picture: Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S II Review Conclusions

It’s hard to imagine that the Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S is almost five years old, and it is about time to introduce its successor. With the Z 24-70 S II, we’re seeing just how much can change in as little as five years. The S II features an internal zoom design that helps improve the original’s weather-resistance and longevity. Without the lens protruding when going through the focal range, it stands to reason that there is a lower likelihood of damage in transit. (As someone who has owned multiple 24-105mm lenses without an internal zoom design, I’ve had to replace them because I neglected to lock the zoom while in transit.) Beyond its design, Nikon also introduced a new autofocus motor to the lens, which reduces focus breathing and improves focusing time. While I did encounter some issues when trying to focus at 70mm, I found that the Nikon Z24-70 SII is what you expect from a workhorse lens and a worthwhile upgrade to its predecessor.

We’re giving the Nikon Z24-70 F2.8 S II four out of five stars. Want to try one for yourself? Pick one up for $2796 on Amazon.

• Pros: The excellent build quality allowed it to handle downpours without missing a beat.
• Pros: This lens is extremely sharp throughout its entire focal range.
• Pros: Beautiful bokeh when shot wide-open.
• Pros: Internal Zoom design adds to the lens’s ruggedness and durability
• Cons: Larger than the original 24-70 F2.8
• Cons: High price tag may be a hurdle for those getting started.

Ultimately, whether you need to upgrade to the Z 24-70 S II depends on what you’re looking for in your lens. The S II’s updated design features an internal zoom mechanism, which, while making the lens slightly longer, somehow reduces some of the weight compared to the older version. The S II also offers improved weather-sealing, and as noted above, I was able to shoot an entire parade in a day of downpours with confidence. Additionally, the enhancements to the voice coil focusing system make this lens faster to acquire focus for still images, and if you happen to shoot video, reduce focus breathing. These features alone make a strong argument for upgrading.

If you’re not a professional photographer, however, you may not find the updates to the lens compelling enough, especially given the price. This lens is a professional-grade lens, priced accordingly. And on a more ephemeral note, while I was able to do solid work with this lens, I would never take this along as a walk-around lens. This lens feels and works like a workhorse, and at the end of the day, I know it helped me get the shot, and I won’t think about it again until the next time I’m on the job.

Experience

One of the biggest challenges these days when writing about new lenses is that they are often incrementally better than the lens they replace. In fact, one of my biggest complaints for many lenses released in the past year is that they don’t exist for any reason other than to fill a vacancy in a company’s lineup. The Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S II is distinct in several ways, thanks to upgrades to the lens’s physical design and construction. For starters, Nikon opted for an internal zoom design, which, while adding 16mm in overall length, saved a few grams in weight and provided the added benefit of improved weather sealing due to fewer exposed parts.

Additionally, Nikon added some key customization to the lens, including a click/de-click aperture and a secondary custom function button at the top of the lens. Another new feature in the S II is the autofocus limiter switch – something typically found on longer zoom lenses. This one was especially handy while shooting parts of the New York City Marathon, where you’re competing with crowds but needing to ensure the focus is on the runners and not the tops of spectators’ heads.

Owners of the original 24-70 S might notice a glaring omission in the S II: the OLED info display is now gone. Unfortunately, this little display did not make the cut in the updated version of the lens, but it seems negligible to me. There are reasons why you might want the digital display on the lens – possibly if you shoot from the hip often and want to ensure that you’re nailing zone focus – but I don’t believe that most people fall in this category.

As I’ve mentioned a few times throughout this article, the Z 24-70mm S II is a workhorse lens designed for professional photographers. As such, this lens must be able to quickly and accurately nail focus in every situation. During my evaluation period, I found that the Nikon Z 24-70 does, in fact, focus quickly; however, it can struggle at longer focal lengths. To be fair, I was using the camera in AF-S instead of AF-C with 3D Tracking, but this still should not have resulted in so many misses along the marathon route.

The biggest issue I found was that the camera/lens would prioritize the more stationary faces in the crowd over the incoming runners. Again, it’s partly my fault, but it’s still an odd occurrence and one that we revisit in a later review update.

For the record, I’d never carry this lens around just for funsies. And I’d go even further to state that I wouldn’t even carry around the Z6 III for that either.

The Z 24-70 F2.8 S II performs exceptionally well in almost every other situation. Whether you’re photographing people, animals, or things, the Z 24-70 S II can quickly find its subject and deliver great, sharp images, even in low light.

Image Quality

The difference between a professional and a hobbyist lies in their ability to consistently deliver great results. That’s what this lens helps you do in spades. Regardless of the scene, weather conditions, or even user error, I could easily rely on this lens to deliver images that I could share with a paying client without fear or hesitation. While there isn’t much character to speak of, it does provide you with a blank canvas to build from. Even with the 24.5-megapixel sensor in the Nikon Z6 III that I used for this review, you can capture sharp, high-resolution images that you can comfortably crop and enhance in post.  

Below are some unedited images taken with the Nikon Z6 III and the Z 24-70mm F2.8 S II:

Here are some edited images taken with the same combo:

Tech Specs

• Focal length: 24-70 mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Minimum aperture: f/22
• Lens construction: 14 elements in 10 groups (including 2 ED glass elements, 3 aspherical lens elements, elements with Meso Amorphous Coat and ARNEO Coat, and a fluorine-coated front lens element)
• Minimum focus distance: 0.24 m/0.79 ft (at 24 mm and 28 mm), 0.27 m/0.89 ft (at 35 mm), 0.30 m/0.99 ft (at 50 mm), and 0.33 m/1.09 ft (at 70 mm) from focal plane
• Maximum reproduction ratio: 0.32x (70 mm focal length)
• Diaphragm blades: 11 (rounded diaphragm opening)
• Filter-attachment size: 77 mm (P = 0.75 mm)
• Dimensions: Approximately 84 mm/3.4 in. maximum diameter x 142 mm/5.6 in. (distance to end of lens from camera lens mount flange)
• Weight: Approximately 675 g/1 lb 7.9 oz

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