Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II Review

Name: Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II
Brand: nikon

October 16, 2025 | Mark Goldstein |

Introduction

The Nikon Z camera system is only 7 years old, launching in 2018 with the Z6 and Z7 models, but that hasn't stopped the company from revamping their original 24-70mm f/2.8 pro lens with the 2025 launch of this second-generation Mark II version.

And what a revamp it is! Nikon have taken the already excellent 24-70mm f/2.8 S from 2019 and upgraded almost every aspect of it, from autofocus speed to image quality, size and weight to functionality.

With an internal zoom design, Nikon's flagship standard zoom lens no longer extends or retracts like the original version. It also lays claim to being the World’s first 24-70mm lens with an internal zoom ands also the lightest 24-70mm f/2.8 lens in its class.

As if that wasn't enough, this is the first ever Nikon zoom lens to feature the Silky Swift Voice Coil Motor (SSVCM), which offers 5x faster and 50% quieter AF performance than the original Mark I lens.

The optical design features 14 elements in 10 groups including dual-sided aspherical lens elements and ED glass, plus Meso Amorphous and ARNEO coatings to counter ghosting and flare.

Other standout features include a new 11-blade aperture for more circular bokeh and sharper sunstars, a short minimum focus distance of just 0.24m at 24mm and 0.33 m at 70mm for better macro shots, Nikon's first ever de-clickable control ring, and a new round lens hood with filter adjustment window.

Like the Z range cameras and other lenses, this new lens is fully weather-sealed and also includes a fluorine coating for repelling water, dust and dirt.

Unlike some other lenses in the Z range, though, the 24-70mm f/2.8 II lens still doesn't feature inbuilt vibration reduction - such reduction is found in the bodies of Z series cameras, so that may not be too much of a loss to most shooters.

At the time of writing, the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II lens retails for around £2599 / $2799, making it the one of the most expensive lenses in the Z line-up to date.

Ease of Use

For the purposes of this review, we've been using the lens with the Z8 camera body, as provided by Nikon UK.

In order to necessitate the wider f/2.8 aperture when compared to the 24-70mm f/4 variant, the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is still a significantly larger and heavier proposition than its stablemate, just less so than its predecessor was.

The size gap between the new F2.8 and the F4 24-70mm lenses has narrowed considerably, with the former weighing in at 675g (1lb 7.9oz) and measuring 84 x 142mm (3.4 x 5.6 in.) versus 500g (1lb, 1.7oz) and 77.5 x 88.5 mm (3.05 x 3.46 in.) for the latter. The F4 version does extend as you zoom out, though, whereas the new F2.8 version doesn't.

When compared to the Mark I version, the 2025 iteration is significantly lighter than the 805g of the original and smaller than the 89 x 126 mm (3.6 x 5 in.) dimensions when the Mark I is zoomed out.

So if you're attracted by the faster F2.8 aperture but don't want to pay a significant size and weight penalty, this new lens nicely bridges the gap between the F4 and F2.8 Mark I lenses.

It feels well-balanced on the Z8 camera body, so much so that you can use it one-handed if you have a particularly steady hand, but for the most comfortable shooting experience you’ll need to bring in your other hand to steady the lens (especially as in-lens image stabilisation is still not included).

The internal zoom mechanism has some other benefits other than helping to make the lens smaller and lighter, most notably no shift in the centre of gravity so you don't need to adjust your grip when zooming, rebalance the lens if it's mounted on a gimbal or have to reposition heavy accessories mid-shoot.

Also the weather sealing is more robust thanks to fewer moving parts being exposed to the elements, with Nikon describing the lens as having "pro-grade weather sealing", although still not guaranteed to be dust- and drip-resistant in all situations and under all conditions.

For video shooters, focus breathing has been cut in half compared to the previous generation of this lens, making transitions look much more natural even during extreme focus pulls.

Despite being significantly lighter and using fewer lens elements, the 24-70mm f/2.8 S II promises to deliver even better image quality than the already excellent original thanks to the inclusion of dual-sided aspherical lens elements and ED glass, plus Meso Amorphous and ARNEO coatings to counter ghosting and flare.

It also upgrades the 9-blade aperture of the original version to a rounded 11-blade aperture that heps produce more circular bokeh which is well defined and smoothly graded.

In addition to improved image quality, Nikon have also given the auto-focus system a major upgrade with the incorporation of the Silky Swift Voice Coil Motor (SSVCM), the first time that it's ever featured on a zoom lens rather than a prime.

This has resulted in the Mark II offering 5x faster, 50% quieter, and more accurate AF performance across the zoom range than the 2019 version, with focus tracking said to be 60% quicker when zooming and a 40% reduction in scan time at the telephoto end, making an already very good lens even better when it comes to focusing.

The 2025 version is also a better macro lens than its predecessor, offering an extremely short minimum focus distance of just 0.24m at 24mm and 0.33m at 70mm and a maximum magnification of 0.21x at 24mm and 0.32x at 70mm.

It also has a focus limiter switch that will lock the focus distance at 0.33m throughout the zoom range for a consistent working distance at all focal lengths, if the gradual change as you zoom from 24mm to 70mm unduly bothers you.

Another welcome performance improvement is a de-clickable control ring for the first time ever on a Nikon lens, with click on for tactile feedback and click off for smooth, silent, stepless operation. By default you can use it as an aperture ring, but if you prefer you can change it to control exposure compensation in the main menu of the camera.

There are now two L-fn buttons so that one of them naturally falls under your thumb when shooting either horizontally or vertically, compared to the single button on the original.

Even the lens hood has been shown some development love with the new HB-117 round lens hood featuring a filter adjustment window. There’s no need to remove this hood if working with rotating filters, which is handy if using variable ND filters for video. The hood can be reversed onto the lens when travelling or not in use.

One thing that's "missing" from this new version is the small OLED screen on the lens barrel of the Mark I which was used for displaying the lens focal length, lens aperture or focus distance and depth-of-field.

We found this to be a useful indicator, especially if you’re using the lens from waist height, or if it’s mounted on a tripod, so it's a shame not to see it on the Mark II version.

The largest lens ring can be found around the centre of the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II. You can use this to zoom the lens in and out. It gives just the right amount of give to be easy to operate, while also being firm enough to prevent accidental movement. It is ridged to give a good grip, too.

Finally, at the front of the lens is a manual focus ring, which you can use either when working in manual mode, or to make tweaks after autofocus has been acquired. Again, it’s got a good amount of give, but there are no hard stops on either end of the lens for quickly establishing when you've reached the maximum focus distance.

Focal Range

The Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is a full-frame lens, and as such, the focal length printed on the lens is what you get. Using the 24-70mm lens in DX (crop) format mode, gives you an equivalent focal length of 36-105mm. The angle of view in the standard FX format is 84 degrees to 34 degrees.

Chromatic Aberrations

Typically appearing as blue or purple fringing along high-contrast edges in an image, chromatic aberration can be problematic for some lenses - particularly cheaper optics.

As we’d expect from a high-quality and high-price lens such as the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II, chromatic aberrations don’t appear to be an issue.

Indeed, it is tricky to find too many examples of it occurring at all. In the below example, we were able to find some slight blue fringing when examining at 100% and scrutinising the sample image - but it’s not something that should present too much of a problem otherwise.

Vignetting

At the widest point of the lens and shooting at the widest aperture of f/2.8, there is some noticeable light fall off when shooting a subject such as a white wall, at all focal lengths. The effect is lessened at f/4.0, and again at f/5.6, before becoming pretty much unnoticeable at f/8. When shooting normal subjects the effect is less noticeable and shouldn’t be overly problematic in the majority of cases.

24mm

70mm

Distortion

Both barrel and pincushion distortion are evident in JPEG files with in-camera correction turned off and also in Raw files, so you'll need to turn in-camera distortion correction on for JPEGs and use the correct profile in software such as Adobe camera raw to remove it.

24mm

70mm

Sunstars and Flare

The Nikon Z 24‑70mm f/2.8 S II is capable of creating some very nice sunstars when stopped-down to f/22, as shown below, and flare is also well controlled even when shooting directly into the sun.

Macro

The Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is not designed as a macro lens by any means. It has a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.21x at 24mm and 0.32x at 70mm. However, it offers close focusing which makes it suitable for macro-type subjects, such as flowers and so on. The minimum focusing distance is 0.24m, at 24mm and 28mm, 0.27m at 35mm, 0.3m at 50mm and 0.33m at 70mm.

Bokeh

The name for out of focus areas in an image, bokeh is usually described in qualitative terms such as smooth, creamy or pleasing.

With a maximum aperture of f/2.8, the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is capable of producing some very blurred backgrounds, making it an appealing lens for a number of subjects including portraiture and still life. Out of focus areas are rendered pleasingly and smoothly with a very natural appearance.

As the quality of bokeh is subjective, we’ve included some examples below for you to judge for yourself.