Conclusion

Nikon have taken their already excellent pro-level standard zoom lens and given it a major revamp, with almost every aspect of its design and performance surpassing the 7-year-old original.

We did miss not having the Mark I's handy OLED screen, but overall the Mark II is so good that it's well worth trading in and upgrading to the 2025 version.

Seemingly everything else has been majorly upgraded, from the internal zoom design that keeps the barrel at a fixed length to the even sharper image quality and much quicker auto-focusing.

We also appreciated the lighter build that brings the F2.8 lens closer to the slower F4 version, making price the only real reason to choose the slower optic, especially as the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II still offers Nikon's best level of weather-proofing.

This new version is better suited for video use, with reduced focus breathing compared to the original, a declickable control/aperture ring, and less faffing around necessary when using it on a gimbal.

It's also a better lens for close-up subjects, with the reduced minimum focusing distance and increased maximum reproduction combining well with the upgraded 11-blade aperture.

As with the majority of modern lenses, the original version included, the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II is reliant on having in-camera distortion and vignetting corrections turned on for JPEGs and the correct lens profile selected for Raw files.

Overall, despite the expected price hike from £2,199 in 2019 to £2,599 today, other than the "missing" OLED screen Nikon have certainly exceeded our expectations with the surprising new Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II, and almost certainly yours too!

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	5
Ease-of-use	5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4.5