Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Review

May 23, 2019 | Amy Davies | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Conclusion

Now that Nikon’s Z range has had a little bit of time to bed in, it’s no surprise to see the company introducing new and exciting new optics to complete the line-up.

While the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens makes a lot of sense as an everyday lens, or one to use while travelling, professionals working with the system will no doubt crave the extra flexibility that an f/2.8 aperture brings.

This lens is larger than it’s f/4 counterpart, but it’s still smaller than a DSLR equivalent and manages to balance quite well with the body of either the Z6 or the Z7. The other “extras”, such as the OLED on the lens itself, plus the customisable rings make it a pleasure to use, too.

Images from the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 Slens are excellent - as we’ve come to expect from the Z series - with a good level of sharpness and clarity across the whole frame. It is well suited to a wide range of different subjects and we can see it finding its way into the kit bags of all kinds of different photographers - whether you shoot weddings, documentary, landscapes, product shots and more. Some vignetting can be seen when shooting at wide apertures - but it’s not hugely noticeable for many subjects.

All that said, you need to be prepared to pay a premium for the extra flexibility that this lens brings. It’s the most expensive Z series lens to date with a price tag of over £2,000. This puts the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S out of reach of most ordinary consumers, who would probably be almost as well-served by the f/4 lens.

It’s great to see Nikon investing in and expanding the Z line-up, and having a very capable (if premium) 24-70 f/2.8 lens reflects the company’s commitment to its new system. If you are a professional, or advanced amateur, who wants the very best general lens, then the new Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S comes highly recommended.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 5
Ease-of-use 5
Image quality 5
Value for money 4