Nikon NIKKOR Z 24 70mm F 2 8 S Review | 54 Data compared

The DPReview field review highlights the Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S as an exceptionally sharp, robust, and compact workhorse for Z-series cameras, offering superior optical resolution and minimal focus breathing. Key strengths include a useful OLED status display, impressive close-up performance with a 1:4 macro ratio, and lightweight construction compared to F-mount predecessors. Drawbacks identified include a high price point, the lack of optical stabilization (relying solely on in-body VR), and lackluster sunstars. While optically excellent, the lens can exhibit vignetting at wide-open apertures, slightly hard-edged bokeh under certain conditions, and slower autofocus compared to legacy DSLR versions.

The Photography Life review designates the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S as an exceptional, professional-tier lens delivering superb, prime-like sharpness, outstanding flare resistance, and fast, accurate autofocus. It features a robust, weather-sealed build that balances well on Z-mount cameras while maintaining excellent control over chromatic aberration and vignetting. Conversely, the lens shows a slight dip in edge-to-edge sharpness at 70mm and produces slightly harsh bokeh compared to dedicated primes. Additionally, the review notes significant inherent geometric distortion and a premium $2,550 price point that may deter non-professional users.

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S as an exceptionally high-quality, weather-sealed standard zoom for Nikon's full-frame mirrorless system, delivering outstanding sharpness and minimal aberrations across the range. The lens features 17 elements in 15 groups, a 9-bladed diaphragm, and a functional OLED information display along with highly customizable control rings. Key pros include excellent handling, superior build quality, and outstanding central/edge sharpness from f/2.8 to f/8, though notable cons center on the high price and the non-essential nature of the OLED display. Ultimately, the review considers it a top-tier choice for professionals seeking uncompromising image quality and performance.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is an impressive, professional-caliber mid-range zoom lens that showcases the true potential of the wide Z-mount system. Optically, the lens delivers state-of-the-art sharpness, achieving exceptional center-to-corner clarity even wide open at f/2.8, comfortably outperforming its F-mount predecessor and the f/4 Z variant. Its robust build features comprehensive weather sealing, advanced flare-controlling Nano and Arneo coatings, and highly suppressed longitudinal chromatic aberrations. Additionally, the dual-group stepping motor (STM) provides fast, nearly whisper-silent autofocusing, and the lens exhibits minimal focus breathing, making it an excellent dual-purpose choice for both photography and video. Despite its stellar performance, the lens carries a few handling and optical compromises. Without in-camera corrections, it exhibits significant uncorrected distortion, pushing nearly 3% barrel distortion at 24mm and 3% pincushion distortion at 70mm, alongside two stops of vignetting wide open. There is also a strange corner-softening anomaly that yo-yos across the focal range—dipping at 35mm and 70mm, but snapping back sharply at 50mm. From a design standpoint, the built-in OLED display feels like an underwhelming engineering gimmick due to its recessed depth-of-field...

The Kieran Hayes Photography review identifies the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S as an elite, professional-grade lens offering exceptional sharpness, contrast, and fast autofocus across the zoom range. Key features highlighted include robust weather sealing, an OLED information display, and minimal, easily corrected vignetting at f/2.8. Cons identified include the lack of optical image stabilization (VR), a heavy weight of 805 grams, and non-circular bokeh at 70mm, alongside a high price point. The review concludes that while it is a heavy and expensive tool, its performance is ideal for professional Z-series users.

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a professional-grade standard mid-zoom lens designed for Nikon's mirrorless Z-mount system, serving as an exceptional workhorse for both photographers and videographers. Key pros highlighted in the overview include its advanced optics that deliver outstanding detail, a constant f/2.8 aperture, and extensive weather sealing built to withstand challenging environments like rain, snow, and desert dust. It also features excellent close-up capabilities with a minimum focusing distance of just 38cm across the entire zoom range, minimal focus breathing for smooth video shooting, and a customizable LFn button that maps up to 21 camera functions. YouTube · On the downside, while this article frames the lens’s flexibility positively, general limitations inherently persist. Key cons of the original lens are its substantial weight of approximately 805g and its bulk, which make it less portable than compact prime lenses or its f/4 counterparts. Additionally, because it utilizes an external zooming mechanism rather than an internal one, the lens barrel physically extends when moving toward 70mm, which can alter the physical handling and balance of the camera rig. Finally,...

The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a highly optimized, professional-grade standard zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras that sets a new performance benchmark on DXOMARK’s leaderboard. When tested on the 45.7MP Nikon Z 7, it achieved an overall score of 36, making it the highest-performing 24-70mm lens in DXOMARK's database at the time of testing. It is highly praised for maintaining excellent edge-to-edge sharpness across the entire frame at wide-open apertures, outperforming competitors at 24mm. Additional notable pros include superb control over chromatic aberration—scoring a mere 5 microns—and minimal, well-managed geometric distortion that is seamlessly fixed via automatic RAW and in-camera JPEG profiles. Despite its top-tier optical standing, the review highlights a few specific downsides, particularly regarding vignetting and light transmission. The lens exhibits noticeable corner shading at its widest focal lengths and apertures, measuring –2.1EV, though the fall-off is gradual and can be corrected in post-processing. Its light transmission score of 3 is also somewhat disappointing, falling behind the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM and the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM. Furthermore, while center sharpness is exceptional...

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a pro-grade standard zoom lens for Nikon's mirrorless Z-system cameras, such as the Z6 and Z7. It is praised for its exceptional sharpness across the frame even at its widest f/2.8 aperture, alongside a smooth, fast, and nearly silent autofocus system that utilizes a dual-group Multi-Focus System. Handling is excellent due to a comfortable zoom ring and a de-clicked control ring designed for video recording, plus a customizable L-Fn button and an integrated OLED panel that displays settings like focal length and depth of field. Additionally, it boasts robust physical build quality with extensive weather sealing and a design that is notably 18.4% shorter and 24.7% lighter than its DSLR predecessor. However, the lens relies heavily on software corrections rather than pure optics to resolve specific flaws, which show up clearly when internal profiles are deactivated. Notable optical cons include prominent vignetting at wider apertures, which is uniquely absent from the built-in raw file profile corrections, as well as distinct barrel and pincushion distortion. Tactile drawbacks feature a control ring that cannot...

The DPReview TV review highlights the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 S for its outstanding sharpness, exceptional control over chromatic aberration, and minimal focus breathing, making it a top performer for high-resolution cameras. The lens is praised for producing soft bokeh and well-mitigated flare, providing a premium imaging experience. DPReview · Conversely, the lens shows slightly slower autofocus speeds compared to DSLR counterparts, along with hard-edged bokeh highlights, noticeable vignetting, and lackluster sun stars. While considered a justified investment, its lack of built-in stabilization and high price tag are noted as significant considerations.