{"id":1043169,"date":"2026-02-23T23:02:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imaging-resource.com\/?post_type=review-cameras&p=1043169"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:16:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T18:16:28","slug":"noticably-ligther-hands-on-preview-of-the-new-nikkor-z-70-200mm-f-2-8-vr-s-ii-lens","status":"publish","type":"review-cameras","link":"https:\/\/www.imaging-resource.com\/cameras\/noticably-ligther-hands-on-preview-of-the-new-nikkor-z-70-200mm-f-2-8-vr-s-ii-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"Noticeably Ligther: Hands On Preview of the new NIKKOR Z 70-200MM F\/2.8 VR S II LENS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nikon\u2019s new NIKKOR Z 70-200mm F\/2.8 VR S II lens is a big update to its flagship 70-200mm lens, but it\u2019s also a light(er) update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new lens will be available in March, and can be preordered now<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had the opportunity to test the new lens for several hours with Nikon in New York City\u2019s Grand Central Terminal, and it has the feel and image quality of Nikon\u2019s famous pro-level zooms. The second-generation lens is claimed to be 26 percent lighter than the predecessor<\/a>, coming in at 998 grams (2.18 pounds) without the collar, and 1180 grams (2.6 pounds) with the collar. In a bit of \u201cI wish they\u2019d all do this,\u201d the tripod mount on the collar is Arca-Swiss compatible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to being lighter than the previous 70-200mm, it\u2019s also noticeably faster to focus. The lens uses Nikon\u2019s Silky Swift VCM 2 autofocus motors for focusing, which Nikon claims is 3.5x faster than the earlier model, which used an STM focusing system. Nikon says that AF while zooming is 40 percent faster, and without one of the original lenses to test along with the new model, it was impossible to tell, but the focus does indeed feel faster than I remember the first generation to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A note on sample images: WordPress is particularly harsh when it comes to compressing images for webpages. All images, both ours and Nikon’s, are sharper and more color accurate in real life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Standing in the atriums around Grand Central, there are plenty of people to test autotocus with. The lens was easily able to lock onto people across the concourse and track them. As fun as it is to photograph slowly moving people and taxi cabs around a train station, I\u2019m looking forward to giving it a real test when a production model is ready for us to test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The optical formula of this lens has been improved, leading to both the claimed increase in image quality and also to the weight reduction. The new elements are smaller and lighter than the earlier lens, and this update has Super Extra-low Dispersion (Super Ed) glass and aspherical ED elements plus fluorite, and Short-wavelength Refractive (SR) elements designed to correct for chromatic aberration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a way that\u2019s similar to the early digital camera megapixel wars, lenses seem to be seeing aperture blade wars. The more blades, and their shapes, determine background defocus (often called Bokkeh), and while. Most pro-grade 70-200mm lenses would have had six or eight blades; this one goes to 11. The result is smooth background defocus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image quality of my test shots is very good, though again I\u2019ll need to shoot in more situations to be able to give my final opinion on the optical quality. Grand Central Terminal has low enough light for slow exposures, which introduce noise, so we’ll be taking this outsidde when we get our test unit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Typical shots for a 70-200 were great, and the short minimum focus distance of .38 meters at 70mm and .8 meters at 200, plus a 0.3\u00d7 (wide) \/0.25\u00d7 (tele) reproduction ratio makes the lens particularly good for small details and textures. It\u2019s by no means a macro lens, but if anyone needs a close-up shot of a bar stool in a train station food hall, this lens is for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 2026 Geoff Coalter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The internal zoom design means that this lens would be a nice companion for gimbal use, since the center of gravity doesn\u2019t shift when zooming. I\u2019m looking forward to putting this on the DJI RS5 we\u2019re currently testing. The 70-200mm F\/2.8 VR S II has a switch on the barrel to enable or disable the control ring\u2019s tactile \u201cclick.\u201d The lens is also compatible with the 1.4x and 2.0x Nikon Z teleconverters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When used with a camera with Synchro VR, the combination is a six-stop reduction in vibration. This is not the highest amount of vibration compensation in today\u2019s cameras with comparable lenses, though. The Sony 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS II, when combined with the Sony Alpha 1 II, has a claimed 8.5 stop reduction. For a medium telephoto lens, six stops is more than enough for most typical situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lens is noticeably light and feels great to use. I\u2019m an admitted fan of Nikon\u2019s glass, having grown up using Nikon lenses. I like the original 70-200mm lens, but I love the feel of this one. Walking around with the camera on a strap, I felt surprisingly unencumbered, and holding it by the tripod mount, it felt nicely balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f\/2.8 VR S II lens will be available in late March 2026 for a suggested retail price of $3199.95. We will start testing the lens as soon as it arrives, and will bring you a review. In the meantime, I consider this a tremendous update to one of the most important lenses in most photographers’ arsenals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full press release is below after the galleries.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Grand Central Terminal Gallery<\/h2>\n\n\n
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