A fast aperture 24-70mm lens is the first choice for many photographers when it comes to upgrading from a kit lens. It’s a versatile option that can be perfect for landscapes, weddings, events, portraits, and video. Nikon Z shooters previously had the option to adapt the current 24-70mm DSLR lens, but now there’s a native option.
The NIKKOR Z 24-70 f/2.8 S is the very first lens to use Nikon’s newly developed ARNEO coat, which Nikon says will cut down on flare and ghosting. The lens has a dedicated manual focus ring, a Function (L-Fn) button, an Organic EL Lens Information Panel to quickly check settings such as focus distance, depth-of-field, aperture, and focal length, and utilizes Nikon’s Multi-Focus System that will help with fast and accurate AF.
The redesigned lens is approximately 24.7 percent lighter and 18.4 percent shorter than the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens. If you’ve been shooting with the Z system, it’s a safe bet that you will want to add this one to your kit. Here is what else we know about it.
- 17 elements in 15 groups, including two ED glass elements and four aspherical elements
- Constant f/2.8 aperture
- 1.25 ft minimum focusing distance
- Weighs 28.4 oz
- 9 rounded diaphragm blades for beautiful bokeh
- Nikon’s all-new ARNEO coating and Nano Crystal Coating cut down on ghosting and flare from backlight at diagonal angles and vertical angles
- Lens features a stepping motor (STM) with Nikon’s new Multi-Focus System for fast and silent AF
- Customizable features like the Organic EL Lens Information Panel and L-Fn button, which can be customized to 20 different functions when shooting
- Compatible with the in-camera 5-axis VR in the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7
- Fluorine coating to repel dust, dirt, grease, and water droplets
- Available Spring 2019 for $2,299
In addition to this new lens Nikon also announced some firmware upgrades for the Z6 and the Z7.
The following features will be available May 2019:
- Support for Eye Detection AF for stills in Single AF and Continuous AF modes, which will be great for subjects that are constantly adjusting their pose. The upgraded feature will also be able to detect multiple eyes and the shooter will be able to select which eye the camera should detect.
- Increased AF/AE performance in continuous high-speed shooting mode. Low-light AF will see improvements for both still image shooting and video.
- RAW video output support will give users the ability to utilize 12-bit color for more flexible color grading in post.
Nikon also announced that they are working on an upgrade to support CFexpress memory cards in addition to the XQD cards. CFexpress will also be added to the Nikon D5, Nikon D850, and the Nikon D500. Specific timing of these firmware upgrades will be announced at a later date.