Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Lens

The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S from Nikon is a highly versatile telephoto zoom lens favored by sports, event, and portrait photographers. Its notable feature is the bright f/2.8 aperture, which excels in various lighting conditions and provides enhanced control over depth of field for achieving selective focus. The optical design incorporates ED, fluorite, and SR elements that effectively minimize color fringing and chromatic aberrations throughout the zoom range, resulting in improved clarity and color accuracy. To further enhance image quality, ARNEO and Nano Crystal Coats, along with a Super Integrated Coating, are employed to suppress flare, ghosting, and surface reflections, delivering heightened contrast and color fidelity.

The lens boasts a multi-focus system that utilizes two stepping motors, enabling fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus performance. Full-time manual focus override is available for seamless transition between auto and manual focus, catering to both still photography and videography. Vibration Reduction technology is integrated, effectively reducing the appearance of camera shake for sharper handheld images. Additionally, the lens features a unique physical design with an OLED information panel at the top, providing quick confirmation of aperture and focus settings. An assignable L.Fn button allows for exposure and settings adjustments directly from the lens, while the programmable control ring offers intuitive adjustment of camera and exposure settings.

Designed for FX-format Z-mount mirrorless cameras, the lens is also compatible with DX-format models, providing an equivalent focal length range of 105-300mm. Its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture ensures consistent performance throughout the zoom range, making it suitable for challenging lighting conditions and selective focus techniques. The combination of six extra-low dispersion elements, one fluorite element, and one short-wave refractive index element effectively eliminates chromatic aberrations and color fringing, resulting in exceptional clarity and color accuracy. Two aspherical elements further contribute to reducing spherical aberrations and distortion, improving overall sharpness and rendering accuracy.

ARNEO and Nano Crystal Coats are specifically applied to minimize ghosting, reflections, and flare, resulting in improved contrast and clarity when working in strong lighting and backlit conditions. The Nano Crystal Coat controls incidental light from a diagonal direction, while the ARNEO Coat controls incidental light from a vertical direction. A Super Integrated Coating is also employed on multiple elements to ensure consistently accurate colors.

The lens’s Vibration Reduction image stabilization technology enables handheld shooting in low-light situations by reducing the appearance of camera shake. The multi-focus system, driven by two synchronized AF drive units, ensures fast and precise focusing throughout the zoom range. The stepping motors provide smooth and quiet autofocus performance suitable for both stills and video, while the internal focusing design maintains the lens’s overall length during use for faster focusing speeds.

The programmable Control Ring can be customized to adjust various camera and exposure settings according to preference. An integrated OLED lens information panel displays aperture setting, focus distance, and depth of field figures in bright and dark conditions, facilitating quick reference. Two assignable L.Fn buttons, in conjunction with camera-based Fn buttons, provide convenient access to exposure settings and other functions.

With a specialized electromagnetic aperture mechanism, the lens offers greater exposure control stability, particularly beneficial when working with fast continuous shooting rates. Its dust- and moisture-resistant construction, coupled with a front fluorine coating, ensures durability and reliability in challenging weather conditions. The removable and rotating tripod collar operates on smooth ball bearings, allowing for quick and seamless switching between vertical and horizontal shooting orientations.