A $2,800 Standard Zoom: What Nikon Fixed and What It Didn’t

A new 24-70mm f/2.8 can look boring on paper, but this one changes the way the lens behaves in your hands. If you rely on this range for paid work, travel, or portraits, small design changes can save time or create new problems.

Coming to you from Dustin Abbott, this practical video takes a close look at the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II lens. Abbott starts with what’s actually different instead of repeating the usual “it’s sharp” claims. The big headline is internal zooming, which keeps the lens the same length as you move through the range, and that has real implications if you use a gimbal or you hate rebalancing your setup mid-shoot. He also points out the weight drop compared to the earlier version, which matters if this is the lens that lives on the camera all day. Then he sets the uncomfortable context: the $2,800 price tag puts it above several rivals, so you’re not just buying a routine refresh.

Abbott spends time on the physical controls, and the details here are more than cosmetic. The older OLED display is gone, replaced by a second function button, and the point is access when you rotate the camera for vertical framing. Nikon adds a click/declick switch for the control ring, which is a simple feature that can change how confident you feel during aperture changes in video. There’s also a focus limiter, but it’s not the kind you might expect on a standard zoom, and Abbott explains what it limits and why it might not matter to you. He notes a quirk that can affect real shooting: the zoom action can feel tighter and less consistent than expected, especially as you approach 70mm. The hood gets a smart update too, with a window that lets you adjust a rotating filter without pulling the hood off.

Key Specs

• Focal length: 24 to 70mm

• Maximum aperture: f/2.8

• Minimum aperture: f/22

• Lens mount: Nikon Z

• Format coverage: full frame

• Minimum focus distance: 9.4 in / 24 cm (wide) to 1.1 ft / 33 cm (tele)

• Maximum magnification: 0.32x (about 1:3)

• Optical design: 14 elements in 10 groups

• Diaphragm blades: 11, rounded

• Focus type: autofocus

• Image stabilization: none

• Filter size: 77mm

• Weight: 1.5 lb / 675 g

Autofocus is where Abbott sounds most convinced, and the reason is the new motor system Nikon uses here. He describes focus as effectively instant and nearly silent, then backs it with shooting in messy winter conditions where the camera has plenty of chances to get distracted. For stills, he talks through eye detection confidence across different focal lengths during portrait work, plus how the lens behaves in event-style settings. For video, he calls out smoother transitions during focus pulls and a lack of the odd back-and-forth behavior he’s seen from some stepping-motor setups. He also flags focus breathing as very well controlled, which is the kind of thing you only notice when it’s bad, then you can’t stop seeing it. On optics, he gives you enough to know the lens is serious, but he also points out where contrast shifts at close focus and how stopping down can change the look at key focal lengths. Price pressure shows up again at the end, including alternatives like the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, mainly as a reality check if $2,800 is a nonstarter. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Abbott.