Nikon unveils 70-200mm f/2.8 Z-mount lens; debuts 120-300mm f/2.8 pro sports F-mount lens
posted Monday, January 6, 2020 at 10:00 PM EDT
In addition to announcing some new cameras at the start of this year's CES tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nikon also unveiled a pair of zoom lenses, one for their growing mirrorless Z-mount lineup and another for their long-running F-mount family. For the Z-mount, Nikon brings the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, a long-awaited, versatile, pro-oriented zoom. On the DSLR side of things, they've announced the new AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR, an impressively powerful professional sports-oriented zoom.
NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
The 11th Nikon Z-mount lens, the new 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens is perhaps the most anticipated lenses for this fledging mirrorless system. A 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom is a quintessential lens for many photographers and video shooters, owing in large part to its sheer versatility. The lens offers focal lengths that work well for sports, portraits, weddings, press, wildlife and more, and the constant f/2.8 aperture provides great subject isolation and low-light performance. It's a key lens for any camera system, and now Nikon Z shooters finally have a native 70-200 lens of their own.
Styled and built like other Nikkor S Z-mount lenses, this pro-oriented zoom, the new 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens include key features such as weather-sealed construction, 5 stops of optical VR, stepping motor focusing for quiet AF operation and minimal focus breathing. Furthermore, this zoom is the first optic to utilize Nikon's new SR (Short-Wavelength Refractive) lens element, a specialized-dispersion glass lens that helps refract light with wavelengths shorter than that of blue, allowing for highly precise chromatic aberration control. The 70-200mm f/2.8 uses a 9-blade diaphragm and includes Anti-Reflective Nano Crystal and ARNEO coatings for maximum image quality and a fluorine coating that resists dirt and smudges.
The new NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens will be available in February for a suggested retail price of $2,599.95.
AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR
Initially unveiled alongside the Nikon D6's development announcement back in September, the new 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR aims to be a highly versatile and capable telephoto zoom lens for professional photographers. With long telephoto reach, the versatlity of a zoom, weather-sealing and the constant f/2.8 aperture, the new 120-300mm f/2.8 is an ideal lens for sports as well as wildlife, as it'll accept teleconverters and maintain fairly fast aperture performance.
Like the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, the 120-300mm features Nikon's new SR lens element as well as their newer ARNEO coating -- a pair of firsts for a Nikon F-mount lens. Built-in optical VR is rated for 4 stops of correction and includes a Sport VR mode for fast-paced subjects.
The AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR lens will also be available in February for a suggested retail price of $9,499.95