Nikon presents 24-70mm f/2.8 for Z cameras and promises faster autofocus
Nikon has announced a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens for its Z system cameras. The bright zoom will be released in April for 2499 euros. Nikon also announces a firmware update that improves the autofocus of the Z cameras. This update will follow in May.
The new lens is called Nikkor Z 24-70 mm f/2.8 S in full. Nikon already had the bright zoom on its roadmap, but has now announced all the details and the price. The new lens is brighter than the existing 24-70 mm f/4 S, but also larger and heavier. According to Nikon, the build quality of the new variant is also higher.
The lens has a programmable L-Fn button and a small OLED panel, which displays information such as the focus distance, the set aperture and the focal point. Furthermore, a ring has been added that can also be used to set parameters such as aperture or shutter speed.
The new 24-70 mm f/2.8 weighs 805 grams and is 126 mm long. This makes the lens 25 percent smaller and 18 percent lighter than the comparable alternative to SLRs, Nikon says. The optical construction consists of seventeen elements in fifteen lens groups. Nikon’s Nano Crystal coating is on the lens elements, but a new Arneo coating is also used, which, according to the manufacturer, should further reduce flare and ghosting.
Nikon is also announcing details about upcoming firmware updates for the Nikon Z6 and Z7. The cameras will receive an update in May that adds eye-detection autofocus, which allows the autofocus to accurately focus on eyes. That same update should also improve autofocus in low light. Nikon says that focusing in dark environments will be faster after the firmware update. This applies to both the photo and film function.
There will be a firmware update later that will allow raw video output. Raw video recording becomes possible in 4k and 1080p resolution, with an external recorder. Nikon will also add support for CFexpress memory cards via a firmware update. The cameras can already handle XQD cards and the CFexpress cards have the same form factor. The Nikon D5, D850 and D500 SLR cameras also receive support for CFexpress memory via a firmware update. It is not yet known when these updates will appear.