LENS TEST - EXPERT OPINION ON THE LATEST KIT

This 70-180mm lens completes a lightweight trinity of f/72.8 Z-system zooms

The Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 proves that relatively fast f/2.8 constant-aperture telephoto zooms don’t always have to be big and heavy. While most ‘trinity’ wide-angle, standard, and telephoto zooms are hefty affairs, Nikon’s Z 17-28mm f/2.8, Z 28-75mm f/2.8, and Z 70-180mm lenses are relatively compact and lightweight. We were impressed with Tamron’s 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens for Sony cameras, and this is essentially a re-engineered version of that lens.

One thing lacking in the Z 70180mm is optical image stabilization. All Nikon full-frame Z-mount cameras have IBIS (in-body image stabilisation), but it tends to be less effective with telephoto lenses, and while this lens is also a good choice for DX cameras, on which it gives an effective 105 - 270mm zoom range, those cameras don’t have IBIS, so the lack of optical VR is more of a problem. Some other Nikon Z telephotos do feature optical VR (Vibration Reduction), with the obvious alternative here being the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, which is around double the price.

Key features

Top of the specs list is the relatively fast f/2.8 constant aperture. At the long end of the zoom range, that makes this lens at least two f/stops faster than most ‘budget’ telephoto zooms with a variable aperture rating. If you put a premium on portability, this lens measures just 151mm and weighs 795g – that’s nearly three inches shorter than the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, and little more than half the weight – and, as mentioned, this lens is about half the price.