Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II Review Update: Awesome For Sports Photography

We’ve already chosen the Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II lens as arguably the greatest zoom they’ve produced till date. A few weeks ago we tested out this lens at a basketball stadium to see how the new ‘Silky Swift Voice Coil AF Motor’ kept up with players zipping around. If you’re getting this focal range lens for the first time as a Nikon Z camera owner, this is the perfect choice for you.

The following text is an update to our full Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 VR II S review. For that full review, please click this link.

The Big Picture: Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II Review Conclusions: Update June 2026

Our previous tests were done with the Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II out on the streets of NYC, where it performed wonderfully in the various scenarios we tried it on. That was despite the fact that it was a pre-production unit. This time though, we managed to loan a production model from Nikon and spent an evening inside a makeshift basketball court at the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai to test out the new autofocus tech used in this lens.

Buy the Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II if you’re in the market for a 70-200 f2.8 Nikon lens and you can afford the significant price increase. If you’re a professional, consider the price difference as an investment and bite the bullet. But if you already own the first generation version and find the weight manageable, there’s not too much more in the performance that may tip you over the edge to buy this. The new AF motor may work significantly better for videographers, but for sports work I find I can still manage with the older lens for now.

• Noticeably faster autofocus, but not massively faster
• Sharpness is a tad better in low light / high ISO
• I love the fact that the tripod collar is completely detachable
• No LCD screen on top of the lens
• If you absolutely must own it, get it for the significantly reduced weight.
• Thankfully the 77mm filter thread dimension is retained

We’re giving the Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II four out of five stars. It’s a wonderful lens, but at this price point it’s a little hard to justify over its predecessor, which might still be available online new.

Experience Update: June 2026

For those Nikon Z users who don’t have the original 70-200 f2.8 Z lens released back in 2020, this is THE lens to get if you’re looking for a fast medium focal range telephoto lens. It’s a bit shorter than the first gen version, lighter for sure, and a tad bit faster to autofocus. The rule of thumb when looking to buy a lens, would be to get the latest model if it’s affordable for you. This is definitely the way to go as far as owning a new Nikon Z 70-200 f2.8 lens would be. It’s better than the previous version in terms of being able to help you get the shots a bit quicker out in the field, thanks to the new AF motor which Nikon says is:

• 3.5X faster
• 17.5X more precise
• 40% better focus tracking while zooming

To be fair, I did think it was better than its predecessor, but certainly not by this much. I’ve loaned the original Nikon Z 70-200 f2.8 for use at professional sporting tournaments and events, then owned it for a couple of months using it at portrait shoots, before I tested this new lens. From a professional sports photographer’s perspective the new Nikon Z 70-200 f2.8 II is a winner by all counts, but it doesn’t display a phenomenal upgrade over the older model. The original is still super fast to autofocus and is extremely sharp even wide open. Where the first gen lens might slow you down a bit is in its weight – heavier at 48 oz. (1360 g) vs 35.2 oz. (998 g) for the new model. This is where the new model really shines and is arguably the single biggest professional factor for those who want to upgrade.

You immediately notice the weight reduction difference as you mount it to your camera, and when shooting with heavy bodies like the Z9 and the Z8, it is a very welcome change. Alongside the Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II and Z9 combo, I also tested the Z 70-200mm f2.8 S original attached to my Z8 and found images from both almost indistinguishable from a quality perspective in most cases.

The other really useful reason to purchase the Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II lens is the fact that it has a completely removable tripod collar ring. You’re safely able to mount your camera strap directly on the camera’s body now because the lens isn’t front heavy like V1 was. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been at a sports shoot with the tripod collar foot being a constant (literal) pain, coming in the way of my left arm balancing the lens. It’s a real relief to be able to remove this collar totally when you don’t need it.

The 70-200mm f2.8 S VR II also loses the tiny LCD which was used as a distance meter and aperture display screen. This is a welcome change if you ask me, as it’s one less electronic part to have to worry about sourcing in case of damage.

In performance, I quite liked the way the autofocus worked on the new lens. It was a little zippier to focus on players, and especially useful to track them when they darted around the court. I also was able to see a good improvement when sometimes it lost focus due to a player crossing someone in the frame, but it quickly recovered to grab focus on the original player again. Definitely usable improvements in the focus for photography, but not far from the great AF speeds that V1 has and is still capable of.

Image Quality Update: June 2026

There’s almost no sharpness improvement at lower ISOs even you pixel peep. In low light / high ISO scenarios you might see it having a slight advantage. I’m saying this with conviction because I shot both lenses side by side that evening. The images seen below have no editing done to them.