Robert G Allen Photography takes delivery of Nikon’s professional zoom trinity of lenses

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Robert G Allen Photography recently took delivery of Nikon’s professional zoom trio or as I like to call these 3 lenses, Nikon’s Holey Trinity.

I will be posting sample photos as I get more usage out of these 3 premium lenses. In the meantime, here are a few sample images from a recent event assignment:

Nikon Z6II with the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens

Here is Nikon’s original press release for the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens:

The much anticipated NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S is the shortest and lightest full-frame zoom lens of its kind, offering unique user benefits and incredible rendering capabilities across the wide zoom range. Joining the previously announced NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lenses, this lens completes the trinity of coveted fast aperture Z series zooms. The 14-24mm is a versatile lens that proves the optical superiority of the Nikon Z mount, producing excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, minimal distortion and exceptional photo and video capabilities for creators. The new optical design allows for a significantly shorter lens that is nearly 35 percent lighter than its predecessor, the popular AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8, making this lightweight lens ideal for a trek into the field. Meanwhile, its wide-angle zoom range offers video content creators a new option for capturing tack-sharp establishing shots, interiors or POV angles. 

The NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens is engineered to deliver unrivaled optical excellence and maximum usability. This thoroughly modernized lens design features a nearly flat front lens element, which allows the attachment of a threaded filter to the included additional lens hood (HB-97). This design provides users the ability to attach a Neutral density (ND) filter, as well as the new Neutral Color NC Filter 112mm or Circular Polarizing Filter II 112mm3, while a rear filter holder also accepts a trimmable filter gel. With the option to easily use multiple filter types, users can capture epic landscapes with greater versatility and flexibility in more lighting conditions than ever before. An excellent choice for photographing stunning night-time views, the 14-24mm lens delivers amazing low-light performance with a constant f/2.8 aperture and stellar point light reproduction capabilities that suppress sagittal coma and flare for tack-sharp stars and city lights. 

The NIKKOR Z 14-24mm combines a robust design and reliable performance with custom controls, including a customizable one-touch shortcut button, EL Display panel and custom control ring, making controls and settings convenient and accessible. The optical formula includes four ED lens elements, helping to control chromatic aberrations, and capture fine details, including colors and lines, with consistent accuracy – a true benefit to those shooting interiors and architecture. Additionally, flare, ghosting and coma are suppressed, even with harsh backlight, thanks to the lens’ Nano Crystal Coat (N) and anti-reflective ARNEO Coat, while its robust fluorine coating and extensive weather sealing allow Nikon Z series users to shoot confidently in rugged and unpredictable environments. As an added benefit to videographers, the lens also features an electro-magnetic diaphragm, to help maintain smooth exposures as light changes.

Nikon Z6II with the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens

Here is Nikon’s original press release for the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens:

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S builds on a century of Nikon optical heritage by harnessing the technical advantages of the Z Mount. This type of lens is known as a photographer favorite due to its versatility, useful zoom range, fast aperture and sharpness. Nikon was able to redesign this all-around zoom lens to achieve a new standard of performance, while making it both smaller and lighter—approximately 24.7% lighter and 18.4% shorter than the popular AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens.

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S takes advantage of the latest optical technologies to ensure exceptional control of aberration, ghosting and flare. Featuring an optical construction of 17 elements in 15 groups—including two ED glass elements and four aspherical elements—the lens delivers sharp, virtually vignette-free performance from edge-to-edge across its entire zoom range, even at maximum aperture.

Additionally, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is the first NIKKOR lens to feature Nikon’s all-new ARNEO coating: a multi-layer coating that is used in conjunction with Nano Crystal Coating for superior anti-reflective performance. While Nano Crystal Coat suppresses ghosting and flare coming from backlight at diagonal angles, the ARNEO coat compensates for light entering the lens from vertical angles. This expanded field enables the lens to capture exceptional contrast and sharpness even when the light source is visible inside the frame.

To help ensure fast, accurate and silent autofocus, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S combines a powerful stepping motor (STM) with Nikon’s new Multi-Focus System. This system uses two actuators to move two focus groups at once, enabling the lens to achieve critical focus rapidly from nearly any distance, including close-up shooting.

The 24-70mm f/2.8 S is the most customizable NIKKOR Z lens yet. The lens features an Organic EL Lens Information Panel that allows for quick confirmation of aperture and focal length or focus distance and depth-of-field without looking at the viewfinder. For enhanced versatility, the addition of a L-Fn button allows you to set over 20 custom functions when shooting stills. The lens is also the first to feature an independent focus ring in addition to the customizable control ring found on all S-Line lenses, giving professional photographers and videographers more comfortable and convenient control over their shooting experience.

Finally, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S was designed to excel at video in addition to stills capture, taking full advantage of the industry-leading video features found in the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7. Its design minimizes focus breathing, preventing the angle of view from changing when the focus is adjusted; the stepping motor and Multi-Focus System ensure fast, accurate and quiet focusing; full compatibility with the built-in 5-axis VR of the Nikon Z System ensures users can capture super-smooth video hand-held; and the customizable control ring, independent focus ring and Organic EL panel give filmmakers even more control over this exceptional lens on-set.

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is destined to be an instant classic—a must-own lens for Nikon Z Series creators of all types.

Nikon Z6II with the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens

Here is Nikon’s original press release for the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens:

As part of the S-Line series of NIKKOR Z lenses, the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S is a telephoto zoom lens that covers the 70 mm to 200 mm range of focal lengths with a constant fast maximum aperture of f/2.8 throughout that range. This telephoto zoom lens supports the shortest*1 minimum focus distance in its class at the maximum wide-angle position — just 0.5 m, and is the first NIKKOR lens for interchangeable-lens cameras to achieve camera shake compensation equivalent to a 5.5-stop*2 increase in shutter speed.

With the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, photographers will be able to capture images that are incredibly sharp and clear, not only at the center of the frame but all the way to the extreme edges, regardless of the shooting distance. Whether photographing portraits, landscapes, or wildlife scenes, the finest details of the scene or subject are faithfully rendered. In addition to the agility of the zoom lens, the compressed perspective of mid-range telephoto positions and a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range expand users' creative expression.

The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S optics are constructed using one short-wavelength refractive (SR), one fluorite, six ED, and two aspherical lens elements that work together to realize the incredible optical performance. The lens is also equipped with a multi-focusing system*3 that not only achieves fast and precise AF control, but also contributes to a significant increase in optical performance for shooting at short distances. These ensure the capture of images which exhibit superior sharpness and detail while reducing various types of aberration, even for shooting at close distances. In addition, the adoption of Nikon's exclusive anti-reflection coatings, Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat, effectively reduces the ghost and flare generated by incident light, resulting in incredibly sharp and clear images even when a light source is included in the frame.

Nikon also continues to pursue greater ease of use for photographers with the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, not only for still-image photography but also for movie recording. Movies recorded using the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S not only exhibit the same outstanding resolving power of still-image photography, but also the adoption of a stepping motor (STM) for AF drive further realizes an even quieter AF operation. The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S also compensates for changes in focus that occur with zooming and focus breathing, with which the angle of view changes as focus is adjusted, allowing users to concentrate on shooting without worrying that the sound of lens drive operation will be included in the audio, that focus on the primary subject will be lost with zooming, or that the angle of view will change with focusing. Furthermore, the lens is also equipped with the control ring common to all NIKKOR Z lenses, which enables the recording of natural looking movies with smooth adjustment of the aperture, ISO sensitivity, or exposure compensation setting.

The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S makes the most of the advantages of the Nikon Z mount system's large-diameter mount and short flange focal distance. With the adoption of one fluorite and one newly developed SR lens element, it achieves both superior optical performance and agility. In addition, the lens was designed with dust and drip resistance in mind and components made of a magnesium alloy have also been adopted for added protection. Equipped with these features, the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S caters to the creative intent of a wide variety of photographers by greatly expanding the possibilities for imaging expression with both still-image photography and movie recording.