There's a particular kind of trust involved when a company loans you equipment worth several thousand pounds and then watches the dates shift — once, twice, more. MPB did exactly that, arranging a long-term loan of the Nikkor Z 70-200mm F/2.8 VR S and the Nikkor Z 14-24mm F/2.8 S without complaint as my schedule moved around them. That patience deserved a proper test in return.
At the time, I was running a hybrid setup — the Nikon Z7ii for mirrorless work alongside the D850, which I'll go on record as one of the finest cameras I've ever used. The D850 had been through enough to show it, and the mirrorless transition was already underway. What I hadn't committed to were the lenses. My Z-mount experience up to that point had been limited to the 24-70mm F/4 and 85mm F/1.8 — capable, but not the glass that would decide anything.
The 70-200mm and 14-24mm would do that. To give both a fair test, I left my usual kit at home — the Nikkor 70-200mm F/2.8 VR II, Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8, and Samyang 8mm fisheye — and committed entirely to the loaned lenses across a run of shoots that covered rather more ground than anticipated.
Those shoots took in Bellavia Aviation Services in Greece, hoisting operations with the United States Coast Guard in San Francisco, a visit to PJ Helicopters, and the Denver Police Department Air Support Unit in temperatures that had no business being as low as they were. Helicopter interiors, hangar work, ground-to-air, air-to-air. The full range.
First impressions of both lenses, before getting into the specifics: lighter than their DSLR counterparts, but not in a way that reads as cheap. Both have a solid, well-damped feel that balances well on the Z7ii, and both feature the OLED information display panel that I'll admit appeals more aesthetically than practically. Travelling carry-on only across multiple countries, the weight saving over equivalent F-mount glass was noticeable — and appreciated.
The detailed assessments of each lens follow separately. The short version: one came home with me. The other didn't.