Nikon discontinues first-generation Z 24-70mm and 70-200mm zooms

Nikon has moved its first-wave Z-mount pro zooms into discontinued status, and that changes the buying decision right away. The original Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S are now officially out of production, even though some retailers still have stock on hand. For photographers eyeing either lens, the message is clear: buy remaining inventory now, wait for the newer replacements, or watch the used market before prices settle.

The timing tells the story of Nikon’s mirrorless roadmap. Nikon introduced the original 24-70mm f/2.8 S on February 14, 2019, then followed with the original 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S on January 7, 2020. Both lenses quickly became core pieces of the Z system for event, portrait, and general assignment work, but Nikon has already shifted to second-generation versions. The Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II arrived on August 22, 2025, and the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II followed on February 24, 2026.

Those replacements are not minor refreshes. Nikon says the 24-70mm f/2.8 S II weighs about 675 g, making it the lightest 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom in its class, and it is the first zoom lens to use Nikon’s SSVCM autofocus system. Nikon also says the lens uses an internal zoom mechanism and was built around faster, more reliable handling. The 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II weighs 998 g, which Nikon says is about 26% lighter than the original version, and it uses a revised internal zoom design with autofocus that is roughly 3.5 times faster and tracking during zooming that is about 40% better.

That upgrade path explains why the original lenses are being phased out now. B&H Photo Video still showed the older 24-70mm and 70-200mm models as available in inventory or clearance listings while also carrying the Mark II versions, which is exactly the kind of transition phase buyers should expect. The originals are moving out of new-retail territory and into the realm where used pricing, dealer cleanup, and remaining stock start to matter more than launch specs.

For anyone building a Z kit, this is the moment to decide whether the older lenses are still the right buy or whether the newer designs justify the wait. The disappearance of Nikon’s first-generation 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms is more than a product cull. It is Nikon drawing a line between the first chapter of Z pro glass and the next one.