Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon NIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S II

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AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G compared with NIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S II

	NikonAF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G	NikonNIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S II
Overview
Released
Released	June 2011	March 2026
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	50 mm	70–200 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/1.8	f/2.8
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/22
Optical construction
Optical construction	Seven elements in six groups	18 elements in 16 groups; internal focusing
Special elements
Special elements	One aspherical element	One ED, one Super ED, two aspherical, one aspherical ED, one fluorite and one SR element
Coatings
Coatings	Super Integrated Coating	Meso Amorphous Coat and ARNEO Coat; front-element fluorine coating
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	f/1.8–16; no aperture ring	f/2.8–22 throughout zoom range
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Seven rounded blades	11 blades with rounded aperture
Angle of view
Angle of view	FX 47°; DX 31°30′	FX 34°20′–12°20′; DX 22°50′–8°
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Nikon F mount	Nikon Z mount
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Nikon F mount; full-frame/FX coverage, also usable on DX cameras. Built-in autofocus motor supports Nikon DSLRs without an in-body focus motor, as Photography Blog confirms	Native Nikon Z mount; full-frame FX image circle, also usable on DX cameras
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	–	Compatible with Z TELECONVERTER TC-1.4× and TC-2.0×
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.45 m	0.38 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.15×	0.3×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	No	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Silent Wave Motor with manual focus override	Silky Swift VCM multi-focusing drive
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Minimum 0.45 m; Photography Blog confirms the outer barrel's length stays unchanged and the filter thread does not rotate during focusing, while noting this is not a true internal-focus lens	Distances from focal plane; 0.38 m at 70/85 mm, 0.5 m at 105 mm, 0.6 m at 135 mm and 0.8 m at 200 mm
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	Maximum 0.15×; not a life-size macro lens	Maximum 0.3× at 70 mm or 0.25× at 200 mm; no separate AF/MF distinction published
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	No lens optical VR	Maker six-stop claim under CIPA2024 yaw/pitch/roll testing with Z6III, Synchro VR enabled, at telephoto end in Normal mode; support depends on camera
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	–	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	58 mm	77 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	72 mm	90 mm
Length
Length	52.5 mm	208 mm
Weight
Weight	185 g (better)	998 g
Controls
Controls	Manual focus ring, M/A–M switch and focus-distance window; Photography Blog notes depth-of-field markings for f/16 only and no focus limiter	AF/manual switch, programmable function controls and focus limiter FULL (infinity–0.38 m) or LIMIT (infinity–5 m); control-ring clicking requires compatible camera/firmware
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal zoom maintains barrel length and balance
Filter detail
Filter detail	58 mm screw-in filters	–
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Both reviews confirm a rubber seal at the metal mount. Broader barrel sealing is not established, so no general weather-resistance rating is assigned	Dust and drip resistance is not guaranteed in every situation
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	Approximately 72 mm maximum diameter × 52.5 mm length	Approximately 90 mm maximum diameter × 208 mm from mount flange
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 185 g according to Nikon; Photography Blog reports 187 g, which is not substituted for the maker figure	Approximately 998 g without tripod collar ring or 1180 g with it
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	–	Removable collar with Arca-Swiss screw-clamp foot; maker advises against lever clamps. Protective collar cover included.
Lens hood
Lens hood	HB-47 included	HB-119 with filter-adjustment window
In the box
In the box	LC-58 front cap, LF-4 rear cap, HB-47 bayonet hood and CL-1013 pouch	LC-77B front cap, LF-N1 rear cap, HB-119 hood and CL-C3 lens case; removable tripod collar and protective cover
Release detail
Release detail	Nikon USA's April 2011 announcement states 16 June availability. Earliest exact global and first UK day unconfirmed, so June precision retained. Photography Blog's URL includes DX and its image captions refer to 24mm, but the actual review tests this FX 50mm f/1.8G	US maker states late March 2026; exact earliest retail day or first UK day unconfirmed, so month precision retained