Rodney Campbell's Blog

For these images I’ve dropped in a Lee LittleStopper 6-Stop ND filter to drag out the exposure

The 6-Stop ND is a very handy filter which turns seconds into minutes – literally…  The exposure calculations are that easy. If the before (adding the filter) exposure is 2 seconds, the after is 2 minutes

Pier One

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 40 mm, 155 sec at f/8, ISO 64

In this first image it was still reasonably dark (facing away from the coming dawn). We have a 155 second exposure which has nicely smoothed the harbour waters. This city was also starting to be heavily shrouded in fog by this stage so it’s given the whole image this sort of mystical blur

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

In this second we’re pointing towards where the sun would rise and the clouds were putting on quite a show (unfortunately behind the buildings :))

Fire and Chrome

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 59 mm, 6 sec at f/8, ISO 64

I’d mentioned in my previous post that I’d finally taken my new Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens out for a “proper” landscape session. And that I’d taken some frames for a pre-sunrise wide stitched panorama of Sydney harbour. So here we have an eight (8) horizontal frame stitched panorama encompassing roughly 180˚ of view

Sydney Dawns

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 45 mm, 2.50 sec at f/9, ISO 64

On the left we have North Sydney with the sun about to rise behind the office towers. The Harbour Bridge of course with the Opera House peeking beneath. The Sydney CBD on the right with the new additions to the city skyline on the far right

On Sydney city’s western waterfront lies the new Barangaroo development with new office towers and the under construction tall spire on the right is the new hotel and casino

Here are two 100% crops from small portions of the above panorama. Even at this distance with a far bit of mist and fog muddying up the air (especially over the city) the sharpness and detail is pretty impressive

100% Crop

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 45 mm, 2.5 sec at f/9, ISO 64

100% Crop

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 45 mm, 2.5 sec at f/9, ISO 64

My first real “landscape” session with the new Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens

I was already planning for this to be my go to travel and walkaround all-in-one lens

However I’m also planning to replace my Nikon Z 24-70 f/4 lens with this lens in my typical landscape loadout in my camera bag. Primarily to give myself more reach, flexibility and options in the field. Whilst also removing the need to own/pack an additional (F-Mount at this stage) lens for a longer focal length (> 70mm) option

So I’m quite keen to see how the lens performs in a more typical landscape setting. So this is my first twilight & sunrise shoot in many months. It’s out with the tripod and my 100mm filter kit

I’ve taken the quick and easy option and headed down to Sydney harbour (Blues Point Reserve). It’s a lovely spot and there’s this little sandy beach with some nice rocks which becomes accessible next to the rock wall at low tide. What I hadn’t counted on was the whole area being blocked off due to construction for the new Metro line tunnelling under the harbour 🙁

I’d have to settle for shooting from on the reserve – alas no foreground options here. Thus I’d only be using the longer focal length options shooting over the water… so be it

Mystic Hanging

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 75 mm, 62 sec at f/8, ISO 64

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

No clouds (at least not in the direction of the city or Opera House) but quite a bit of fog around this morning again. Sydney’s been draped in fog each morning for quite a few days. Interestingly it’s mostly a light mist during twilight but got heavier after the sun started to rise

The pre dawn pastel colours were pretty nice though – with some nice red glow developing on the horizon

SOH Dreaming

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 120 mm, 5 sec at f/8, ISO 64

I also took frames for a very wide stitched panorama which I’ll post next, along with some 100% crops to see how this lens is performing

Cook Island Aquatic Reserve is located approximately 600m offshore from Fingal Head and 4 km south-east of Tweed Heads

The aquatic reserve consists of the waters around the island within a radius of 500 metres

Cooked

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/100 sec at f/4, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Cook Island Reserve

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/120 sec at f/4, ISO 100

Cook Island

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/500 sec at f/4, ISO 100 x 21 Frames

Looking down (well up) the coast towards Tweed Heads

Tweed

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/400 sec at f/4, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Flotilla

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/320 sec at f/4, ISO 100