NZPhotographer Issue 59, September 2022

ideal for long hikes over rough terrain, carrying heavy
loads.
Many camera-specific backpacks are not adequate
for carrying a large tripod. Quite often, the straps are
in the middle of the backpack and make for a very
unbalanced transit of a tripod so far away from your
back. The side straps on this backpack securely hold
even the largest of tripods.
WHAT’S IN THE BAG?
My Nikon D850 is the landscape photographer’s
workhorse. The D850 is the third 800 series camera that
I’ve owned, after a D800E, and a D810. Moving from
the D810 to the D850, the feature I found really made
a difference was the tilting touch screen. I didn’t think
I needed this, but it’s amazing for shooting low-angle
shots, where otherwise you’d be struggling to look
through the viewfinder, as I do still prefer to look
through the viewfinder. The touch screen features are
also great with the ability to focus anywhere within the
image and use the live view autofocus system which is
quick and effective.
Over the past two years, I’ve spent a lot of time
shooting with the mirrorless Nikon Z7. This is an
astonishing camera, and I love some of the new live
view features and image stabilisation. Also, combined
with the Z series lenses, it’s a much more compact
setup for landscape photography. Having said that,
I do still prefer the use of an optical viewfinder when
composing an image. I also prefer the slightly larger
ergonomics of the larger DSLR-type camera. When
used correctly, I don’t think there’s anything to set the
Z7 and the D850 apart in terms of image quality.
NZPhotographer
September 2022
57