Camperdown Cemetery with the Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm/1:0.95 and Panasonic GX9

This is the seventh of a series of articles showcasing pictures taken on the Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm/1:0.95. These pictures were taken at historic Camperdown Cemetery near Newtown.

Camperdown Cemetery is an “oasis” in a densely built-up area.

Established	1848
Location	Newtown, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Type	Closed
Size	4 acres (1.6 ha)
No. of graves	18,000

According to Wikipedia, Camperdown Cemetery is an historic cemetery located on Church Street in Newtown, an inner-city suburb of Sydney. The cemetery was founded in 1848 and was for twenty years the main general cemetery for Sydney, with the total number of burials being about 18,000. Many people who were important to the early history of colonial Australia are buried there. It is the only one of Sydney’s three main early cemeteries that still exists.

As well as historic monuments, the cemetery also preserves important elements of landscape gardening of the mid-19th century, and examples of native flora, which are now rare in the built-up inner city. St Stephen’s Anglican Church is located within the present bounds of the cemetery. The site, with St Stephen’s Church, is listed by the Heritage Council of New South Wales and the National Register as a site of national importance.

Camperdown Cemetery is associated with numerous sensational stories, several reputed ghosts and a murder. It is used regularly for historical and genealogical research. Because of its historical importance and convenient location, it is also a venue for excursions by schools and historical societies. Camperdown Cemetery is valued by the residents of Newtown as providing a major green space located in the immediate vicinity of a busy commercial centre. In a densely populated area of small terrace houses without substantial gardens, the cemetery functions as a recreational area and a venue for many family and social activities.

I visited the cemetery after the Newtown Record Fair with the GX9 and Nokton 17.5mm to try out the lens to see how well it captures colour detail in a mixed light situation.

The lens performs reasonably well, but not spectacular, in this environment. Overall, I wasn’t too displeased with the end result, but I know I have taken better photos with different equipment.

For more information on the Heliar 17.5mm lens, check out my initial impressions article and other articles in the series: