Hi Max,

This is one of the very first pictures I took of NGC7000 with an unmodified DSLR from Bortle 8/9 skies. (Below)
Mohamed chose the most featureless part of the nebula with a long focal length, that's one reason why it doesn't show much.
That is why Jerry and I suggested to focus on a more feature-rich region, like the Wall or the Neck of the Pelican. There is more contrast in that region and that would help him to fine-tune.

Actually, with such a long focal length, I would suggest going for the Ring Nebula. Very bright, very colorful, perfect unmodded DSLR target at that magnification.