As per my last blog, I spent three weeks traveling in Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan during Christmas and New Year’s Eve 2025/2026. I brought a Nikon Zf and two lenses, but I discovered I only used one lens for the whole trip.

The lens that never left my camera, was the Nikkor Z 28 mm f/2.8 (SE). Why this lens?

Coming from the Fuji system, I mainly shot the 23 f/2 that is about 35 mm field of view when «converted» to full frame equivalent. So I’m mostly used to shooting 35. That was my go to lens when I shot film back in the day. On my Bessa R2 Olive, I had a Voigtlander Ultron 35 F/1.7 (the early LTM / screw mount).

I can’t point to one factor or reason alone and say «there! This is the reason I went with 28 mm». Most likely it is because it felt more natural in the moment. Most cities in Asian countries I’ve been to, is very bustling. Lots of people everywhere, lots of cars and motor bikes. A 35 mm is wide, but not wide enough to capture the whole scene.

Sure! I could do the old «zoom with your feet trick». I didn’t feel I had much room to move about in Vietnam. The pavement is not large enough to use most times (it is filled up with mopeds and other stuff), and the traffic in the street is pretty intense.

The 28 mm gave me much more room to capture more stuff, to layer more complex images.

Here are a few pictures I shot in Saigon / Ho Chi Min City:

Here are a few pictures I shot in Hanoi:

Here are a few images I shot in Ha Long Bay:

I didn’t shoot many pictures on my trip to Ha Long Bay. It was a mistake booking the tour that we did. It was too busy, and we were shipped from activity to activity without any break. It was exhausting. Well, you live and learn.