Observer Of Time

The last time I visited Hanoi was back in 2017. I have got to say a lot has changed. However, many things have stayed the same, especially the bustle of the streets and the super tasty Vietnamese food.

This trip I decided to bring a kit. It consists of the Leica M10P and 3 lenses. The wide lens is a MS OPTICS 28mm f2. The standard lens is a 50mm f3.5 Canon Serena LTM and the mid tel is a 90mm f4 Leica Elmar LTM.

Previously, I visited with only the Leica iiig and a summaron 35. I had one camera, one lens, and a significant amount of tri x 400 and arista edu 400. Fast forward 7 years. Now, with a busier schedule, I no longer have the time to enjoy the process of developing my own film. But boy oh boy do I miss that shooting process. To envision a scene only to view and appreciate the outcome a few weeks later.

The Leica M10P is a rangefinder like the iiig. However, it proved to be a rather different shooting experience. I attribute this largely to the lack of a rewinding mechanism. The presence of the LCD screen is also a factor.

While shooting the M10P, I often felt the urge to review the shot. I had to resist this urge after each click of the shutter. Moments that I usually spend observing the surroundings while cocking the shutter on the iiig now becomes a heads down photo checking waste of time. Would I have gotten better or different photos should I have brought the iiig? Hmmm maybe? But that’s something I will never know.

Bringing 3 lenses did give me options. However, I found myself sticking to one lens per location. I only changed lenses when I was transitioning from one place to another. I do find it a hassle to change the framing in my mind constantly.

During the trip, I found myself gravitating towards the 50mm lens. It was refreshing because I have been a 35mm shooter for the longest time. F3.5 is by no means fast. It does come with its limitations once the sun starts to set. I wanted to capture moments with the environment. A shallower depth of field was not my goal while documenting this trip.

The 28mm was also very frequently used. The compactness made it rather stealthy and non intrusive allowing me to get up close and personal with my subjects. One of the fun in using this focal length is the ease of zone focusing. Being able to estimate distances and nailing focus is an absolute joy.

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