Inspiring next lens (for trip to Vietnam)

Dave Sanders wrote:

One of the most rewarding days of photography I've ever had was on a trip to Turkey in 2007. I was shooting a Canon XTi APS-C for the trip. I had a 10-22 UWA, 50/1.4 and 85/1.8 in my bag. I was in Istanbul and positively taken with the crowded rush of the city and the layers upon layers of imagery. I was shooting with the 10-22 and just not getting anything I was particularly pleased with. I said "Eff this" and put on my 85 and left it on, around f/4 I think. For the next 4 hours or so I was happily working with a 135mm FOV as a walkaround and took some of the best photos of the trip, focusing on details, portraits, layered street scenes, etc. I finally felt as if I was beginning to capture the city as I was feeling it...or 'seeing' it, if you will. The compression effect of using a telephoto and focusing on isolating details really brought out what I was seeing and feeling around me.

Personally, I can't function without a mid telephoto. I had a similar experience on a recent trip to Berlin; my photos weren't conveying the sense of Berlin that I was getting. Put my 50/1.8G on my D2X (75mm FOV) and left my bag at home...didn't take it off for the final two or three days and got my most pleasing photos. I'm a telephoto guy. I've tried my best with UWA, including the outstanding Nikon 14-24. I just don't think I see the world that broadly.

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Dave Sanders