Long before heading off to Mexico, I started thinking about what camera to bring. What lens (read: field of view) would suit it. And I mean all of it. The busy cities of CDMX and Oaxaca, the jungle of Palenque, the beaches and historical sights of Yucatán. No easy task.

So what should I pick? The trusty X100V, per usual, or perhaps the X-Pro3 with something a little more 'exotic,' something a little more daring, challenging, and, potentially, regrettable? Usually, a safe choice is a good choice in these cases. Traveling is taxing enough without having to think about stuff as boring as camera gear. Who cares what you take your picture with? Just take the damn thing and keep looking around. You're here now, ain't ya?

But I like a challenge. Need it on occasion. So after some period of trial (sans error, weirdly!) back home, I settled on the X-Pro3 with the XF50mm f2.0 as my main kit (which provides a 75mm full-frame equivalent field of view). Though with a 50USD 7Artisans 18mm f6.3 fixed aperture lens as a fall back. Mostly to make the package small enough to fit my Grams(28) 154 City Pack (excuse the jargon) without the bag bulking (I hate that), but also as an 'out' in case I'd need it. A very crappy 'out,' admittedly, because a fixed aperture body cap lens that makes images look like they're taken with a cheap point-and-shoot camera is not a good base for high-quality travel photography. But an out nonetheless (plus I don't hate the look of said point-and-shoots).

Yesterday I kept the 50mm on the camera most of the time. And I struggled. The world needs such a different way of seeing it from the 35/50mm field of view I'm used to. This morning, I found myself defaulting to the 18mm when leaving the hotel. Did I make a mistake by straying from the known path? Or are these growing pains that come with the challenge?