A decidedly less whimsical aspect of gear acquisition syndrome . . .

Just as the photographic needs of people who use gear change over time, so do those of people who purvey such gear—and not always in a good way.

In most Western settings, a regular customer at the very least becomes a welcome sight in a shop, often over time getting preferential prices. While the “welcome sight” part may or may not be the case in many shops in southeast Asia, the rest of it is a flip side: often being taken for a sucker or easy mark after repeated purchases, especially those with Western faces like mine.

Here in the ant farm, there’s even a phrase for a trusting Westerner who gets the sh*t end of the deal: “He got his carrot chopped,” often voiced with a haughty chuckle. When one enters a shop understanding the foregoing, it’s easier to know when to call time on dealing with a particular purveyor.

Or, in this instance, two. During this short stay in the ant farm, the last two shops offering secondhand Leica that were previously thought to be trustworthy showed conclusively that they are not. Well, at least not where my patronage is concerned. Maybe local people can still trust them.

No problem, though. For any shop door that closes behind me in this part of the world, two more open in front of me. And maybe the people behind the open doors, at least for a visit or two, will be content to leave my carrot intact.

R7/RF 100-400mm . . .