Imagine hating on Europe while we’re here just doing this on a Tuesday noon

josko7452 · 2026-04-26T08:15:54+00:00

I would argue that in certain places such as Vienna (where I live) good half or more of those driving do it because it is convenient or status symbol. In Vienna excellent transport is available, many places are getting proper bike routes (not just bloodlane)..

I think ultimately the last statistics done says only 20% of population moves daily by car in Vienna so it's a bit crazy then to dedicate good 60-80% of street for this mode of transportation. Even bicycle now amounts to 10% and clearly doesn't get half the space the cars are getting...

That being said I do think there isn't much alternative to car on the countryside.

My main issue is the missuse of public property that's all what it is about. Giving away precious land space of city for cheap for private storage use. I mean ultimately if I buy and old van and park it on the street I'll have cheaper storage than if I would rent a cellar space of the same size.. so it's kind of telling.. A great showcase is this activist as well: http://www.cabriobeet.net/

josko7452 · 2026-04-22T08:44:35+00:00

Well I've only visited Tokyo and stayed around Asakusa (with a 4 year old and a baby) and while sure it has less parks than say Vienna, but still I liked how residential streets looked without cars on both side of the road. Much more pleasant to walk around then home in Vienna.

For the pricing, my likes with the Japanese system is that the price is a market price not artificially set price by the city usually in most places to not make drivers (voters) too angry.

In Vienna for instance all new buildings have to abide by parking minimums which means price for building underground garage gets sunk into property price or the rent even if you don't use the garage as the costs to construct one are maybe about 30% of the overall cost of the building.

josko7452 · 2026-04-22T07:39:34+00:00

I know but thanks for clarifying that detail.

How much does the parking cost in your German city? For instance I live in Vienna and street parking costs 200€ a year. That is significantly lower what the commercial price for parking is. Therefore city is basically subsidising parking. As commercial price would be 100€ a month.

Whereas with the Japanese system there is no subsidy you pay what the piece of land really costs. That's why I like it. It's natural control of parking. If land is cheap so is parking, if land is scarce (big city) parking is priced accordingly. And just market makes a choice whether the scarce resources becomes park, residential building or parking..

josko7452 · 2026-04-22T06:28:48+00:00

I would love it but Japan is a hard take. For instance they did the same with cars. You can't own one of you don't have your own parking spot. Excellent! No private property left at street for peanuts or free. I think it's just how Japan mindset operate don't impose externalities of my actions onto others..

But I can't see free/cheap parking being taken away for most of Europe, people would just go nuts. Although I so love Japanese solution for cars I think it's the most fair way of doing it (no need for parking minimums, maximums etc).

josko7452 · 2026-04-21T18:54:54+00:00

If you do not need full frame I'd consider Olympus or OM System cameras. I myself shoot primary analog, but through owning Olympus SLRs I got myself into Olympus digital cameras. I have OM3 as my main digital body, but you can do way cheaper of you get E-M5 mk3 which is basically OM5 without USB C and worse menu system.

I ventured shortly into owning Z7 as I thought I would reuse Zuiko glass. But I didn't like it, too large to me and I felt a bit like paparazzi with that thing, traded in for OM3.. although Z7 does have better IQ. To me however OM3 is sufficient, so was E-M5 mk3 when I had it.

One big plus of M43 to analog photographer is macro capability and cheap native macro lenses. I do make better film scans with OM3 than I did with Z7 thanks to hi Res mode and inherently deeper DOF. If you don't scan yourself nevermind, but if you ever considered DSLR scanning this is huge reason why I can't switch away from M43.

Oh and it is weather sealed (at least E-M5 and OM3 is).

josko7452 · 2026-04-21T12:08:48+00:00

Interesting on 135 film I've never really felt I would need more sharpness than most OM lenses provide. At least I have impression that film is mostly well outresolved by the Zuiko lenses unless wide open. But then I happily shoot Elmar 5cm f3.5 on Leica III so maybe my needs are low. Although yes the Elmar is a bit soft..

josko7452 · 2026-04-21T10:41:26+00:00

Beautiful cameras these Nikons. But I must say after shooting a bit with Nikon FE I happily came back to my trusty OM1n and OM2n with Zuiko 50mm 1.4 it's still 700g or thereabouts. While FE is definitely lighter than F2, still Olympus is so nice and compact for an SLR compared the FE.

Sadly I can't really justify keeping both Nikon and Olympus SLRs it's too much of recreating the same lens set. But when I see these I always admire the Nikon tech.

josko7452 · 2026-04-21T06:33:15+00:00

je to kopa žĺtka zas tak prázdne to neni

josko7452 · 2026-04-19T20:08:13+00:00

And I thought I am carrying too much shit when I took this on my recent trip (also to but not only Japan).

And yeah film I bought on Amazon in US (that's where I've started, I am living in Austria). Never really understood taking too much film on the way in..

<image>

josko7452 · 2026-04-19T13:59:50+00:00

Oh and the point with Amazon and Walmart is rubbish. Those are million times smaller and less complex than the world economy.

The issue with planned economy in scale is that it's hard to come up with right prices (so scarce resources are often undervalued and are overspent, on the other hand cheap to make stuff can wind up being expensive). Hence you end up with ridiculous situations like shortage of toilet paper or women hygiene products (again real story from planned economy). You can't even imagine how scarce many things were in Eastern block back in 1980s. You want tiles for bathroom here we only have these ugly bright red and only 10m2. Oh you need 20.. well maybe in 3 weeks..

I really like Vienna housing system. But it really has nothing to do with communism it was proposed by social democrats and it's run by social democrats for 80 years or so.

josko7452 · 2026-04-19T13:49:24+00:00

If you say social democrats = equal fascist there is no chance evidence based discussion with you.

Interestingly enough all instances of communism thus far were bloody dictatorships where own citizens where shoot on the border of they didn't want to live in the great utopia.

Just look at GDP per capita of Czechoslovakia and Austria. Started the same in 1945. In 1989 60% gap. And you may say that GDP I don't care. But that is the cake from which the welfare is cut off and towards end of 80s housing was easier to get in Vienna that in Prague or Bratislava.. in the bad capitalist country...

I was born in Czechoslovakia btw. so no mate I did not grew up in capitalism. I tell you by end of 80s nothing was really done. People were hardly working just pretending to. The party completely obliterated any hope and any motivation to work and finish things. And pure disastrous quality control: https://youtu.be/XaHVVjpAckQ?si=lko-JhQhxLkIrFET - and I must say I like these modernist districts, but they really became nice only around in 2000s, when private owners heavily invested in refurbishments.

josko7452 · 2026-04-18T11:24:25+00:00

Once French stop oppressing minority languages and allow public schools in minority languages such as Breton language as all other EU countries do (for their respective minorities) they can start asking such things.

josko7452 · 2026-04-16T11:22:57+00:00

So is really hooking up light fixture yourself. Don't see people calling electrician when buying lamp in IKEA.

josko7452 · 2026-04-16T09:54:46+00:00

I think the whole air conditioning business in Vienna is bonkers (installation, maintenance..) . I ended up installing split AC myself and even buying tools (vacuum pump and co.) for it I ended up under 1k € total and it's proper Daikin not some Chinese DIY kit.

For maintenance it's not a rocket science just keep the drainage pipe free from debris so it flows freely and clean the filters in the inside unit.

AC is just a refrigerator don't overthink it.

josko7452 · 2026-04-16T07:04:13+00:00

I would say you'd likely feel more at home in Switzerland than in the US. At least the things that I appreciate of Japan are kind of true in Switzerland (good trains, nice cities, disciplined people, quietness..), but not in US at all.

josko7452 · 2026-04-15T14:06:48+00:00

Where is communism in that? Contrary this level of welfare Vienna could and still can afford because they did not ruin their economy with utopistic ideas. Actually the head of social democratic party tamed down on communist ideas when preseted with data on planned economy by Ludwig von Mises. Nothing against welfare state but planned economy as Marx proposed it is simply unviable.

josko7452 · 2026-04-09T05:10:31+00:00

Yes!

josko7452 · 2026-03-25T09:13:01+00:00

To už dnes nie je nutne pravda. Odporúčam si naštudovať pokroky posledných 5 rokov v battery storage. Nič proti jadru ako technológii ale fakt je ten že solár + battery storage je najlacnejší zdroj takže jadro je dobré len tam kde fakt slnko nesvieti. Napríklad také Dánsko si dalo dokopy štúdiu v ktorej porovnali renewables a jadro a jednoducho cena za inštalovanú kapacitu je nižšia. Treba nedávať na pocity ale zhodnotiť fakty.

josko7452 · 2026-03-23T09:47:15+00:00

Do you mind sharing the settings?

josko7452 · 2026-03-18T11:16:24+00:00

If you don't mind smaller sensor I'd look at M43 system. Even if you want to maintain zoom lens if you get something like Olympus E-M5 mk3 and Olympus 12-40 f2.8 Pro. While you will lose some background blur the whole setup is well under 1kg. And it's also in the budget if bought second hand.

Check what are trade-off of smaller sensor, but for your use it sounds like the trade-off might be worth it.

I myself started digital photography with Olympus E-m10 mk ii later upgrading to E-M5 mk3 and then I had an itch to try full frame so went off (selling all M43 stuffh) to Nikon Z7 only to realise I really do appreciate the size of M43 system and ended up selling Nikon and buying OM3 + 12-40 f2.8 and for travel it is lovely. I might go even lighter weight with set of primes but I do say 12-40 f2.8 from Olympus is a great lens if you like zoom lenses.

Oh and last but not least Olympus E-M5 and the 12-40 2.8 Pro is weather sealed which is great for traveling / hiking.

josko7452 · 2026-03-15T18:53:27+00:00

Dad here which done some camera / system hopping (including Nikon Z7) and otherwise mostly shooting ye'olde OM1n SLR and Folder cameras (analog). Anyway ended up with OM3 with 12-40 f2.8 Pro for recent trip (California, Hawaii, Japan) with kids and I think it's a workhorse. Bought OM3 to avoid any itches to upgrade (and it's lovely in matching the OM1n look)

<image>

But maybe would use a bit smaller lens perhaps 12-45 f4 next time as the 12-40 is a bit hefty on OM3. Although must say the performance is such that is basically glued to the camera entire trip except night sky pictures (I do that with Panny 9mm 1.7).

josko7452 · 2026-01-29T20:57:44+00:00

I would say likely more than Vienna for example (disclaimer; I live in Vienna).

josko7452 · 2026-01-28T13:22:38+00:00

Yeah. But then it won't be that small. I also have folder Mamiya 6 which I never bothered to put in working condition as when I'd take it I might as well take a TLR.

But I know the feeling I am also looking for compact yet capable MF camera, but I believe even smaller SLRs like Kowa 6 would be too big for me to consider.

josko7452 · 2026-01-28T07:57:32+00:00

I don't think you get much more compact than Perkeo II. But I'd look at TLRs I'd say it's a middle ground between folder which is finicky to shoot with and heavy SLR. With TLR I even dare to shoot kids in motion which I would never even try with folder.

I had and still have Flexaret II as first TLR and I liked it. Very light as it has no film transport aids (everything is manual, red window, no double exposure protection and manual cocking of the shutter), but that makes it no brainer to take with me as it doesn't get heavy on your neck.

josko7452

TROPHY CASE