TDCN

Hi everyone. Sorry for a long post, but I'm looking for various input related to buying a camera, so feel free to just comment on any small bit of it if you feel like it. I don't expect answers to it all, but I'm just so exited to get back into photography after a long break.

The trigger for reviving my passion is that I'm planning a trip to Tokyo this fall 2026. I want to buy a really good camera for the trip to capture everything and finally get back into taking good photos.

I used to own a DSLR Nikon D5200 back in 2013, but over the years I completely stopped using it because it was just too big and bulky to carry so i sold it 2 years ago after not using it for 4 years before that.

Priorities

That's why i for this trip I want something that is much more compact and cameras have come a long way since 2013. My absolute top priority is size. If the camera isn't small and easy to carry, I know that I just simply won't use it enough. Ideally it should almost as easy to bring as my phone.

My next few priorities after size are as follows.

1. Interchangeable lenses
2. Excellent video capabilities
3. Good low light performance
4. 20-55 mm ish standard lens option to get started
5. Everything else just needs to be reasonably well balanced
6. An option for 35mm pancake lens for super compact mode. This is a nice to have addition and the price of it is on top of my budget mentioned below.
7. Full frame is nice, but i also have to be realistic if i want a super compact body.

What I mean about wanting a camera that is reasonable well balanced is that most cameras are in my opinion pretty good these days so I'll listen to your recommendations to maximize a balanced performance within my budget. I was happy with the performance of my D5200 so it's a good benchmark and should be easy to beat i think.

Where to buy and budget

I consider buying a camera when i first get to Tokyo since prices seems a bit lower there but i don't know for sure yet if that is a good idea so if you have experience there I'd love to hear.

My budget is around 200,000 yen (~1100€) including a decent starter lens. Maybe a bit more if needed or for an additional lens option.

Also if anyone knows of special deals, good Japan-only bundles, or used gear markets that i should consider then I'd love to hear, but it should be pretty easy to get on the first day in Tokyo if it's not the same price here in EU anyway.

Additional info:

For the trip we currently just have our phones which are an iPhone 16 Pro and a Google Pixel 5a 5G that both take pretty decent casual photos. The camera I'm looking for doesn’t need to replace that, but needs to offer significantly better image and video quality.

I really liked the interface on my Nikon and from what I've tried so far, I’m not a big fan of Canon’s interface. No idea about olympus, panasonic etc. never tried them.

Other questions

Does anyone know if there are any language limitations in the camera firmware when buying in Japan? (e.g., Japanese-only menus) ore are there any other region-locked features or restrictions compared to EU models?

I hope to get some input to find the right camera. There are so many options and i feel like it's easy to go waaay over budget for not that much more.

... Or not... I need help with a sanity check.

Tl;dr. Yes it is expensive but is it actually a good grinder?

I'm so ready to pull the trigger for a buy once, cry once, purchase decision for a new grinder and i have been looking for a solidly build, European made, all purpose coffee grinder to replace my ageing Nivona Cafe Grano 130 (aka Capresso Infinity)

I have been looking around a lot and in a previous post where I asked about this Eurika was suggested and it feels like the best option for me among the bunch.

But this is a lot of money so before buying I need to know if what I'm about to do isn't completely stupid.

I want a single dose grinder with low retention since i change beans and brew method frequently. I love to experiment with all roast types so the grinder should be able to have some good all purpose burrs. I don't intent to have multiple burr sets or multiple grinders. I just want one that can do everything to a decent level (no perfectionism needed) and the grinder should last me a lifetime if possible.

I mainly brew with 3 methods. French press, pour over, and moka pot. I occasionally dabble with Turkish coffee but I have always just purchased pre ground for that but a grinder that can go towards that is interesting but not strictly necessary.

I have no need for espresso grind levels at the moment but since this is a by once grinder who's to say I won't own a small espresso machine in 5 years, so not needing to buy a new grinder for that is appealing.

The main reason i want to upgrade is the fact that my current grinder produces very uneven grinds with a lot of fines and some coarse bits at the same time making my French press bitter and my pour over and moka pot clog up easily. Tbh. I find the unevenness on par with a good blade grinder. Lighter roast coffees works the best but the uneven grind makes for what I feel is under extraction since it lacks sweetness even though I grind relatively fine, long brew time and high temps. I would love to get more clarity out of my beans and taste the more fruitier and sweeter notes. Darker roasts just turn bitter and muddy no matter what i do.

With those needs in place I narrowed it down to the Eurika mignon single dose pro or the mignon zero 65 all purpose which quite a lot cheaper.

The Pro is interesting to me because of the new type burrs that should last forever and the exceptionality low retention. It should also have an antistatic system.

Only downside I can find myself is the very small hopper of 45g. For daily use i grind only 30g of coffee for my French press which is fine, but when i have guests i pull out the big boy brewer where i need to grind 60g - 80g. It is rare i need it and tbh. i can easily live with just grinding 2 times.

So please help me out. Should I just go cry and buy the mignon zero pro or is the mignon zero 65 All purpose just as good or, have i missed some other grinder where the value is much better and my money better spent.

Thank you.

She just loves playing fetch.

Fandt en tilfældig tom indmurings dåse i vægen under renovering... Og det er endda lavet af proffesionel elektriker for 40 år siden. Utrolig godt gemt, men nu er alle ude af dåsen!