Things I recommend you buy and use #3

Reviving a tradition of recommending random affordable things that I have bought this year and didn't regret it (you can also see my older posts for 2021 and 2020).

Film camera

Last time I used a film camera (until this year) was 20 years ago. Then after watching more experienced friends starting to shoot on film, spending some time on Reddit and YouTube and reading a few articles, I also bought a cheap rangefinder which is about as old as I am.

It is difficult to put a finger on what exactly makes film photos feel different (which they do). Is it the fact you choose more carefully? Or is it the delayed gratification that is a rare treat these days? Or is it the element of surprise because no photo turns our exactly as planned?

Or maybe it is entirely in your head - but even if so, why should you fight it, after all, if it is enjoyable? And it really is!

If you want to try it yourself, I recommend you to start with a rangefinder camera as I did. Unlike basic point-and-shoot ones, most of them can produce a good quality picture and offer a decent degree of control so you feel involved and in charge. And unlike SLRs, most don't have interchangeable lenses so you don't get immediately sucked into thinking about that as well until you feel it's really necessary. There are also fewer things to go wrong with them, and old cameras are still widely available.

Don't worry if you don't have a lab nearby - they all take mail orders and online payments these days, so your choice is not limited to your specific town or area, and there are still labs around offering this service. In fact, this might be taking off in the same way as vinyl records did - this year two new film camera models (Pentax 17 and Rollei 35AF) were released for the first time in many years!

Nespresso coffee maker

I've been a long (long!) time fan of Bialetti stovetop coffee makers, until I bought a capsule machine this year.

Even though you can hardly call someone used to Bialetti brewed coffee an expert, I still used to think that the capsules were too pedestrian. To my surprise, the coffee they produce is good. The most difficult part for me was adjusting to much smaller portions, which still didn't take too long, and frankly I feel the opposite now - huge mugs of Americano I used to chug seem weird and unappealing. A Nespresso 'Lungo', at around 150 ml, feels perfectly right in a properly sized smaller cup.

The convenience is unbeatable. Press a button in the morning, and this is it. Of course, you may be the kind of person who actively enjoys the ritual of more elaborate preparation methods (see my own thoughts on the film photography benefits above!), but it happens to just work for me.

If you are considering a machine like this, I recommend one that uses older "original" capsules rather than the newer "vertuo" line. Original capsules can be bought from third-party brands in any supermarket if your Nespresso delivery is late. Vertuo ones produce much thicker crema that feels unnatural and quickly caves in like soap foam in a drained bath. Yuck! They are available in larger sizes though, so if this is important, it is perhaps the only reason to choose them.

Pricewise, Nespresso system is also less expensive than it seems. Original capsules cost about 40p per portion, while a pack of Lavazza I used to buy for my Bialetti coffee maker is about £4.50, and could fill my pot maybe twice the same number of times for that money. So it was still cheaper, and every portion was much stronger - but again, this caffeine bombardment is something that I no longer crave, and saving like 20p per cup (£3-5 a week?) is not something I'm worried about.

USB charger, but with a cord

One major problem with most wall chargers is that they become even bulkier when paired with a travel adapter. This often makes it difficult—or even impossible—to use them with those inconveniently placed hotel wall sockets.

A charger with a detachable power cord solves this issue (search for "C7" or "Figure 8" to find a standard cord with any type of plug). Additionally, it extends your reach by effectively adding the cord's length to all your charging cables, making it much more convenient to use.

There are many models to choose from, but this Anker charger stands out. It uses Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, making it relatively compact and less prone to overheating. While its main 45W port isn’t as powerful as some other chargers, it’s still sufficient to power my MacBook, even under load, though it charges a bit slower than the standard brick charger (which is much heavier and only has one port).

This charger also includes another USB-C port for your phone and two USB-A ports for other devices. This setup is likely enough to meet all your travel needs while taking up minimal space in your bag, thanks to its flat profile and the ability to pack the cord separately.

Air purifier

From my experience, an air purifier won’t remove all the dust, and you’ll still notice some accumulating on surfaces. However, it significantly slows down the process, and you’ll feel the difference.

Choosing the right model can be overwhelming, but it’s simpler when you remember that an air purifier is essentially just a box with a fan and a filter. The most important factor to consider is the filter system.

Filters—and by extension, the devices themselves—can be flat or round. Round filters offer a larger surface area for the same footprint but are less efficient when placed close to a wall. Your choice will largely depend on your room layout. Next, decide if you need an official HEPA filter, an odour-removing carbon layer, and you are fine with the cost of its inevitable replacement.

An air purifier is one of those things you might dismiss as a gimmick, but once you have one, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

TIDAL subscription

Yes, it has less in the library than Spotify or other larger platforms. Not every track is indeed available in lossless quality. The company goes from one financial trouble to another so building playlists for posterity there may be a mistake. I don't think it has podcasts (or at least they aren't easy to discover). The client app is a mess.

For these reasons you still won't be able to stop your existing Spotify subscription, and this one is going to be yet another monthly payment on top of what you already have.

But when it works, it works. The streaming quality if just better. With even minimally adequate equipment you will hear the difference, and your favourite tracks will have more depth. Worth an extra tenner (and there is a long free trial so you can try it first).