I have got about 14 people to coordinate for our secret santa this year in Chicago and normally we just use a messy group text but it is a total disaster every single year with people forgetting what they bought or losing the list. I looked at Elfster because it seems popular but I read some recent reviews saying the UI is super clunky now and it keeps pushing random ads for stuff nobody even wants. Then I saw Giftful which looked cleaner but some people on another thread said the browser extension doesnt work right on mobile and half my family only uses their phones.

My parents are in their 70s and if the app is even slightly confusing they just wont use it and then I end up getting three of the same toy for my kids. I need to get this set up by this weekend so people can actually start shopping before everything sells out or shipping gets crazy. Does anyone know an app that lets you just paste links from any site and actually tracks when someone buys it so there are no duplicates? Ideally something free because we already spend way too much on the actual gifts. I just want something that wont give my tech-illiterate dad a headache...

Ive been doing a ton of reading and my logic was originally to just grab the RF-S 18-150mm because it seems like such a great all-in-one option and people say the image quality is surprisingly sharp for a kit zoom. But then I saw some reviews for the RF 100-400mm and now I'm completely torn. Some people say the 100-400 is the best value lens Canon has ever made but others are warning that since its an f/8 at the long end it might be totally useless if the clouds come out or if I'm under some trees. I'm also worried that 100mm on the wide end might be way too tight on a crop sensor like the R10 so I'd be constantly switching lenses just to take a photo of my kids standing next to me.

Then there is the whole EF adapter route... I saw a few forum posts saying the old EF-S 55-250mm STM is basically a legend and you can find them for like 150 bucks used but I don't know if I want to deal with the bulk of an adapter on such a small camera body. My budget is pretty firm around 500 or 600 bucks max because I'm still paying off the camera itself haha. Is the 18-150mm enough reach for a zoo or should I just go for the big 100-400 and deal with the size? I just dont want to waste money on something that wont get the shots I'm dreaming of...

• needs to be free


• easy for a total beginner

how do i even check this...

I saw everyone raving about the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM. People say its the gold standard for portraits on a budget but then I saw some reviews saying the autofocus is kinda slow because of the macro motor? Im worried if my kids are running around Ill miss the shot. Then theres the RF 50mm f/1.8 which is super cheap and small but I dont know if it feels too normal and doesnt give that compression Im looking for. I also saw some people suggest the RF 35mm but that seems too wide for what I want to do.

Here is what I am looking for:

• Budget: I can really only swing about $600 maybe $700 if I stretch it but cheaper is better since I still need to buy extra batteries for this thing (the battery life on the R8 is... well you know).


• Use case: Mostly outdoor portraits in parks around Seattle so I have space to move back but it rains a lot so maybe something that doesn't feel like a toy.


• Style: I love that blurry background look but I also want it to be sharp enough to see eye detail.


• Timeline: I need to have this figured out by mid-September for a wedding rehearsal shoot Im helping with.

Should I just go with the 85mm and deal with the slower focus or is there a third option Im totally missing like adapting an older EF lens? Ive heard the EF 85mm 1.4 is a beast but that adapter adds a lot of bulk to a small camera like the R8 and it might be out of my price range anyway... what do you guys think for someone who wants the best bang for the buck on this specific body?

I keep looking at that RF 50mm f1.8 because its cheap and tiny but then I remember the 1.6x crop factor which makes it like an 80mm and that feels way too tight for narrow streets and crowded sidewalks where I usually hang out. Then there is the 28mm pancake which looks awesome for size but is it actually sharp enough for the 24mp sensor on the R50 or is it gonna be soft? Or should I just bite the bullet and get an EF adapter for my old glass even though it makes the whole rig way bulkier and defeats the point of a small camera? I really want to keep it pocketable if possible.

Budget is strictly under 300 bucks. What is the actual best budget prime for street stuff that wont make me regret switching to mirrorless?

Does anyone have a favorite that handles weird URLs well and maybe has a decent mobile app too?

I just want one single place where I can see every item at once so I dont accidentally buy two blenders or some other stupid mistake. Every time I think I have it organized I realize I forgot to add something to one of the lists and it's just becoming a second job at this point. Is there actually a way to just merge these lists together into one master list?? Or maybe some kind of third party app or extension that lets me pull items from both stores into a single view? I looked at some wedding registry sites but they all feel way too formal for just a basic personal shopping list. I'm really ready to just give up and buy everything from one store even if it ends up costing me way more just to save the massive headache... there has to be a better way right?

I spent three hours last night looking at camera bags on Amazon and it is a total mess because half the reviews say the bags are too small for the T7 and the other half say they are huge and bulky. I really just want to be able to hike without the neck strap digging into my skin the whole time because that is what happened when I took it to the local park last weekend and it sucked so bad. I saw some people mentioning lens pens and extra batteries but then some guy on a forum said third-party batteries will fry the camera and now I am scared to buy anything that isnt Canon brand even though they are way more expensive.

Do I really need a UV filter to protect the lens or is that just a waste of money? I'm mostly gonna be doing landscape shots and some stuff in the city so what are the actual essentials that wont break the bank before I leave...