u/odett1102

Hey, I'm planning on trying some stargazing tonight. I'm thinking about heading to the Jasper Lake Sand Dunes or the Pyramid Lake parking lot to watch from the car. Might hop out to shoot some photos if conditions are right. Are either of these worth it? Any other pullouts people recommend?

Hi everyone,

I've been studying Japanese since March 2025. I did about a year of 1-on-1 lessons, and I've been using WaniKani since November. I haven't missed a single day of WK so far.

I'm currently level 9, doing 4 new lessons a day and keeping up with my reviews.

My stats:

- 267 kanji / 673 vocab

- 90% overall accuracy

- 85.7% reading accuracy

- ~33 days per level

I've also covered some N5/N4 grammar.

I've managed to build a pretty consistent habit, but lately I'm finding it harder to stay motivated. I work full time, so I don't really want to add a lot more studying or end up with huge review sessions every day.

My main goal is to read manga and watch anime in Japanese (Japanese subs are fine).

For people who were around this stage after 1–2 years of studying, what changes actually helped you stay motivated and start making noticeable progress with native manga/anime?

I'm wondering whether I should focus more on immersion, grammar, change my WaniKani routine, or do something completely different.

Hey everyone, I’m a beginner shooting on an EOS R50 with the 18-45mm kit lens. It’s been great to learn on, but I’m starting to hit its limits for what I actually want to do, which is mostly portraits and tracking down wildlife.

​Right now, I'm trying to solve two main issues. For portraits, I want way better background blur and subject separation than the kit lens can offer. For wildlife, I just need a lot more reach to pull distant animals closer.

​My budget is capped at $1000 USD. I am completely fine using an EF-to-RF adapter if going with older EF DSLR glass gets me better value for the money.

​I’ve been doing some research and put together a list of options I'm looking at, but I'm having a hard time figuring out the best route:

- ​Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary

- ​Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art

- ​Canon RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM

- ​Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM

- ​Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM

- ​Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

- ​Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary

​Since my goals are split between low-light portrait separation and long telephoto reach, does it make more sense to buy a two-lens combo (like a fast prime paired with a telephoto), or is there a specific EF setup or an alternative that I completely missed?

​Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for anime recommendations, but I’m still trying to figure out my own taste, so I’d really appreciate some help 🙂

Here’s a rough idea of what I’ve watched:

Currently watching and enjoying:

• Mushoku Tensei
• Frieren
• The Summer Hikaru Died

Finished and liked:

• Cherry Magic
• Erased
• Yuri on Ice

Tried but didn’t quite click (just personal preference):

• The Apothecary Diaries (felt a bit episodic to me, I tend to prefer a clearer ongoing goal)
• Witch Hat Atelier (beautiful, just a bit more light/childlike than I expected)
• Banana Fish (can’t fully explain why it didn’t land for me)
• Fullmetal Alchemist (felt a bit long for my current mood)
• Jujutsu Kaisen (interesting ideas, but didn’t fully grab me)
• 86 (same as above, didn’t quite click)
• Violet Evergarden (a bit slower-paced than what I’m looking for right now)

I think I might like:

• Character-focused stories
• Some emotional depth, but not too slow
• A sense of progression or overarching plot

But I’m honestly still figuring it out 😅

If you have any recommendations based on this (even slightly), I’d love to hear them!