Canon 50mm f/1.4 or Canon 85mm f/1.8

[dlhartman]

I'm planning to purchase my next lens within the next few months and while I would LOVE to nab a 50mm f/1.2 or a 85mm f/1.2 it's definitely not in my budget at this time. So, I need a little direction as to which of the two lenses in the title I should go with. I prefer prime vs. zoom and I shoot almost entirely with a 'nifty fifty,' 50mm f/1.8. I shoot portraits about 90% of the time.

If you can offer me some insight on these lenses, I'd really appreciate it. I want a good low light lens that will give me tack sharp images. I found reviews online of course, but frankly, I'd just like to hear from real people who have experience with this gear. Also, if you know of another reputable brand who could offer me a similar lens to the Canon models, I'd love to hear about that too. I'm not opposed to Sigma or Tamron...Thanks!

[OsmosisStudios]

What about your 50/1.8 do you not like? 50 and 85 are fairly close together. As a general rules I like to double my focal length if dealing with primes.

24/50/105 or 35/85/135

[idb]

Originally Posted by dlhartman

I'm planning to purchase my next lens within the next few months and while I would LOVE to nab a 50mm f/1.2 or a 85mm f/1.2 it's definitely not in my budget at this time. So, I need a little direction as to which of the two lenses in the title I should go with. I prefer prime vs. zoom and I shoot almost entirely with a 'nifty fifty,' 50mm f/1.8. I shoot portraits about 90% of the time.

If you can offer me some insight on these lenses, I'd really appreciate it. I want a good low light lens that will give me tack sharp images. I found reviews online of course, but frankly, I'd just like to hear from real people who have experience with this gear. Also, if you know of another reputable brand who could offer me a similar lens to the Canon models, I'd love to hear about that too. I'm not opposed to Sigma or Tamron...Thanks!

If those are the only ones you are considering, I suggest the 85/1.8 because it gives you another real choice. The 50/1.4 will give you only a very slight improvement in lens speed over your current 50 mm.

cheers!
Ian

[inkista]

If you're looking at the 85/1.8, you may also want to look at the EF 100 f/2 USM. It's the 85/1.8's identical cousin, and is also zippy on the autofocus. There's also the EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus to consider.

If you want to spend less, and you're ok with the PITAness of a manual focus lens, there's the Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f/1.4.

[dlhartman]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

What about your 50/1.8 do you not like? 50 and 85 are fairly close together. As a general rules I like to double my focal length if dealing with primes.

24/50/105 or 35/85/135

Oh, I love my 50mm! I've just heard such great things about the f/1.4, as if it was a vast improvement over the 1.8. Good to hear that's not necessarily the case.