50 mm 1.8 upgrade?

[supersleeves]

I am in the market for a new lens (horray for tax refunds!) for my Canon XSi and am having some trouble deciding. I currently own the 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, and Sigma 17-50 2.8. I love all three lenses, but recently my 50mm 1.8 has been super finicky. The sharpness at all f-stops has been fading, the saturation isn't what it used to be, and the autofocus is painfully inaccurate and pretty annoying. Now, I don't know if this is because the 85mm and Sigma 17-50 have been behaving beautifully, but I'm thinking it is time to upgrade the 50mm.

I love my nifty fifty... it was the first non-kit lens I owned and the one that really taught me how to become a better photographer. Would it, in your opinion, be worth it to upgrade to the 50mm 1.4? I have read that the differences between the two are small, but if my 1.8 is misbehaving...

If the upgrade isn't worth it, what about a different prime? I have been looking mainly at the 28mm 1.8, the Sigma 30mm 1.4, and the 35mm 2.8. Any suggestions?

Thanks!!

[autofocus]

if you really liked the 50mm f/1.8, why not replace it...it's inexpensive enough to do that, and absolutely would not pay to have Canon repair it. Other than the minimal speed advantage that a f/1.4 would give over the f/1.8, the f/1.8 actually tested out a little better than it's faster cousin. (recently read this, but can't remember where I saw it) You can't go wrong for $100 bucks!

[supersleeves]

I feel like an idiot... I didn't even consider that!

I think it's amazing that a (much) cheaper lens performs better than its "better" counterpart... thank you for the info!

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by supersleeves

I feel like an idiot... I didn't even consider that!

I think it's amazing that a (much) cheaper lens performs better than its "better" counterpart... thank you for the info!

surprisingly enough, that was also true for the two Nikons. If I recall the article, I'll try to dig it up

[ravncat]

What has happened to affect it's sharpness, and contrast and saturation? did it get knocked around alot? The lens properties shouldn't change, and AF is usually more related to the camera body than the lens (though the lens affects it)

You can consider sending it in to canon for calibration perhaps...

[supersleeves]

Originally Posted by ravncat

What has happened to affect it's sharpness, and contrast and saturation? did it get knocked around alot? The lens properties shouldn't change, and AF is usually more related to the camera body than the lens (though the lens affects it)

You can consider sending it in to canon for calibration perhaps...

It's been a while, but I just remembered this thread and am still hunting for a new lens. I'm not sure exactly what has happened to decrease the sharpness of the lens, but I have noticed it consistently getting worse the longer I own it. The lens has taken a fair amount of beating... while I was learning, it was the only lens I kept on my camera and I brought my camera everywhere, sans bag. Reading lens reviews made me second guess the quality of the 50mm I own... it is not nearly as sharp as many of the reviewers describe and not even close to the sharpness of my Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 (I think above I said I had the Sigma... got them confused) or the Canon 85 f/1.8.

My most recent consideration is re-buying the 50 f/1.8 and also buying either the 28 f/1.8 or the Sigma 30 f/1.4. I have heard mixed reviews about the Sigma (problems with autofocus?).... does anyone have any suggestions on that one?

[gturner]

what about the 85 1.8 or the 35mm F2 - both good for different purposes