Companion to 85mm 1.8 full frame

35 1.4L is soft at wide open? really. I agree it's softer comparing when stop down, but definitely is not soft. My wife hates this lens because it shows all the skin wrinkles even at 1.4.

My experience with the 28mm f/1.8 has been very positive. I have not noticed it to be too soft wide open, and the AF performance is very similar to the 85mm f/1.8.

I bought the 28mm originally to use as a "normal" focal length prime for the 7D, but it works quite well as a wide angle prime on the 5D3, too. I do not need a fast WA prime very often, so this price range is preferable for me as opposed to the 24L or 35L. I like the smaller size and weight, too, working well as a companion lens to the 100-400L when we go to the zoo... we visit quite often.

The 35 f2 has appealed to me as a cheaper alternative of a great focal length. However I believe it only has 5 aperture blades, making the background blur more sharp. Also heard it is slow to focus.

35L it is! Hope the weight won't hold me down from carrying it.

Is the gap between 35mm and 85mm large enough to justify a 50mm ?

Yes, depending on which 50mm you go for. I wouldn't personally have two L primes that close but one and some other cheaper lens.

I have the 50/85 prime combo and often feel I need wider. I looked at my 24-70 people shots on the weekend and most were between 30 & 40mm.