An 85mm Question (1.8 vs 1.4)

So I'm feeling impulsive and want to invest in my lenses now. They seem retain their value, and I have the cash so I figure why not.

I have the lenses listed in my signature (30/1.4, 50/1.8, and the MF lenses).

I'm looking to buy the Sigma 85/1.4 or Canon 85/1.8

But, the cost affects my decision pretty drastically. I also want the 15mm fisheye, which I would be able to afford if I picked up the 85/1.8

Should I get the 85/1.8 and fisheye or just invest in the 85/1.4? From what I've read the 85/1.4 glass seems comparable to the 85L, and I believe it would be a good investment in that regard.

I'm just starting, but I shoot in low-light more often that not. I also enjoy candids/portraits, and in general would be shooting at events for different organizations.

I have the 85/1.8 and love it - it does have purple fringing depending on what you shoot, but I don't see it in most of my shots unless I really hunt for it. I've never used the Sigma 85 to know the difference though.

I have the 85 1.8 and I love it!!! It was the only lens I used last week during our visit to the local arboretum and all pictures came out amazingly great. People are still "wowing" them on my Facebook album. I haven't noticed any purple fringing with mine but, then again, I haven't really "looked" for it in my pictures.

i guess it comes down to wether or not the Sigma is worth double the price for the features it has.

Since you can handle MF - get the Rokinon/Vivitar/etc. 85/1.4. Wonderful bokeh and a great price.

The Sigma is bigger, heavier and a lot more expensive. It also had some focus issues initially (wouldn't work with anything other than the center AF point on some Canon cameras).... Hopefully those have all been sorted out now.

All Canon EF lenses work on all Canon EOS cameras and are pretty much guaranteed to work on future models.

Sigma reverse-engineers lenses to be compatible with Canon cameras (rather than licensing the technology). This means that sometimes an older Sigma lens isn't compatible with a newer Canon model, if and when Canon makes some changes. To their credit, in the past Sigma has been willing to re-chip and update at no charge some of the more valuable lenses.

I use the Canon 85/1.8 and it's quite good. Fast focusing, reasonably compact and not too expensive. Fast USM, decent image quality and seems fairly durable. The one thing I don't like is the clip-on lens hood. I wish Canon would update it to use a bayonet hood.

As a rule, Canon lenses hold their value better than third party lenses. But there are some other factors that can come into play. Usually, when Canon intro's a new model, the earlier model drops in value a bit. And, some really popular and well-repsected third party lenses can retain value as well or even better.

gasrocks wrote in post #12221316
Since you can handle MF - get the Rokinon/Vivitar/etc. 85/1.4. Wonderful bokeh and a great price.

I was looking for an AF lens for walkaround shooting. The MF ones I got out of curiousity and use with tripod. They were also a pretty good deal.

The glass size is what concerned me the most 58mm vs 77mm filter size…