85 1.8 now or 135 later

Hey all
so i have recently purchased a 5d mark ii and a 17-40 which i am loving so far. However i do a lot of portrait work, and i'm also prone to candid city photos and the like. This is not ideal for the 17-40. So my question for all of you should i
a) buy a brand new 85 1.8 now, B&H has them on sale for $358 which is amazing value.
b) save up (~a month) and buy the 135 new or used

i have owned an 85 before and i loved it, however i used it on a 60d and i enjoyed the focal length. I have owned a 70-200 as well but i cannot recall which lengths i used the most often. I will be shooting either lens wide open or close to it.

My main issue is having a lens longer than the 17-40. I have a 50 1.8 which is broken but still kind of works. I am a little worried that the 85 might not be long enough as i will most likely be shooting half body portraits outdoors. But then theres the issue of the 135 being too long? I have no means of renting either lens nor can i try the 135 out.

But the problem is money, i can afford the 85 now while its on special (which expires on the 7th) or i can wait a month and get the 135.
Help!

If you only need to wait for a month then I say wait. The 85 is gorrammed sharp but the 135L is sex.

tohara wrote in post #13637673
i have owned an 85 before and i loved it, however i used it on a 60d and i enjoyed the focal length.

Get 135L then since you liked the 85 on crop.

I used to have the Canon 85 1.8 and since then upgraded to the sigma 85. imo the sigma is better than the canon 85 1.8 in every way and close to 85L except AF speed being a bit slower than then canon 85 1.8 but faster than the L.

Although i have to say the canon 85 1.8 is really good for the money.

But can i survive a month with just a 17-40 and a broken 50? I'm not so sure..... Plus the 85 is really cheap at the moment!

tohara wrote in post #13637696
But can i survive a month with just a 17-40 and a broken 50? I'm not so sure..... Plus the 85 is really cheap at the moment!

Of course you can! It's just a month..

Trust me, if you get the 85 1.8 now, you'll be lusting for the sigma 85 or the 85L within a month anyway...

No such problem with the 135L:p

If you don't need it for work, the 135L is worth the wait, IMO. Honestly, it's only a month.

Your money though, so it's your call, mate.

If you buy the 85/1.8 you can easily re-sell for only a slight loss. You may even find a used one for a great price and be able to re-sell it later with no loss at all. So, if you feel you'll need this lens in the short term just go for it. It you don't really think you'll need it then be patient and avoid the loss of a few dollars and the hassle of buying and selling.

Save money and buy the 135L new.

mpix345 wrote in post #13637711
If you buy the 85/1.8 you can easily re-sell for only a slight loss. You may even find a used one for a great price and be able to re-sell it later with no loss at all. So, if you feel you'll need this lens in the short term just go for it. It you don't really think you'll need it then be patient and avoid the loss of a few dollars and the hassle of buying and selling.

I agree. Why not buy 85 1.8 now while the price is pretty good and save 1.5 months instead of 1 month and buy 135L You can always sell 85 1.8 later if you don't use it.

For portraits and candids... the 135mm!

gacon1 wrote in post #13637781
Save money and buy the 135L new.

Save even more money and buy a good 135L used!

Mine was $850. Came with the box and everything; even a filter.

If you only have to wait a month, get the 135L. The 135L is so much more well behaved in terms of chromatic aberrations compared to the 85 f/1.8. Build is also leaps better.

If you liked 85 on crop, you will love the 135L on FF. I do. And you will probably find 85 on FF a little short...

Kind regards, Wim

I sold my 85L MKI last month, then I re-bought the 85 1.8 which is a great price/quality, the 85L MKI was too slow anyway and f1.2 too narrow.
Maybe i'll test the Sigma 85 1.4 once but you don't find it cheaper second hand, so you lose money If you have to buy it new

The only 2 things that stop me are : bokeh not so smooth (people complain now and then), good copy (quality control).

I had 135 f2 in past, superb lens, but the 135mm on FF was not my cup of tea, 85mm is allready long...
That's the reason the 135L is sold a lot, lots of people prefer the versality of the 70-200 f2.8L

The 85 is an amazing value at that price, but if it's only going to be a month until you can get the 135 I would just wait.