Lens best for my needs 50mm, 40mm or 85mm

Looking to buy a new lens currently have the 50mm 1.8. Want a lens that work best for newborns, kids, portraits, mostly outdoors and newborns indoors . Might do a fall shoot outdoors of my 4 little cousins 18 month - 8 yr old so a lens good for a group and one person. My budget is probably under $400. I was thinking about 85mm 1.8, 40mm pancake or upgrade my 50 and get the 50mm 1.4. I'm on a crop body.

40mm on a crop.. IMO
I hated moving back with my 50mm on my 60D.. Love my 50mm on my FF..

You will have REAL issues with a 85mm indoors unless you have a massive house, but if you did have a massive house then your budget would be more than $400 I would think

I think the 50 you already have is more than adequate.

EDIT: Assuming you have a crop, for a full frame, the 85 might be more adequate. For group shots I'd use a different lens, you don't have an 18-55 by any chance?

The 40 doesnt give you anything you arent getting from your 50. I think the 85 would be a good compliment to your 50, but if its either/or then the 50.

i'd go for a sigma 30mm f1.4...or if you can't afford that a canon 35f2...

OneDeep, I personally would want to go wider...35mm or wider. Your 50mm is a good short telephoto that to me works well as a portrait-type lens. To *me* the focal length of a 35mm on a crop body seems to give me a similar perspective to what I naturally see with my own eyes...a "normal" lens. As for taking pictures of the kids...that wider angle lens would be an asset...have you ever heard the term "herding cats"?

Best wishes,
Ed

for the crop
sigma 30mm f/1.4

The 40mm (or 50mm) are just a little too telephoto on a crop.
I do use the 40mm and find it OK for a lot of stuff.

My preference is a 28mm as this gives a "normal" view on a crop.

I used to have the 100mm. Very good lens, but way too telephoto for indoors.

So many choices will the 35 work best indoors or out?

If you can swing the 28mm that PH8 mentioned that would be great. The 28mm will give you a frame closer to the size of a 50mm on a full frame camera...a good focal length in my mind. Both the 35mm and 28mm will work good indoors or outdoors. Naturally seek out the most speed that you can afford.

You might check out this link to get an idea of the different focal lengths... Comparison images of different focal lengths.

Ed

For me I extensively use my Sigma 30mm f1.4 for indoors photography -- it seems the perfect lens for that use.

It certainly is easier for the subject *and* photographer to move around the room/set when a short lens is used....a long lens will limit your ability to move a good bit but will work well for head and shoulders shots. But, in looking back at the original post by OneDeep it appears that the lens will be used more outside. Have you considered something like the Tamron 17-50 f2.8? Constant f2.8 through the zoom range and it gets good reviews.

Ed

OneDeep wrote in post #16378337
So many choices will the 35 work best indoors or out?

both...do you have a kit lens? you can set it to the different focal lengths to see which one works for you...but for indoors you're going to want wider

DreDaze wrote in post #16378874
both...do you have a kit lens? you can set it to the different focal lengths to see which one works for you...but for indoors you're going to want wider

Yeah I didn't even think about trying my kit lens. Will test out the different lengths