Dilemma: 50mm 1.4 or 85mm 1.8 ???

I'm trying to decide whether to get the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 or 85mm f1.8(I accidentally wrote 1.4 in the title). I have the 50mm 1.8 Mk II, but am looking to step up the AF performance, build quality what not. As for the 85mm, I have the Tamron 90mm macro that is almost the same focal length and makes great pictures but is only f2.8. I shoot all kinds of stuff, so can't really say I need one focal length more than the other.

What do you guys think? I could use the input. Anyone else with this dilemma?

sure you don't mean 85 1.8 or 1.2?

1.2 would be nice, but cost an arm and a leg! I have no personal expierence with either of these, but heard tons of great things about both...If it were me though, I would go with the longer of the 2, the 85mm...Longer reach equals more bokeh!

Yeah, I made a mistake in the title. The 85L and 50L are definitely not in the wife-allowed budget.

i sold my 85 1.8 and bought the 50 1.4 instead. in all honesty, i regret it very much. what i should have done is kept my 50 1.8 (it did serve me very well) and buy the 85 1.8. don't get me wrong, the 50 1.4 is fantastic but i do think that the 85 1.8 is a better lens and that the 50 1.8 can get the job done most of the time..

Thanks for the input. What do you mean by the 85mm is a better lens? What did you like about it?

blonde wrote in post #2000291
i sold my 85 1.8 and bought the 50 1.4 instead. in all honesty, i regret it very much. what i should have done is kept my 50 1.8 (it did serve me very well) and buy the 85 1.8. don't get me wrong, the 50 1.4 is fantastic but i do think that the 85 1.8 is a better lens and that the 50 1.8 can get the job done most of the time..

i did the opposite. i sold the 50 1.4 and bought the 85 1.8. no regrets here. the 50 1.4 is shorter than i like for portraits and longer than i like for anything else (on 20d).

the 50 is capable of some great shots but the 85 consistently produces stunning pics.

someone, somewhere said the 85 is worth getting even if you don't own a camera.....

i know exactly what he meant and i agree .

ed rader

it was SHARP even wide open. the AF speed is blazing fast. the built is similar to both the 50 1.4 and the 85 1.8. the AF of the 85 1.8 is really what sets it apart, the sharpness and contrast are just the icing on the cake...

jaymrobinson wrote in post #2000609
Thanks for the input. What do you mean by the 85mm is a better lens? What did you like about it?

sharper, faster (ring USM), better built and better length for portraits on a crop camera, imo.

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #2000628
someone, somewhere said the 85 is worth getting even if you don't own a camera.....

i know exactly what he meant and i agree .

ed rader

i agree with that and that is why i will buy another 85 1.8 right after i pick up the 24-70L. honestly, the 85 1.8 is Canon's best bang for the buck lens in my opinion. for $300+ dollars, you get a fast prime with great IQ and fantastic AF.

Well, that may have swayed me. Thanks a lot blonde and ed.

i think 85mm on a 1.6x crop body is a little long..
but its a personal preference..

i say get both

whao, its kind of hard to decide which lens if you don't have a specific purpose. i mean you more or less already have both focal lenghts covered with the ef 50mm f/1.8 and the tamron 90mm f/2.8.

maybe you could pay some thought to the following questions:
- do you intend to eventually get both? if so, which one do you use more often that will help you decide which focal length to buy first.

- are you content with the tamron 90mm f/2.8 af focusing? i mean is it fast enough for you for everyday use? if not, then definitely get the ef 85mm f/1.8 - great build, fast focusing, sharp pictures.

- do you even like using primes? or do you prefer zooms? cause you seem to have a "missing" telephoto lens now, and you might want to see to get that range covered. but if you don't, its cool as well.

- do you shoot in low lighting a lot? if so, then definitely get both.

You already have a 50. Get the 85 covered, then upgrade your 50 later.

Thanks for the opinions guys. For now, I think I'll be getting the 85mm. Then sometime I might get the Sigma 30mm f1.4, so I can have 30,50,85 in primes. My dream is also to get the 70-200 f2.8 IS. I'm hoping I can get that next year.