28mm 1.8 or 85mm 1.8?

First off, I am new here. Hello! I want to say I have learned a lot on here about photography. Thank you!!! You have inspired me to learn more about my camera. I confess I always have it set on "Flash Off" setting - pretty much Auto. Sorry.

About me: I bought an XS last December - the point and shoot I had wasn't doing a good job capturing my then 11 month old girl on her first steps! I would hold down the shutter and she would be halfway across the room before it would take a picture. So I upgraded to the XS. I am happy with it. I sold my kit lens and got a 50mm 1.8 instead. I am really enjoying taking portraits of my daughter. That is pretty much all I take pictures off. Just family.

I would like to buy another prime lens. I don't really enjoy zooms. I don't have a lot of money to spend (it was a lot for me to just get the camera!) and I am selling off some old baby things to fund the purchase of a new lens. I am interested in both the 28mm 1.8 and the 85mm 1.8. I am interested in the 28mm 1.8 because it is difficult getting a group shot at family functions and difficult getting pictures of my daughter when I am in the smaller rooms of my house. I am interested in the 85mm 1.8 because I like portraits and I think this would be an awesome choice for that. I know it'll be very long inside my little house and be only for outside shots.

I can only buy one this summer. I'll get the other one at Christmas. Which would you get first? Would you do the 85mm 1.8 now, because there's more opportunities to shoot outdoors compared to winter? Or would you get the 28mm 1.8 first, as it'll help me get those tricky indoor shots? I am torn. Thanks for any input!

hard choice! what do you find yourself wishing more, for more wide, or for more reach, that is really the only way to decide, you can get closer outside with the 50 however its very hard to get farther away in a small room!

You're the most qualified person to decide which lens you'd need more, but since you already have 50mm which you can use for portraits I'd suggest getting a wider prime first.

to be honest, unless you made a lot of money off the kit lens, you probably should have kept it. primes are great but that zoom with IS would be a great backup. as for your question, i have the wide end covered with a fast zoom, so i have the 85mm 1.8 for portraits and love it. i looked at the 28mm, and it didn't have the greatest reviews. i figured, for that much i might as well get the sigma 30mm 1.4. i'll most likely pick that up this summer.

This is one of those areas where only you can really decide. You can always move closer with your 50 when you're outside. You can't always move farther away when your inside. You're just going to have to decide which is more important to you now. Width, or reach. I also agree that you probably should have held on to the kit lens. The kit lens and flash would have helped for some of those tight indoor shots.