EF 50mm f1.4 or EF 85mm f1.8?

[M_Six]

Both are close in price on Amazon. Anyone with experience with these lenses care to comment? If could only swing one of them, which would it be?

[BMW F22]

85mm is more geared towards portraits. The 50mm lens is more of an all around prime.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

85mm is more geared towards portraits. The 50mm lens is more of an all around prime.

Figured as much. My AT-1 (dating myself) came with a 50mm and I lived with that as my only lens for a couple years. Perfect size.

God, I miss that camera.

[BMW F22]

I came really close to picking up an 85mm 1.8. I stopped myself because I haven't gone shooting in a while so it would have just sat here. Why not get the 85mm used and use the money saved and pick up a 50mm 1.8? If you like it then just pick up the 50mm 1.4 later.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

I came really close to picking up an 85mm 1.8. I stopped myself because I haven't gone shooting in a while so it would have just sat here. Why not get the 85mm used and use the money saved and pick up a 50mm 1.8? If you like it then just pick up the 50mm 1.4 later.

You know I've read so many reviews and comments about the 50mm f1.8 vs the 50mm f1.4. The universal theme is that you'll love the images of the 1.8 but it's so cheaply made that you'll move to the 1.4. So I figure I'll just skip the foreplay and jump to the 1.4.

I have a week in NYC coming up in May. I plan on camping out at B&H photo so I may pick peruse the 85mm there. I think they have used lenses.

[vivekk]

They're both great lenses. I bought the Canon 50mm f/1.4 a couple of years ago & the UK forum members bought the 85mm f/1.8 as a present when I broke my leg!

The 50mm is a great all-round lens & I used that to get some shots when we went over to the Nurburgring, 18 months ago. The 85mm is a fantastic portrait lens & is great at low light levels, but you need to great your distance from the subject 'just right', to make the most of it. I didn't find that to be as much of a practical problem with the 50mm.


Here are a few examples of photos I've taken with the 2 lenses (I have yet to play sufficiently with the 50mm on the 5d Mark II, so the first examples are of the 50mm on my old 450d):


1 Canon 450d + 50mm f/1.4 ( x1.6 crop with the APS-C sensor on this body):










2 Canon 5d Mark II + 85mm f/1.8:











Viv

[kamek]

What camera body will you be using it on?