Which would you choose, a Canon 85mm f1.8 or a Canon 50mm f1.4?

I think you should skip both and get a 60mm macro. That will give you the 135 equivalent of 96mm which is really right for portraits.

For portraits, I use a 50mm f/1.4, an 85mm f/1.8, and a 70-200 f/2.8L (around 110mm).

I have both and each are good at what they do. The 85mm has the extra reach the 50mm doesn't, but there are times when it is a little too much (and you can't back up). BUT...for me and how I shoot, I use the 50mm and the 70-200mm more than I do the 85mm. YMMV!!!

I would suggest that you go to an actual camera shop and rent both for a week(end) to see which you like the best. The shop I deal with will deduct the rental fee if I buy that lens (as used) or a new one when I return the rental.

Tell you what you do. Take a current lens and zoom to 50mm and check a subject. You'll find that's pretty tight and you may not be able to get all of your subject in the shot. Take that same lens and zoom to 85mm and check the same subject - this is much tighter and will cause you to back away from your subject even more.

Once you determine which will work best buy it. Actually I use a 50mm f/1.8 and find it tack sharp like this with my t1i.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimsphotostuff/693055...

It really depends on how far you want to be from your subject. Having done a career in television

news / sports photography I subscribe to a very old idea that to get a good close up you have to get

close up. So my go to lens is my Canon 28-200. I used my Rebel XS and this lens to get this shot.

I couldn't have done it the way I did with my 50.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimsphotostuff/499979...

So... good luck on your decision.

I'd go with the 50mm f1.4 With the camera you are using the 50mm looks very similar to my pro camera with an 85mm lens. The 50 is a really good lens and the 85mm f1.8 is good but not great. The 85mm f1.2 Canon is spectacular but that's way more expensive.

85mm has better optical quality and nicer bokeh, but it's not always that noticeable. The 50mm f/1.4 is far more versatile for all around stuff, portraits, low light and so on.

Here's a Lens Buying Guide - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/11/buyin...

With your Canon T2i or any similar crop sensor camera, I'd go for the 50mm f/1.4 first! The 50mm when used on such a camera has a field of view that is very close to normal vision, so it's easier to learn with this lens.

the usual lens for portraiture would be around a 80 mm so with a smaller sensor camera the 50mm would be most suitable however i suggest you go to camera shop and try them out, do not forget the filter size as it is expensive buying duplicate lens filters as your lens all have different filter sizes

You'll love the 85f1.8 as soon as you pick it up. Very close to ''L'' quality. I didn't like the the Canon 50f1.4 and went for the Sigma 50f1.4 instead. They're both excellent lenses but if I had to give up 1 it would be the 50. I use them both on fullframe and crop.