Originally Posted by LDH01
Hi Brett,
My recommendations are usually based on a combination of the two, but weighted heavily toward focal length. That makes sense - for example, if you're taking a pictures inside a 10x12 foot room with a 1.6x body, the best 85mm lens will not allow you to take a group shot. There's a pretty substantial difference between 50mm and 85mm. On a crop body, 35-50mm is good for full body portraits, for example, while 85mm is good for tight portraits (head shots, etc.).
So if you want a prime for the wide aperture, how do you choose the focal length? If you have a zoom covering that range, shoot with it set to various lengths, or look back over your EXIF data to see where your shots were taken. Else, guess based on comparisons to lenses you do have, or rent a lens if you like.
As a general rule, decide which focal length(s) you want/need, then get the best quality lens at the chosen focal length(s) that your budget permits. There are some nuances in there - for example, the 35mm f/2 is not the best quality (optically or build), the 50mm f/1.4 is pretty good for both, and the 85mm f/1.8 is excellent for IQ and very good for build.
Hope that helps...
--John
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