Advice wanted for my next purchase

[GR3Z]

I've been selling some stuff on eBay and I've now got about £350 to spend on a lens,

I can't decide on what lens to get next, I'm enjoying shooting portraiture in my home made studio in our living room and taking pics of my little boy 12 weeks..( see my portraits in flickr so you know what mean)

I currently have the 50mm f1.8 and must say I love it, but unfortunately I dropped it, although it still works fine it's very noisy now....

So I'm thinking of getting the 50mm f1.4 usm, do you think I will notice the difference in IQ and focusing speed,

Another issues I had with the 50 f1.8 that if I was shooting candids, say for example of the gf walking towards me, I'd struggle to focus quick enough and get that tack sharpe pic, would the 50f1.4 usm help eliminate this with it having usm.

Or are there other lenses out there which I've not come across yet

Thoughts please

Edit: I forgot to say its 550d, so crop sensor

 

[amtaylor]

The 50 1.4 isn't much better focusing really. The 85mm 1.8 would be much better but it depends whether the focal length is ok for you. You could get that and another 50 1.8 or save and get a 35 with the 85. That would be my choice.

 

[GR3Z]

The 85mm 1.8 would be much better but it depends whether the focal length is ok for you. You could get that and another 50 1.8 or save and get a 35 with the 85.

just been on digital picture site looking at the reviews of said above lenes, 35mm does not get the best review, the 85mm sounds good but I worry about focal length, would I not be better get a 70- 200 f2.8....

What focal lengths lenses do the pro's use for studio work.. I'm guessing they have a bag full

 

[SimonUK]

85mm is seen as a standard portrait lens.

 

[amtaylor]

I have the 85mm 1.2 and a 35 1.4. I would like the 135 f2 to complete the set.

But a 70-200 f2.8 is going to be more than 350.

The sigma 30 1.4 would be good on a crop for shorter focal length. That and an 85 would be a good combo for a crop