My f/1.8 50mm lens recently broke and was just out of warranty (isn't it always so). I've had loads of fun with that tiny lens, mostly shooting portraits, so I knew I had to get a replacement. Since the build quality of the Canon f/1.8 maybe isn't the best I wanted to upgrade to a f/1.4 50mm with a sturdier build, which left two options: Canon or Sigma.

I had a hard time deciding between the much newer design from Sigma or stick to Canon. Ultimately it came down to size and weight: The f/1.8 I'm used to is very small and super light, and as such I couldn't see myself lugging the large 500g Sigma around, even if it is a much newer design and might get me marginally better shots.

I got the Canon EF f/1.4 50mm today, and so far I'm glad I didn't go with the bigger Sigma as the Canon looks almost akwardly big on the relatively small EOS 450D body. It does take some very nice shots and I don't think the focus is "dreamy" as I've read in some reviews.