580EX MK II or 50mm f/1.4

[xtremequantumx]

I agree. Get the 580EX mkII first.
Use the 50mm f/1.8 II, and when you have extra cash, sell the former and get the 50mm f/1.4
Indoors with ambient lighting without an external flash unit it can be quite difficult to get AF.
I especially like the fill flash effect.
Well, that's at least what I would do. Don't get the 50mm f/1.4 then find that under low light still quite hard to get AF! (can use onboard flash, but it's quite harsh)

 

[alvinpaul]

Going by the equipments you have right now, I think an external flash will make more of a difference in your shooting. If you are taking a lot of group photos of family and friends indoor, you'll find a flash much more useful. Also you may find using a large aperture of f/1.4 to compensate for lowlight more of a hinderance as you will find the DOF too thin, especially for group shots. Play around with an external flash, like bouncing the light or diffusing the light, can produce quite natural looking photos.

Use the balance of your budget to grab a 50mm f/1.8 if you really want to play with a large aperture prime lens. You may find that a prime is not your cup of tea, and you can sell it off easily with minimum losses.

Thanks I am now more convinced to buy the flash first :thumbsup: