Is the Nikon 50mm 1.8G still the king of budget portrait lenses, or should I actually splurge a little more on the 85mm 1.8G? I am getting super hyped because my sister finally agreed to let me take some professional-ish portraits of her and her new puppy next month in the park, and my kit lens is just not cutting it anymore. I need that sweet, buttery bokeh that I see everyone posting on Instagram.

I am rocking a D7500, so the crop factor is definitely a thing I have to keep in mind here. My budget is pretty tight since I just bought a new laptop for editing, so I really dont want to spend more than 400 bucks if I can help it. I have been looking at the Nikon 50mm 1.8G because its super cheap and sharp, but then I started reading about the 85mm and how much better it is for flattering facial features. Is that focal length difference really worth the extra money for a beginner hobbyist like me?

I also saw some reviews for the older AF-D versions, but Im honestly a bit worried about the autofocus noise since I might be doing some video clips too. Plus, I live in a pretty small apartment in Chicago so I dont have a ton of room to back up if I need to shoot inside, which makes me think the 50mm is more versatile for my everyday life. I really want to pull the trigger on something by next weekend so I can practice before the shoot. Do you guys think the 85mm is too tight for an indoor setting or is the quality jump worth the awkwardness? Im just so torn between the convenience of the 50mm and the dreamy look of the 85mm, help me out here before I just buy both and end up broke...