Okay so I am totally panicking right now because I have this big engagement shoot booked for this Saturday and my trusty old 50mm 1.8 just bit the dust. It literally fell out of my gear bag onto the pavement and the glass is totally toast, just shattered everywhere. Im shooting on a D850 and I really want to use this as an excuse to finally get a dedicated portrait lens but I am getting so much conflicting info online and I need to make a decision like yesterday.

I spent all night reading reviews and I keep seeing the 85mm f/1.8G pop up as the best bang for your buck but then I see other photographers saying the bokeh is kinda nervous or busy compared to the f/1.4 version. But then the 1.4 version is like double the price and I dont know if the difference is actually visible to a normal client? I also looked at the 105mm f/1.4E which people say is the holy grail of Nikon glass but that thing is way out of my price range and it looks massive to carry around all day. I also heard some stuff about the Sigma 85mm Art being amazing but then people complain about autofocus issues on F-mount bodies without the dock and I just cant risk missing focus when I am under pressure this weekend.

Here is what I am looking for specifically:

• Budget: I can do $850 maybe $900 if I find a really good deal on a used one at a local shop or online with fast shipping.
• Timeline: I have to have this in my hands by Friday night so I can at least test it once before the shoot.
• Use case: Outdoor portraits in a park, mostly full length and some tight headshots. Lots of trees and distracting branches in the background so I need the blur to be really smooth.
• Preference: I need something that is sharp wide open because I love that thin depth of field look.

Should I just play it safe with the 85mm 1.8G or is the 1.4 really that much better for the extra cash? Or am I missing something else entirely like a Tamron 85mm or one of those older 105mm DC lenses? I heard the DC lenses have a really unique look but I dont know if they can handle the high resolution of the D850 sensor... help me out here before I lose my mind...