100mm Macro as "normal" lens

The 100L is my go-to lens for headshots and portraiture. I don't find f/2.8 slow at all, and I tend to shoot said images @ f/8 or f/11 anyway.

The 100mm f/2.8 Macro does a fine job for 'normal' photography, but it does tend to have rather slow focusing speed. For me, that is its greatest drawback. I do use it mostly for general photography, since I don't do very much macro photography. When I bought it, I was still learning about what I wanted to do with my photography. Live and learn.

For a couple years the 100f2.8 non L was my portrait lens, on my 7D it was my second fastest lens after my nifty fifty, and my second longest after my 70-200f4.
Some days I would head out with it as my only lens, and I did get some nice images. But for some people the equivalent 160mm is understandably too long.

If you don't mind the focal length it is a very sharp lens. And one big advantage of working with macro lenses for portraits, is that you never hit the minimum focusing distance. Get as tight as you want.

if you want to try a true very versatile macro, play with a 50mm macro. While it doesnt do well shooting bugs, the focal length is way more useful more most other things.

I no longer even own a 100mm macro as the 50 is just much more versatile. I've got 85/135 for portraits.

Bugs are hideous, I avoid.

Moncho wrote in post #18575872
If you don't mind the focal length it is a very sharp lens. And one big advantage of working with macro lenses for portraits, is that you never hit the minimum focusing distance. Get as tight as you want.

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forum: Canon Lenses

For decades before digital, the 135 format cameras had about 100mm FL (assortment of lenses all in the 85-105mm FL range) as studio 'portrait' lens.
It gives facial perspective that others are accustomed to seeing in the subject, in everyday life, and captures it into a photo for the bookshelf/wall
It gives sufficient proximity to the subject that it is not 'a hike' to approach them and adjust pose and go back to camera position to make a shot
It permits an easily found and reasonable-sized room to be used for portrait shooting