Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

For me I think a 105 macro has a different render than 105 non macro lens
So never used/use macro for anything besides macro!

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

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Do you mean it is too sharp? Or what?

bcrawf

For portraits, the fact that a lens may be a macro lens is irrelevant. A lens for portrait use just needs to have a focal length (after applying the crop factor for your camera, if any) somewhere around 90mm or longer.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Having 8 different macro lenses, I never intentionally use any of them for portraits. I have other lenses that are designed for that....

Al Freeedman

Have the Tamron 60 mm f:2 Macro 1:1. which is like a 90 mm on a crop sensor camera Great for portraits. Using a 100 mm lens on a crop sensor is like using a 150 mm lens, a bit long for portraits.

Captain Al

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

The only thing like a 90mm lens on a full frame is the angle of view. The crop sensor doesn't affect magnification or perspective...

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

More than a few of the 105 macros have image stabilization.

jsktb Loc: Westerly, Rhode Island

After a lot of research I ended up going for the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 SP Macro to go on my Canon 70D. It is a prime lens that is great for both macro and portrait. The cost was under $700. It is the F017 model. On Thursday I will be receiving a Canon 80D and the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 G2 lens. The new series of Tamron lenses are now competitive.

sawdust_128

That is the same rig I am after. I will buy the Canon 100mm L IS USM as soon as possible. I'm tired of waiting.

Gampa

Have been using the EF 100 F2.8L IS on my 80D for about 6 months and love it. Crystal clear focus and picture quality. Mostly using it for closeups ... but should be very good for portraits and depth of field given it’s equivalent 160mm focal length on the 80D.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Too many people misunderstand that the crop sensor cameras do not change the focal length of a lens, the only thing changed is the angle of view that is captured...

bcrawf

Well, right, but it is useful to compare what the lens captures relative to what a lens of the given focal length (the one you are comparing to) captures. The longer "effective" focal length lens captures a central rectangle of what the short focal length lens captures. You could printout the image of a shorter focal length lens, then cut with scissors to get a central rectangle showing what the longer lens would see.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Many people misconstrue the crop sensor lens as increasing the magnification vs the full format sensor, which it does not even though it may appear to. Nor does it alter the perspective (compression) of the lens.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

I have been shooting portraits literally for decades, and trust me, good portraiture is about lighting and posing . . . not equipment. Ideal portrait lenses are considered those that are 1 and 1/2 to 2 times the focal length of the normal lens focal length. Ultra sharpness is not a consideration and may even be discouraged.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

In general I'm not a fan of macro lenses for portraiture.

For one, they are often just too sharp. Your Mom, wife or girlfriend.... or especially a mother-in-law WILL NOT appreciate a lens that captures every wrinkle and flaw.

Also, most macro also are f/2.8 at best (some are only f/3.5 or f/4). At times a larger aperture is needed for portraiture... Particularly for less formal location shots or candids where you don't have control over the background and need to blur it away. f/2, f/1.8 or f/1.4 comes in very handy at those times! But you won't find that on many macro lenses. (There are a couple Zeiss ZE with f/2... 50mm and 100mm, I think. I haven't used them, but most Zeiss lenses are impressive. Rather pricey and manual focus only though.)

The Canon 100L IS Macro lens is superb... But the less expensive Canon 100 non-L/IS has just as good image quality and is just as well made. I chose the cheaper lens and put the money saved into the optional tripod mounting ring instead, which I find very handy or even essential for much macro work. That's an option with the two Canon 100 Macro lenses... AFAIK, no other macros shorter than 150mm offer option to be fitted with a tripod mounting ring. If memory serves, the non-L/IS uses Tripod Ring B and the 100L IS uses Tripod Ring D. (Note: An exception is the Canon MP-E 65mm which includes T'pod Ring B... Sure, it's a shorter focal length but also a specialized, ultra-high magnification lens... A whole different thing than most... the LEAST magnification with it is 1:1 and it goes as high as 5:1.)

But my Canon 100mm Macro isn't my favorite for portraiture. Between the sharpness, flat field focus design and f/2.8 at best... For portrait work I tend to switch to EF 50mm f/1.4 and EF 85mm f/1.8 for portraits (on APS-C cameras like your 80D... 85mm and 135mm f/2 on full frame).

Now I sometimes use a different lens... that takes the place of both those and also serves as a macro lens (1 lens to carry around, instead of 3). The best Macro lens for portraits I've used is the Tamron SP 60mm f/2.... Thanks to it having a stop larger aperture than most... while still being 1:1 capable, internal focusing (doesn't grow longer when focused closer), reasonably compact and lightweight. Very good image quality. It is a crop-only lens (Tamron calls it "Di II") and it has rather slow micro motor focus drive... That's fine for portraits or macro, but not really up to any sort of sports or action shooting (no big deal really, since most macro lenses are slower auto focusing by design anyway... all that I've ever used have had a "long throw" focus that emphasizes accuracy over speed).

The Tamron 60mm also isn't image stabilized... But stabilization is of minimal assistance at high magnifications anyway. The IS system on the Canon 100L IS is a hybrid developed especially for macro and probably the best of any macro lens, but I'd guess it only gives about 1 stop or maybe a little more of assistance at 1:1 to 1:2 range... while it gives more like 3 to 4 stops assistance at non-macro distances. I haven't used other stabilized macros enough to know, but most users find it gives little to no assistance at the highest magnifications. So while the Canon 100L's IS might be the best, it's still a bit limited for macro work, would be more effective when used for portraiture.