i've actually been using my 100mm macro for portraits, it works very well, sometimes the pictures too sharp though and i have to tone it down. When im not using the 100mm, then i use the 70-300IS
untouched except for resize... still new at this.. trying to get the bokeh thing down...his nose is in focus but his eyes arent...i guess its best to go for the eyes...
The 85 f1.8 is normally much sharper then the 50 f1.8 (unless you get the best copy ever made). But when you're shooting staggered subjects like those above you really need more DOF.
ya, and the sharpest setting on a lense is usually a couple stops down, so shoot at about f5.6 or 8 and you'll get better DOF and a sharper image. depends on the lense though
The Canon 100 macro is about as sharp a lens as Canon has in their line-up. I found it to be even sharper then the 85 f1.8 but many think it's too slow for true portrait work and doesn't have the great bokeh of the 85.