I have the 100 f/2.8L IS USM.
Seriously - YUM!
I use it quite a bit when I'm at a wedding or shooting a wedding. Been to two weddings recently, one as an official shooter (video) and one as a requested, unofficial shooter (pics). I've also used it as a second shooter and as a primary shooter with 2-3 other shooters.
As an official shooter, priority is always on getting the shot. As an unofficial shooter, priority is always on keeping a low profile and keeping out of the official shooters' way.
As an official shooter, the 100 is great for hands, kiss shots, stylistic bokeh shots, ring shots etc... Mostly planned shots. As an unofficial shooter, the 100mm is good for when the main shooter pulls out his 50mm f/1.4 or 1.2 at a reception or something. You can still get shots without getting in his/her way in similar lighting conditions. You won't be taking the same things, but if he decides to take the same thing as you, there's room for him without the need for either of you to miss a shot. I tend to shoot 99% without flash at weddings (and I don't do many of them, but I'm always happy to jump in when a friend gets married but doesn't have the cash to afford a regular pro).
As a macro lens, it's brilliant.
A friend of mine who made most of his money in photography doing large stock collections in the days before microstock was a big fan of the Tamron 90mm in the days of film. He picked up a non-Canon 105mm (I'm 90% sure it's a Sigma) and we did a back to back comparison. It was so close it was barely worth the effort. Very slightly better color on the Canon 100mm L. Very, VERY slightly sharper. But nothing at all noticeable when dumping a bunch of pics into ACR.
Of course, he traded an old Canon Film body plus a couple of old lenses that wouldn't work with either of his digital bodies plus about 60 bucks US.
I can handhold stuff that is totally impossible for him though. The IS is very, very good.
In everyday use, my lens is a bit heavier. I refuse to use a lens protector filter because that kind of invalidates the 800 bucks or so that I paid for the lens, so I keep the lens hood on it at all times. I find that gives me a lot of breathing room, especially in crowds. The Sigma has a deep recessed lens, so has no need of this, which can make it a bit more inconspicuous and lighter.
Also, my lens is made of metal and his is made of plastic. That might sound like a benefit, but it's hit and miss. I've been in situations where temperature changes have brought ridiculous wait times for defogging of a lens (missed a shot of pack of monkeys with dew on their fur, sitting in leafless trees overlooking a valley full of mist in the mountains of central Taiwan a few years ago that would have been Nat-Geo level scenery - albeit significantly less than nat-geo skill...) because it was metal where plastic lenses were fine, and I've seen similar situations where a plastic external lens was worse off. It's something that needs to be considered here in the TW where one minute you can be indoors with AC blowing on your lens, but 10 minutes later you might be outside in tropical heat and humidity...
For the use of rails, I keep a fairly robust foldable mini tripod with a rail setup. I originally had it set up with a 90 degree fixed angle elbow with a QR plate on it, but I was able to find a cheap Chinese knockoff of the insanely expensive lens collar (different for the IS version compared to the regular version) and now I just use that for rotating the camera. I wouldn't bother with a rail on a regular tripod. I have extended one of the legs so it matches the geometry and weight of the camera with the 100 mounted. Remember that when using a rail system outside, the ground is often soft, so you need to pay attention to the feet. I don't use it much because the 7D isn't terribly convenient at ground level as it doesn't have the flip and twist screen. I intend to "upgrade" to the 70D when it comes out if the 7D Mk II doesn't have that feature. It's a frequent thorn in my side.
My rail is cheap, but it does the job. I often wish for an extra 3 inches or so.
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