Newbee Question

[JBW]

Hi I have a Finepix S4200 and I would appreciate an answer to the following newbee question; When I turn on the macro super macro option does my camera simply adjust a few settings or is their an actual mechanical change that occurs.

I ask because I am beginning to try manual operation and I am curious if i can take the macro shots without using the macro settings.
B.

[Mito]

Hi, I have a Finepix HS20 and if you select macro it is the camera which does the adjustments. Using manual only controls the exposure triangle. It is possible to use a longer focal length to get a macro effect but it is not macro in the true sense of the word. Those with more expertise than me will offer a better explanation. Keep on with the experimenting.

[jcuknz]

My understanding, which could be wrong, is that the macro position tells AF to start working at 'close distances' whereas in 'normal' position it looks for focus over the complete range of distances out to infinity. I have the option on my FZ50.

I would expect when in manual focusing where it is not 'real' manual focusing as in an older lens but by electric control of the lens dictated by your movement of the focusing ring it would not have any effect except perhaps to position the lens at a closer focus point. Since you seem to be mainly interested in closer shots you will not be bothered by the difficulty of finding an infinity position [ until you decide to take a shot of the moon one night ] because the focusing ring just keeps on turning past infinity

I really do not know and never use manual focusing prefering to make AF work as I would focus in yesteryears by carefully making sure AF, using the smallest single focus point, is looking at the precise point I want to be the focus point. With my MFT I have a touch screen and can select a focus point but with the FZ50 I have to focus with the spot in screen middle and then re-frame for the shot which could lead one astray in tight framed shots.

When perhaps you have a CU lens to enable use of the long end of the zoom you will find focusing gets easier with the increase in focal length due to the lack of depth of field ... usually being either in or out with no doubts That maybe a false statement and a similar effect is when you go in as close as we have seen that you can do becuase whatever focal length you use the DoF remains the same for a given framing of the subject.

Brian is right about true macro but I think the development of the super-zoom is contradicting that. I know with my 400mm AoV lens and a 4 dioptre close-up lens I can get 19mm across subject filling the sensor, so if you have an 800mm AoV that means a 9.5mm subject and the latest superzooms with 1000 and 1200 might reduce further the subject size to match the sensor size ... just a theory on my part and I am not sure of the or my maths