Fuji Has anyone used the Macro setting on the X-E1?

bilzmale

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Name
Bill Shinnick
I have finally given in (and broken my moratorium on purchases in 2013) and have an X-E1 on its way to me. I've noticed that the four way controller has a macro setting engraved on the top key but can't find any reference to it in the reviews I've seen.

Can someone give me some idea on how this works?
 
it may depend on the lens. but with the standard zoom lens, it just allows closer focusing you wouldn't otherwise be able to do if you weren't switched over.

sorry i don't have any more technical info.

(Sent from my EVO via Tapatalk)
 
it may depend on the lens. but with the standard zoom lens, it just allows closer focusing you wouldn't otherwise be able to do if you weren't switched over.

sorry i don't have any more technical info.

That's correct, it allows closer focusing but so far as I know the only lens that can do true macro with it is the 60mm macro lens. My understanding is that it's basically the equivalent of the focus limiter switch on some other macro lenses, except implemented in body instead of in the lens.

According to DPR it only works on the original 3 XF prime lenses (18, 35, 60):

Fujifilm X-E1: Digital Photography Review

Since the X-E1 lacks an optical viewfinder, its Macro button does less than that of the X-Pro1, simply allowing the lens to focus closer; whereas the X-Pro1 needed this button to switch to the electronic viewfinder to avoid the significant parallax error created by the optical viewfinder. It's worth noting that the X-E1's macro mode only works with the original XF primes. With the new 18-55mm kit zoom, and the 14mm prime (both of which can focus very close without modification) it has no effect on minimum focusing distance.
 
In addition to what has been said: I did not notice any difference in focus distance with the primes. So unless I am doing something wrong, the macro-setting is useless. I could not come up with a good reason to switch it on to force me to switch to EVF (which it does). The lever is just as effective. So it would be nice to make the macro-button customizable.
Congratulations with your new X-E1.
Peter
 
Jay,
Did you notice a difference in minimum focusing distance when using the primes on the x-e1?
If so, that would be interesting because I did not notice such difference on the x-pro1.
Thanks, Peter
 
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