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I'm taking several photos of documents laying on a table with my Coolpix L1
(without flash) and I'm trying to determine the optimal distance - tipically
I hold the camera at a height such as to see at best the document in the
display. A question is whether macro setting is better. The height can vary
from 25 to 40 cm. for an A4, but even more in the case of the two adjacent
pages of an open book, but I see some out-of-focusing in the margins. Now
I'm thinking that by increasing the distance and using zoom the result could
be better. Apart from the trials I'm currently doing, from a theoretical
point of view what can be said about using macro and zoom?
il barbi

"il barbi" <> wrote in message
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> I'm taking several photos of documents laying on a table with my Coolpix
> L1 (without flash) and I'm trying to determine the optimal distance -
> tipically I hold the camera at a height such as to see at best the
> document in the display. A question is whether macro setting is better.
> The height can vary from 25 to 40 cm. for an A4, but even more in the case
> of the two adjacent pages of an open book, but I see some out-of-focusing
> in the margins. Now I'm thinking that by increasing the distance and using
> zoom the result could be better. Apart from the trials I'm currently
> doing, from a theoretical point of view what can be said about using macro
> and zoom?
> il barbi
>
Barrel distortion (bowing out of lines near the edge) is common in zoom lens
cameras zoomed at shorter focal length (also and macro). Close focus may
also increase barrel distortion. Light fall off due to the lens and flash
can be an issue as well.

You can try zooming to see if your results are better. Zooming can have ill
effects too, like better chance for camera shake and the lens may not
perform as well compared to shorter FL.

-S