Ex1R - Can't focus on close objects problem
 

With my new Ex1R, I can't seem to focus on objects close to the camera lens... about 1 to 3 feet in Full MF mode. For example, if I try to get a close up of a flower about 2 feet from the lens, I can't pull it in focus in Manual Mode. I can only achieve this by using Auto Focus and turning Macro "on".

Could this be a back focus problem? It doesn't seem like a classic case of back focus problem because far away images are still crisp when pulled wide and focus set to infinity.

Anyone else had this problem?

It's not a problem... at least in my EX1, you can't use Macro Mode with Full MF. If you want to manually focus and use Macro Mode, just slide the focus ring to the AF position but don't turn AF or MF assistance on, that's it.

Thanks Ivan... that's good to know! I was going crazy trying to focus close things in MF mode.

If you want to work closer than the focusing mechanism permits you can always add a close-up lens. The maximum distance that you can focus on is determined by the focal length of the added lens. If the focal length of the extra lens is 1 m (1 diopter) your maximum focusing distance becomes 1 m, for an added lens with a focal length of 0.5 m (2 diopter) the maximum focusing distance is 0.5 m and so on. The minimum focusing distance is related to the minimum focusing distance of the camera lens. If it can normally focus down to 1 m it has an accommodating power of one diopter. If you add a 1 m close-up lens you get a total strength of 2 diopters and can focus to 0.5 m, i.e. you can focus from 0.5 m – 1.0m.

As the strength of the added lens gets stronger the quality of the image deteriorates unless the added lens is well corrected. I have been getting very pleasing results with the Canon 77mm Close-Up Lens 500D (500mm or 2 diopter) although it does vignette at short focal lengths. For my old PD 150 I had a lot of success by reverse mounting a 150 mm projector lens for close-up work. It also vignetted at wide angles.