Ever notice how a long distance shot doesn't ever look as sharp as a close-up shot? It's got to be some kind of optical illusion because lenses (I believe) are optimized for infinity imaging. But, case in point; When a friend was looking for a digital, I showed him two shots from mine, one a landscape, the other a macro. The landscape didn't impress him technically (sharpness, etc) but the macro convinced him to get the camera. -Rich