Looking through the accessory kit, I don't really see any kind of macro lens for the XL2 other than maybe using the adapter for the photography lenses. In the lens comparison in the watchdog, I didn't see a macro either. Is there a macro lens for the XL2/Xl1/Xl1s?

Thanks

Paul, at least with the EF-adapter and EF-lenses you can easily create a macro lens system. The magnification, if needed, can be really huge. I tested about couple years ago the magnification of the Canon EF macro 100mm lens (with the Xl1) by printing some text to a paper using the 12pt Times-Roman font. (There should be no big difference between Xl1 and Xl2.) I was able to enlarge about one half of the "l" character to the whole screen. That's almost like a microscope! I've used the 100mm lens to film e.g. insects.

If you can get your mitts on a Canon manual 14x lens, there is a macro button built in. This will get your lens to within 2 mm from the object in full focus. I have used this in industrial settings to show ECU shots of machinery.

The Manual 16x also has a macro button on it. Effectively, it changes the back focus.

On the current thread on adaptors for Nikon lenses I extol the virtues of the 105mm Micro Nikkor and another poster those of the 200. A sample of video with the 105 on an XL1s is at http://homepage.mac.com/ajdel/FileSharing5.html

'm afraid I forgot to set the Hi Quality bit in this file before I uploaded it so you will have to do that with Quick Time or HiQual if you want to see the file in all its glory. Sorry about that!