In macro mode, which can be set by pushing the zoom ringforward while depressing the macro button on the side of the lens, focusing is possible between 8 and 20 inches for close-up shooting with a maximum image magnification of 0.72X (35mm camera equivalent).
Things may come to a head in November with a ballot initiative, put forward by the Sierra Club, an environmental group, to ban any new building in a ring around the city.