My Olympus Tough compact has a microscope mode. Now that we are starting to have flowers – quite a lot of them, actually – I finally remembered to test it. So I shot this strict primrose (Primula stricta) and indeed, it’s possible to get very close to the subject. And unlike with many other compact cameras which focus extremely close, the Tough can focus even when zoomed to the tele end, which really helps with the background control. I’m pretty impressed, actually (having said that, it’s easy to be impressed when the expectations are so low). The 100mm macro never comes with me when I go on hikes where flower photography is not the prime target, but the Tough follows me everywhere. So if I see a flower that I just must shoot up close, I have a tool for the job!