I use the macro lens and set the camera manually to an aperature setting of 8. Make sure to set the white balance as well. This makes your picture darker but assures the photo will extend to 'infinity' and not make the back beads blurry. You will probably have to massage your picture a little with "Elements" or "Photoshop" to then lighten it up. If you set the camera to 'auto' and 'macro' then your front beads will be clear and sharp but the back beads will blur. Hope this helps. I love my F828 by Sony but am also thinking about the N70 or the D80 Nikon because of the SLR feature. Go for it!
Noël