Sony A7 ii photos not sharp as expected (compared to, for example, Sony A3000)

[XKAES]

Since I have no idea what "well-defined", "decent", "sharpness", "bad", "best", etc. mean to you, so it's difficult to respond in any meaningful way -- other than to say, a prime lens will normally outperform a zoom lens under any condition.  Zoom lenses were created for convenience, not optimum results.

[MinoltaMaster]

On 9/20/2021 at 3:15 PM, Aldowski said:

Hello, I know that this may not be the first time the issue is being mentioned, but, still, it was not definitely clarified.

I have the A7 ii for about 1 year; made number of landscape images, including variety of distances to the "objects" at nature. Using wide different settings, aperture 3.5 - 7.1; shutter speed 1/100+; ISO 100 - 800; many, many possible combinations. Using 28 - 70mm kit lens in Auto focus (different settings) and Manual focus modes. Using Peaking and Magnify with Manual focus.

For more years I had and still have A3000 with it's kit lens. With exactly the same settings mentioned above when the A7 ii is being used, seems that the A3000 creates better photos, sharpness related. 

Again, talking about the kit lenses only (I got another lens with A7 ii, when I bought it, now I am just trying to simplify this, I am not including that other lens to this; also I have and use more different Manual vintage lenses with adapters for A3000).

I did not expect miracles from the full frame, I expected at least some improvement, anyway, I manage to create hundreds of photos with both cameras during previous weekend and must say, there are no improvements, even, seems that  A3000 is making very, very good, sharp photos, sometimes even with better sharpness than A7 ii with it's kit lens.

Difference in MPixels is not huge, there are differences in sensor ISO sensitivity, which cannot be crucial in this case. For similar scenes I am using similar or same Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO for both cameras.

Must say, even when using Manual focus with magnifying (first and second magnifying included), getting the best possible sharpness at the screen / viewfinder; the photos are still not as expected, cannot say those are blurred, but definitely not better than at A3000.

Also, worth saying, both cameras have JPEG and RAW capabilities, of course, here I am talking about JPEGs. Specifications are saying that A7 ii has better processor.

The A3000 is having better inside conversion from RAW to JPEG? So the JPEG being created (inside camera itself) is more sharp?

Someone may say - simply use the RAW, yes, but the question is - why the 3-4 times more expensive bundle - camera + kit lens; does not have at least equal sharpness as the cheaper one?

 

This is a common issue I noticed with servo actuator operated cameras in general, it is more accentuate in full frame cameras. The A mount cameras have solenoids, which are faster but cause more vibration, slightly trepidating mid time exposures like 1/400-1/30

The A1 and A1II have very aggressive solenoids that match 1/8000 both exposure and speed wise.