Alpha A7 IV questions...

[WakkoWarner]

Not too long ago, I upgraded from an Alpha A65 to an A77 II.  Since that time, I have not had a lot of luck getting clear photos.  I am photographing items to list online, using a tripod and a remote shutter release button.  There are times when the photos are not in focus.  Some of the items are bigger or wider, which could be part of the problem.  I have tried to follow people's advice, but nothing has worked.  I will admit that the lighting where I am photographing is not that great (we will be making changes at the warehouse sometime soon, I hope).  I did purchase the A77 II used, so perhaps there is a problem with the camera itself (it had less than 15,000 shutter releases on it).

I am looking at either the A7 IV or the A7R IV (or V).  Will either of these cameras help me to get clearer shots?  I am hoping that with the much higher number of auto focus points, that it will work better.  I rarely shoot video, so the 4K issues that I read about with the A7R IV should not be an issue for me. 

I will be purchasing the adapter to run my A mount lenses on the new camera.  I am also considering the HVL-F60M flash. 

If anyone can give me some guidance on this, your input will be greatly appreciated.  This will be a large purchase for me, so I want to get it right (if it is the right way to go).

 

P.S.  With the money that I will spend on one of the A7 models, I might also be able to get an A99 II body.  Would it be a better way to go?

Edited February 19 by WakkoWarner

[Pieter]

It would help a lot if you could first identify the cause of the unsharpness without jumping to conclusions.

1. Are images produced by the camera sharp if you manually focus? If yes, the lens is fine and the camera is at least capable of producing sharp images.

2. If your subject is blurry when manually focussing, is some part of the picture in focus? If yes, at least the camera/lens combo is capable of producing sharp images.

3. If you use autofocus with spot focussing on your subject, is your subject sharp and in focus? If yes, nothing seems wrong with the camera.

4. If no under 3 above, is the plane of focus slightly in front or behind the subject? If yes, try tweaking a bit with AF Micro Adjustment: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00018531

5. What aperture value are you using? Because you say that lighting is bad, likely you're using a large aperture. This gives a very thin depth of field, so only a very small part of your subject will be in focus.

6. Have you disabled steadyshot on your camera/lens? Since you're shooting off a tripod, you should disable steadyshot or it might cause some unwanted motion blur.

7. ... I'm sure others can chime in with more possible causes for your problem.

 

Some general comments:

2 hours ago, WakkoWarner said:

Some of the items are bigger or wider, which could be part of the problem.

Yes, could very well be, especially combined with poor lighting. See #5 above.

1 hour ago, WakkoWarner said:

I am looking at either the A7 IV or the A7R IV (or V).  Will either of these cameras help me to get clearer shots?

Not at all, unless your A77ii is defective. Especially for online images, the A77ii should be plenty sharp. Thr A7R-line is overkill for your needs.

1 hour ago, WakkoWarner said:

I am hoping that with the much higher number of auto focus points, that it will work better.

Not at all. If anything, you should be using single spot focussing anyway. But why use autofocus? Your subject is still, your camera is still, perfect use case for manual focussing, where you have full control over the plane of focus.

2 hours ago, WakkoWarner said:

This will be a large purchase for me, so I want to get it right (if it is the right way to go).

Not to sound condescending, but I'm quite confident there's a share of user error in your blurry photos. Definately first rule this out before making unneccesary purchases.

2 hours ago, WakkoWarner said:

 

With the money that I will spend on one of the A7 models, I might also be able to get an A99 II body.  Would it be a better way to go?

Unless you're heavily invested in A-mount glass or you can get the A99ii very cheap, I would not invest in the (EOL) A-mount system. Better get a used A7iii if your budget is tight.

Good luck!

[WakkoWarner]

I have never been able to get clear shots while manually focusing any camera, as I am unable to see clearly enough on the small screen (I use 1.25 reading glasses). 

Most of the time, I can get pretty clear pictures.  On the days that I photograph items, I will take anywhere from 90 - 130 pictures.  Out of those, I will probably have 10 or so that are not in focus.

As far as the AF micro adjustment, the article says not to do it with aftermarket lenses, which is what I use (it's a Sigma 18-300 1:3.5-6.3 DC).

By aperture, I am presuming that is changed with the wheel just underneath the shutter release button.  I usually have it on 0, but have adjusted it to 1.0 for some shots.  I may be completely wrong on what that wheel is actually adjusting.  I keep the camera in the Program Auto mode (maybe I can try Auto mode).

Steady shot is turned off.

As for A-mount lenses, I have at least 12 lenses.  Some of them may not be available in E-mount (I originally came from a Minolta Maxxum 400Si 35mm camera).