Captured photo not as sharp as view finder preview??

[rgarven]

Friends,

I’ve been really playing with my camera more than I ever did and I’m noticing something really weird when I look in the viewfinder the picture looks really sharp. I take the picture and the captured photograph is not blurry, but it’s not as sharp as in the view finder. I have the camera set on continuous auto focus and wide in manual but it seems to happen on intelligent auto too. 

[Cameratose]

Any specific lens? Is the camera the A7 IV in your signature or A6300? What are you viewing it on? Phone? Monitor? If a monitor, what is the resolution? Cataracts? (not kidding, been there). 

There could be any number of reasons this is happening, but your description is too general. 

[FunWithCameras]

If you are looking at it on the rear screen, do bear in mind that the rear screen is generally quite a bit lower resolution than the view finder.

Did you know that you can review the images in the view finder? You just hold the camera to your eye and press the image review button. That should show you the same image as you saw before you took the shot.

Of course, the real judgment comes when you download the images onto the computer - they should look a lot more detailed then.

[XKAES]

At least two things can "happen" between you seeing the subject in the viewfinder and the picture actually being taken.  One if that the focus can change, and you can't see the effect of the shutter speed.  Plus, "not blurry" and "not as sharp" is kinda , well, blurry.

It's easy to run a test check.  Put the camera on a tripod or secure surface, and take pictures with and without AF.  Then compare the results.  If it doesn't happen with manual focus, it's either the AF setting, or the viewfinder diopter, or your vision.  Take some time to try to nail down the problem.  Do it always happen or just sometimes, like when the f-stop is wide open?

Take good notes.

[Pieter]

5 hours ago, XKAES said:

Put the camera on a tripod or secure surface, and take pictures with and without AF.  Then compare the results.  If it doesn't happen with manual focus, it's either the AF setting, or the viewfinder diopter, or your vision.  Take some time to try to nail down the problem.  Do it always happen or just sometimes, like when the f-stop is wide open?

Be sure to turn off image stabilization with this setup, otherwise you'll need to factor in adverse effects by the IBIS-system as a possible cause.