DSC V3 vs A700

**sun622** · 06-14-2009, 12:58 PM

I have both the A700 and a Sony DSC V3. Believe it or not, the DSC v3 takes sharper pictures than the A700. I'm using my old Maxxum lenses on the A700. The DSC V3 has the Zeiss lens built in. The A700 results are soft focus-not bad but noticeable for me. The DSC V3 are tack sharp. I spent $940 for the A700 and am not happy at all. Could it just be my old lenses are not good enough? I'm using lenses like the 28-105 Sigma, a Tokina 19-35mm, a Minolta 50/1.7. I'm wondering it also might be the location the focus beam is hitting. I'm CONSIDERING trying a Zeiss lense for the A700 but only if I know that the lenses are my problem.

**LightBright** · 06-14-2009, 01:47 PM

Well when stepping up to an slr. If you buy cheep lenses it usually means cheep quality. I have a sigma and a kit lens. My sigma is ok in sharpness but if you look at full res sample photos taken with higher end lenses, there is no comparison. But money may be an issue here

But its also good to keep in mind that when everyone was using film, the lenses and the type of film used determined the quality of the final photograph. This is also true on digital, but in digital you have to spend a good amount of money on the lenses and on the digital body if sharpness is your goal. Also check out full res samples of the lenses you have on http://www.pixel-peeper.com just in case.

**sun622** · 06-14-2009, 02:12 PM

Thanks for the info. I remember a couple of other things to ponder. I notice a little play in the gears when the lens is on the camera. The kit lens(18-70) has no play at all. I noticed my worst shots are those when the distance is really great like over 20 feet. My thinking is that that little bit of play is responsible for the lack of sharpness. Close up shots are pretty decent. The file size limits of this forum keep me from posting and showing you the difference.

**Canuck935** · 06-14-2009, 04:11 PM

Could be lens issues, but perhaps there is also the DSLR learning curve issue. I find that many people have the same complaints when switching from point and shoots to DSLR. Point and shoots are made to produce sharp, contrasty, saturated images right out of the box. Many DSLR's don't. The a700's in camera JPEG defaults are pretty conservative. If you want the same look you get from the point and shoot you'll have to bump up the a700's contrast, saturation, and sharpness settings.

Another issue is DOF. Because of the larger image sensor, you get narrower DOF than you will from a P&S, so focusing carefully is often much more critical. Definitely spend some more time with the a700 and your current lenses. Test them for back or front focus issues. The Zeiss lenses are really something special, but like you said you should really be sure that your lenses are your limiting factor here..

**Anbesol** · 06-15-2009, 10:13 AM

^^^What he said. DSLR images always look "softer", because they are less processed, take it into photoshop and you can have more control over the exact sharpening process used, and you'll keep more detail in the image. If you want those processed sharp pictures right from the camera, you can always up the sharpening in camera.

**NoKnees** · 06-15-2009, 01:07 PM

^^^_^^^ what they said... ;) Post up some examples that we can view, and that might help us help you too.

Sometimes certain lenses and camera bodies just don't quite get the focus point just right (all types, Canon, Nikon, etc) and sometimes it's just a matter of getting used to the DSLR setup and it's different personalities... I wouldn't give up on the a700 yet...

**sun622** · 06-15-2009, 04:19 PM

The image size limitations of this forum prohibit me from posting pictures. I can email them to you through yahoo mail. My concern is the play in the lens focus system. As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be any play here. One poster wants me to adjust the sharpness but this camera doesn't have the option. The A900 does. IF things don't work out-the A700 goes to ebay(along with 4 lenses and the Sigma flash). I shoot weddings and i can't afford to have fuzzy images. :cryin: I feel bad trying to unload a bad camera. Maybe I can use it for a doorstop.

**Canuck935** · 06-15-2009, 09:54 PM