Canon EOS 5D MKII shooting Jewelry

[ACH DIGITAL]

I've shooting Jewelry for a few years now. When I got my 5D original images where outstandingly sharp for the file size. I use 100mm macro, 50mm macro and 90mm ts-e for this kind of work. My cameras is always on a tripod and mirror lockup being used as well as self-timer.
Ever since I moved to 5D MKII things changed and My details are soft compare to those of the 5D original. I have tried everything from working a bit wider F/16 to focusing via Live view and no luck whatsoever.
The problem since to be worse while working this close range than when working normal distances.
Anyone would have and idea of the problem. I have read many forums and what I have pick up from them could be the lenses not performing well with 22 mp.
Any ideas?

Antonio

[marcmccalmont]

I've shooting Jewelry for a few years now. When I got my 5D original images where outstandingly sharp for the file size. I use 100mm macro, 50mm macro and 90mm ts-e for this kind of work. My cameras is always on a tripod and mirror lockup being used as well as self-timer.
Ever since I moved to 5D MKII things changed and My details are soft compare to those of the 5D original. I have tried everything from working a bit wider F/16 to focusing via Live view and no luck whatsoever.
The problem since to be worse while working this close range than when working normal distances.
Anyone would have and idea of the problem. I have read many forums and what I have pick up from them could be the lenses not performing well with 22 mp.
Any ideas?

Antonio

If you are using live view 10X and manually focusing focus should be good.  Are you comparing 100% crops or the same amount of the subject? I am finding my 5DII sharper than my 5D? perhaps you are running into diffraction sooner maybe f9 and focus stacking would help.
Marc

[ACH DIGITAL]

If you are using live view 10X and manually focusing focus should be good.  Are you comparing 100% crops or the same amount of the subject? I am finding my 5DII sharper than my 5D? perhaps you are running into diffraction sooner maybe f9 and focus stacking would help.
Marc

Hi Mark,

I'm using live view 10x and focusing manually and comparing 100%. When you say stacking you mean conposing several images?
Thanks

[marcmccalmont]

What I mean is if it is soft because of shooting at a small aperture and the 5DII's smaller pixels are limiting you because of diffraction, like using f22 to get a reasonable depth of field.  You might try focus stacking with multiple shots using a program like helicon focus. I would also recommend focus fixer plugin as a sharpening tool.
Marc

[stever]

i also find the 5D2 sharper than the 5D even at f22 (the 90 TS seems to hold up a bit better at f22 than the 100M), and live view is a huge advantage for subjects that don't move

if i were shooting jewelry, i'd certainly try Helicon Focus both for overall sharpness and the ability to use smaller apertures to control the area of sharp focus relative to background (again, live view really becomes useful here as well), but in general if the 5D2 is softer than the 5D, then there is a problem somewhere