Quote:
"So, I am understanding you to are saying that there must be something wrong with my work, and that the question that I posed is groundless, save for the possibility of the mis-alignment of the sensor and the 45 degree finder's representation of the image, Which raises for me the question, ...if the contrast method of achieving focus is adequate, and the optical path of the reflex viewing is accurate, why LV?"
The way I see it is that you told us you have a problem and asked us for our input: I have some very soft Sinar images, and I have the same problem.
If you normally use Live Video, you know what "critically sharp" looks like. With Live video there is no possibility of sensor position focus errors, as you focus on the sensor, nothing else could be as good... and you use LV to test lenses as it illuminates any possibility of focus errors.
Could you not have used the 54h in single shot or 4 shot mode? Don't the movements of a Sinar P2/3 make it easier to get the plane of sharpest focus where you want it... and the non-DSLR Sinars are completely free of mirror shake.
If you view a high-res picture at 100% (on the same monitor, and the same res), you are looking at a smaller proportion of the picture, but with a good AA filter free CCD, it should still look good... (but I think that, with 16 shot, the effective pixels are so small that you are beginning to loose it as the effective pixel size is getting close to the wavelength of light). Did you have more pixels/(square inch of subject) than with the larger pictures - if so, you should be able to see the canvas texture.
If you do not normally use that set-up for flat copy work, then if the focus distance was not bang on, you might not be aware of it.
Is the macro lens you used optimized for 1:1 (like the Schneider Apo Digitar Macro) or is it designed to perform from 1:1 to infinity (like the Zeiss Macro Planar 120)?
As per my thread about mounting Apo-digitars, is is easy to check focus - for short ranges put a meter rule (or yard stick) on a table and focus on the mid point, and see what is sharp.
Getting back to the basics (without accusing you of making basic mistakes)... what can cause unsharp images?sensor res/pixel count
lens res/mtf (assuming lens up to spec)
faulty/dropped lens - out of position elements.
Focus error
alignment of plane of sharpest focus
camera shake: mirror, cable induced, hand, wind, earthquake, people walking round the studio etc. or (relative) subject movement.
misted /dirty lens or sensor
lens out of it's optimal reproduction ratio
Diffreaction
You can, of course immediately illuminate most of these, but if you got an unsharp image, there must be a reason for it.