Older lens on new camera question

[ranchcutter]

I bought a Nikon D50 with the 18-55 kit lens and a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 about eight years ago. I recently bought a Nikon D7100. These lenses on the D50 produced nice, sharp shots, but on the D7100, the shots look terrible. The sharpness just isn't there. I've had a professional photographer tell me that the much larger mp camera (D7100) will bring out the flaws in the older lens, thereby explaining the way they look. Then I saw where someone has said in a thread in another forum that "No lens will become worse with a higher resolution sensor camera". If that's the case, I am truly not liking the D7100. So, now I'm confused. I've spent countless hours the past month in researching lens in thinking that I need to buy something newer. Help please!!! Thanks!!!

 

[PaulWog]

[double post]

 

[PaulWog]

Try using live-view and see if your shots come out nicer. Live-view uses a different focusing system.

You might need to adjust the focus of your lenses on your D7100. I'm not entirely familiar with the process, so you should google it (you'll find a guide just by googling "d7100 focus calibration", or maybe someone else could direct you to a good guide.

Your 18-55 just might be revealing its weaknesses (it's a slow kit lens that isn't sharp to say the least), however the 70-200 should be quite sharp.

 

[ranchcutter]

I've been using back button focus. Set camera on tripod and took shots of same thing at different manual settings. None of them are sharp.