Epson r800 has surprised me

I had a picture that I took with my Canon 20D of a friend of mine and his grandchild. I liked it a lot and decided to sharpen it up some in photoshop do a little adjusting then print him a 5x7 on my Epson r800. What surprised me was how much sharper it looked than the one on his desk that someone at a studio did. He paid money for that one! Don't get me wrong I am no expert and I am just learning as a photographer but it was surprising to think my shot looked better than the one he paid for. His picture just looked real soft or something. I am just surprised that my r800 compared that well to something else. Comments?

I have an R800 but don't print that size so I can't say.

It does a really nice job at the large prints I can tell you that. Sharp and even.

Portraits aren't traditionally the sharpest, and the photographer may have been going for a soft focus look. In some situations, sharpness is overrated, and may be inappropriate.

jfranco, my sentiments exactly. Sharper is not necessarily better. In fact, when I'm toning photos of elderly people for the paper, people who are sensitive about looking their age, I never sharpen their faces at all. Just emphasizes the wrinkles.

Flattering portraiture of the elderly is a worthwhile endeavor. I suspect that the baby boomers may redefine this genre of photography with their diversified taste and consistent mold breaking.

Sometimes studios prefocus on the area where the person is sitting. If the person is not exactly where the focus was set up, the picture may not be super tack sharp.

Of course, the studio could have been going for a softer look as well...