Hi there, I've got DPP but actually use other software to sharpen the images if they need it. I tend to zoom in quite a bit to see the effects of the sharpening and that also allows you to see the effects on the noise, which I find increases with increased sharpening. Does DPP allow that? It might be worthwhile bearing in mind if you want to print quite large in the future. Typically I never go above approximately a third of the maximum sharpening possible - the image can start to take on an artificial quality too.
It sounds obvious but I tend to get rid of any photo that I'm not 99% happy with the sharpness of - better to have fewer photos that I'm completely happy with than more that I'm not. I know only too well that it's hard to press that delete button though when you've spent all day getting that perfect composition and lighting only to find that it's softer than you wanted!
