Help with a photo, zoom question

[joaovmiguel]

I have a question about this photo.
Why are the buildings so fuzzy? I have used this lens many times before abd I've never seen this thing happens.
Thanks for any suggestions.
JMiguel

 

[480sparky41 40]

Looks like it's just too hazy with air pollution. The foreground is OOF as well. Too many possibilities here to nail it down. Access to the original, unedited file might help,

 

[joaovmiguel]

Looks like it's just too hazy with air pollution. The foreground is OOF as well. Too many possibilities here to nail it down. Access to the original, unedited file might help,

Thanks. OOF means Out Of Focus? I'll try to post the original file.

 

[bvjgcigh]

I was also having the same problem with a few hills. I just waited for the next season and it magically disappeared. I think it might be from too much fog or haze.

 

[joaovmiguel]

I was also having the same problem with a few hills. I just waited for the next season and it magically disappeared. I think it might be from too much fog or haze.

Here is the original file. Thanks for any suggestion/comment.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ryf3vuxmqh7cvf4/DSC_0318.JPG

 

[TCampbell]

From your original (dropbox) I can see the EXIF data (embedded data within the image that tells us information about the camera & settings and other miscellaneous things.)

I've "bolded" some of the information which is important.

Date Time: Apr 14, 2013 3:00:35 PM
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D5100
Orientation: 1 (Normal)
Resolution Unit: inches
Software: Ver.1.01
X Resolution: 300
Y Resolution: 300

Color Space: sRGB
Components Configuration: 1, 2, 3, 0
Compressed Bits Per Pixel: 4
Contrast: Normal
Custom Rendered: Normal process
Date Time Digitized: Apr 14, 2013 3:00:35 PM
Date Time Original: Apr 14, 2013 3:00:35 PM
Digital Zoom Ratio: 1
Exif Version: 2.3
Exposure Bias Value: 0
Exposure Mode: Auto exposure
Exposure Program: Not defined
Exposure Time: 1/400
File Source: DSC
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode
FlashPix Version: 1.0
FNumber: 10
Focal Length: 105
Focal Length In 35mm Film: 157
Gain Control: None
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Light Source: unknown
Max Aperture Value: 5
Metering Mode: Pattern
Pixel X Dimension: 4,928
Pixel Y Dimension: 3,264
Saturation: Normal
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Scene Type: A directly photographed image
Sensing Method: One-chip color area sensor
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: unknown
Sub-second Time: 80
Sub-second Time Digitized: 80
Sub-second Time Original: 80
User Comment:
White Balance: Auto white balance
AFInfo: 0.5071023, 0.2931985, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, n, 0.6816152, 0.4954044, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, f, 0.5071023, 0.6976103, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, n, 0.2270698, 0.4954044, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, n, 0.7871348, 0.4954044, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, n, 0.5071023, 0.4954044, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, F, 0.3325893, 0.3851103, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, f, 0.3325893, 0.4954044, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, f, 0.6816152, 0.6056985, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, n, 0.3325893, 0.6056985, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, f, 0.6816152, 0.3851103, 0.01217532, 0.009191177, f
Flash Compensation: 0
Focus Distance: 5.623
Focus Mode: 1
Image Number: 4,648
Image Stabilization: 3
Lens ID: -2,147,483,648
Lens Info: 18, 105, 3.5, 5.6
Lens Model: AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED
Serial Number: 6403167

Flash Setting: NORMAL
Focus Mode: AF-A
ISO Setting: 0, 100
Lens Type: 14
Quality: FINE
Shooting Mode: 0
Shutter Count: 4,648
White Balance Mode: AUTO


Here's a 100% crop of your background:



I'd like to call your attention to the wobbly edges and lines between each floor. Unless this is is very poor construction and those buildings are about to crumble (which is unlikely) those are supposed to be nice straight lines, but they're not.

You've got heat currents. Those buildings are very far away. Atmospheric distortions caused by heat is blurring the image. This is not the fault of your lens. If you had taken this shot on a cool day, you would likely have a better image.

A lens will usually provide it's best optical quality at about 2 stops down from whatever "wide open" is. Often it's somewhere between f/5.6 and f/8. Zoom lenses have a "sweet spot" -- a focal length which is sharper than any other focal length in the zoom range. I do not know what the sweet spot is on your 18-105, but often the extreme limits of the zoom are not in the sweet spot and experienced shooters may deliberately avoid using focal lengths at a limit when they're trying to get the sharpest possible result.

In this case, however, it would not have mattered... it would not have been able to overcome the atmospheric distortions of heat.

I did notice you are shooting on full automatic. That's fine for just starting... but you'll want to learn to take control of your camera to get optimum results.

 

[joaovmiguel]

Thanks very much

In did my concern with this shot are "the wooby edges and lines".

I thought the polution and the hot are the causes but I needed a better opinion.

This photo was shooted in full automatic but all the others that I've taken, (those bulidings are very far from me) some of them in manual mode, have the some "wooby edges".
João Miguel