Air 3S creates wavy patterns on metal sided building

PhotoDB · 2025-07-15T17:50:38-0400

This perfectly white metal-sided building did not show any of this wavy pattern while I was shooting it, so imagine my surprise when I processed the photos with DXO 5.2 and Photomatix 7.12 and then looked at these results. See the "3examples.jpg" for even worse waves on the same and other parts of the building. It didn't happen to all the photos - maybe half. See the normal "All White.jpg" photo.
I can't blame the processing software because the patterns are noticeable in the DNG and JPG originals as well. I also shot the same building with my Nikon Z9, and none of this nonsense shows up in those photos. It reminds me of the moire patterns you sometime see when photographing fabrics.
Does anyone have any idea what caused this, or better yet, how I could have avoided it?

PINEBARON · 2025-07-15T18:34:41-0400

I think it is a moire pattern which you can edit with an editor. You could try using an ND filter, change to a different frame rate.
Help with image quality- bad moire on roofs etc

Meta4 · 2025-07-15T20:37:55-0400

PhotoDB said:
I can't blame the processing software because the patterns are noticeable in the DNG and JPG originals as well. I also shot the same building with my Nikon Z9, and none of this nonsense shows up in those photos. It reminds me of the moire patterns you sometime see when photographing fabrics

You can't blame anything except physics.
That "nonsense" is a moire effect.

What Causes Moiré, How To Avoid It & How To Remove It

In the following 11 minute video from Adorama TV, Gavin Hoey answers these questions about moiré as part of his Take and Make Great Photography series.

www.slrlounge.com

akdrone · 2025-07-15T20:54:06-0400

many cameras us an internal filter to keep this from occurring. It's called an anti-alias filter but apparently it's not on the 3s. I don' think the 3s had a variable aperture, does it? If it does you can try another aperture or shoot it from another angle. Some programs like Photoshop have ways to eliminate it.