A few weeks ago I bought a 70 - 300 lens. It inexpensive and tends to the soft side. In other words the photos, especially at the long focal lengths, are dull and lack crispness.
Saturday was a beautiful fall day. The mountains were hazy and for the most part I was taking photos toward the sun. I also shot at ISO 500 so that I could obtain a fast shutter speed for the long lens. The combination of the atmospheric conditions, the iso setting and the lens made for dull looking photos.
Fortunately Picasa and Photoshop restored some of the beauty of the day.