I was playing around with my F100 which i used for sports photography.I turned it off went into the kitchen to make a coffee.Whilst in the kitchen the F100 ACTIVATED ITSELF and took two photos of the sofa.This made ME jump,spooky or what(THIS IS TRUE).That was two weeks ago,i have not changed any settings since ,and it has not done it again...yet.I must say since then i always say please and thank you before and after taking photos.

1. Has it become A.I

2.Has it been possessed by Phil Kean.

3.Will it bully my Leica,which i use most of the time(it is bigger)

4.Should i move house.

Bottom line how did it do that turned off!!!

Please advise

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), March 25, 2002

Answers

electrostatics. A couple of weeks ago, I parked my car, locked it and went for a short walk. When I came back, the car was still locked, but all the windows (electric) were wide open....

-- Jacques (jacquesbalthazar@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.

You see, this is what happens when you mess with that new fangled "elec-trickery", you're far better off with good old steam, clockwork and windy-up gear things....

:)

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), March 25, 2002.

What I'm afraid some of us now want most is an M that -- after you left the damn thing on -- it turns itself off. After the picture has been taken, of course :)

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), March 25, 2002.

Having been in the motor trade I know of this sort of happening. WE have put it down to static charges as it seems to occur only in very dry weather where the barometric pressure is high.

-- Tony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), March 25, 2002.

Static. A while back I had a customer (a Leica user to boot) who had a set of self contained studio strobes that he said were faulty. They would go off all the time on their own accord. Since they were new we traded them and sent them back, but the new ones did the same thing. I visited his studio and they worked fine - except whenever he got with a couple of feet of the things they fired. We did some research (through a doctor) and found that some people 'store' a much higher static charge than others and this was firing his stobes. He switched brands and everything was fine.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), March 25, 2002.

Hello Allen,

Heck with the electrobabble. Now the important questionss:

How was the bokeh of the pictures? Was it as good as the pre- ASPH 'cron, and how does that compare with the Canadian 'lux?

Natural lighting?

B&W film, chrome, color neg? What?

Any of Dixon's model's on the sofa? Any naked?

Please give us the rest of the story!!!

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), March 25, 2002.

On a sensible note,yes the answer is static,i often get electric shocks when opening car doors.Still weird thought.

On the not so sensible note.

This morning it actually spoke to me for the first time.It told me its name was David and it loved me.It asked me if it could take all my photographs(probably better than me).I said, could i take a few myself.It said that would not be a option,David had looked at my own photos.(what can i say).

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), March 25, 2002.

Hell, I once had an Olympus that cooked me breakfast. Go figure.

Dennis :>)

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), March 25, 2002.

One time my Nikon F4s misbehaved and started to expose himself (I believe it's a he) whenever a woman came into the viewfinder. Had to confine him to a locked drawer ever since. A very sad end to a fine camera.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), March 25, 2002.

Leica cameras have souls. The other makes are possessed! I once "borrowed" my brother's Minolta 8000?. It refused to advance film.Printed out "Help" like it was camera-napped.Finally managed to get the film out.New film.Then i see this marvelous scene,girl with beautiful body, outlined by back lit sun,reflected in mirror.The camera refuses to go off till she left the scene.i will not use cameras that have same viewpoint as jealous spouse! I love my steam driven,clock work wonder.Way faster than those incredible auto focus and way ahead still more than the retarded point and shoot digitals.Did a parade and mostly got the backs of marchers due to slow...taking of photo.

-- jason gold (leeu72@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.

Jason has a point. I got tired of my 8008 making a funny noise sometimes when I pressed the button, but not taking the shot. I started leaving it in the drawer and taking my M6 instead.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), March 25, 2002.

Shoot, that's why I don't Nikons anymore... at least the Voigtlanders don't complain about their own status :D

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.

In all cases, don't sell the house or call an exorcist to cure the F100.

Bugs, Bugs. In a old article of a french amgazine they complained they had received the camera "not updated with the latest version".

Have you tried to find a patch at Nikon.com?

It's not a big deal anyway. It might even comply with Alfie Wang "State of the Art Photography Rule"

Ah, yes, would you show the photo of the Sofa? It could be a "chef d'oeuvre"

Cheers. Xavier.

-- Xavier d'Alfort (hot_billexf@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.

First photos ever taken by a camera on its own.Could be worth a mint in 50 years.

-- Allen Herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), March 30, 2002.