Nikon F80 mode selector switch ....

[j_wittenberg]

... the back from holiday's saga continues.

 

We had a FM2n, a F80 (the high commander's - read wife), and an F100

with us.

 

Went hiking along the coast, and decided to take the very lightwieght

F80 and the 28-105 AFD. Used the huge Lowepro TLZ AW pouch (which

easily holds an FM2n w/ Winder and 35-200 or the F100 w/ Batterypack

and the 80-400.

 

Got the slides back ... all underexposed ... noticed that the

selector switch for the F80 gets moved every time it's put in (any)

camera bag (in this case to Manual)... apparently there is no way to

lock this switch.

 

Long story short ... high commander's camera ... I was supposed to be

taking the pictures ... screwed up... hell to pay ... quote "you

should sell your other cameras - can't even take a decent picture

with an F80"

 

Can I lock the stupid selector switch or not?

 

My lesson ... always use the FM2n or the F100 (if I'm allowed to keep

them) .... and sel the @#$%ing F80.

[dan_andrews]

J,

 

Short answer: no, you can't lock the selector switch.

 

Long answer: you have two options. Either (a) get the High Commander in the habit of checking aforementioned selector switch prior to using the camera each and every time, or (b) get a different bag (by which I refer to your camera bag not the aforementioned High Commander).

 

And furthermore, I have never encountered the problem you describe, with either the selector switch or my own personal High Commander, but my camera pouches are set up so as not to jog knobs, buttons, etc.

 

And still furthermore, I also use an F80 as my main body, with wither an FM2n or an N8008 as my backup body, depending. nice to know that others like the same gear I do. Now I have to go get the gear ready for taking some shots in the not-so-distant future.

[lachaine]

I have an F80, along with the same 28-105, plus some prime lenses, which I carry in a Lowepro TLZ-1 or Nova 3 bag, depending on how much I want to carry. During the 8 months I've used it, the mode switch has never, not once, budged at all unless I wanted it to. No, it doesn't lock, but it requires a fairly stiff turn to change the setting. I find it hard to believe it could move just by putting in a case, but I guess anything is possible. I try to make it a habit to check the exposure mode, the metering mode and the autofocus setting each time I first use the camera, just in case I may have left it in a mode I don't want - although most of the various settings are clearly indicated in the viewfinder.

[briany]

Perhaps your switch has become looser than is typical? You might want to play around with a new n80 at a camera store, though it's probably not anything you'd want to pay to fix. Like the above posters, mine is pretty stiff and has never been jostled, though I have forgotten to switch out of metering modes, multi exposure, etc. I'm sure the High Commander has chastised you for not seeing the light meter in the viewfinder, and I certainly can't talk, as all the settings I've forgotten were visible in the viewfinder as well!

[nico_.]

What sort of help is it to answer "this has never happened to me" when in fact it *has* happened to J?

 

In the 2.5 years I have owned my F80 it's happened to me say 3-5 times with *different* bags. Mostly in cases where I tried to use it like a P&S and didn't pay attention to the viewfinder readouts. Luckily I noticed it very quickly. More often than the exposure mode selector the focus mode selector got knocked out of position.

 

I think the important point is to remember that the F80 is no P&S and to not use it as one. If you do you may have to deal with results like the ones you got. Interestingly, most P&S cameras reset everything to default setting each time they're switched off. The more "sophisticated" cameras get the less you find this behaviour...

 

As you probably noticed yourself there's no lock for the switch. You can always tape it over though (making your forgetfullness kind of public and you even more target of your wife's mockery...).

 

And lastly: get over it and don't sell the F80! It would be a shame and I'm sure one day you'll master that little beast ;-)

[neil_lupin]

this has never happened on my F80. I'd suggest the switch is abnormally loose.

[tony_p3]

Have to admit I have also never had any problems with the selector switch in the 10 months I've have my F80, maybe you have a duff one? If anything I sometimes find the switches are a little too stiff for my liking, but better stiff than floppy.

 

HTH Tony