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Andy Blanchard wrote:

>
> Oddly they seemed to imply it was a recent phenomenon, as in since the
> take off of digital cameras, although I would have thought a decent
> film camera would catch the reflection too, under the right lighting
> and film conditions. Of course, film doesn't give the immediate
> feedback that a digital with preview screen does, so maybe this kind
> of instant gratification is necessary for the scam to work.
>
> Andy

It has more to do with the use of small apertures than the use of film.
At larger apertures, the dust motes near the lens would not be visible
(far out of focus)

Alan

On 23 Dec 2003 03:12:49 GMT, bzbzb (zbzbzb) wrote:

>Does that explain all those pictures though.

Scammers, no. Dust, probably. From the point of the scammers, "more
ghosts" = "more customers", so when the room's own dust doesn't
cooperate, having some in your pocket helps keep the bottom line
healthy. I have absolutely no truck with the idea that these things
are ghosts; the majority are probably dust motes close to the lens and
in the right angle to catch the flash or even ambient light. The rest
are going to be down to one of any number of fluke circumstances to
cause a small blob of sensors to get maxed out, or close to it;
reflections off a shiny surface hitting the lens, whatever.

Andy

>>Does that explain all those pictures though.
>
>Scammers, no. Dust, probably. From the point of the scammers, "more
>ghosts" = "more customers", so when the room's own dust doesn't
>cooperate, having some in your pocket helps keep the bottom line
>healthy. I have absolutely no truck with the idea that these things
>are ghosts; the majority are probably dust motes close to the lens and
>in the right angle to catch the flash or even ambient light. The rest
>are going to be down to one of any number of fluke circumstances to
>cause a small blob of sensors to get maxed out, or close to it;
>reflections off a shiny surface hitting the lens, whatever.
>
>Andy
>

Never experienced any paranormal phenomena?

On 23 Dec 2003 19:42:06 GMT, bzbzb (zbzbzb) wrote:

>Never experienced any paranormal phenomena?

Actually, I have had a few experiences I've been at a loss to explain,
both visible and audible phenomena, and that creepy "I'm sure there is
someone right behind me" feeling. I'm sure that there are people that
would instantly take these experiences as evidence of ghosts, UFOs,
"The Matrix" or whatever their personal beliefs. I just happen to
think that until proven otherwise that odd light in the sky is more
likely to have been light reflecting off a cloud, or whatever, than a
spaceship from umpteen lightyears away, for example.

Basically, I'm a card carrying skeptic, even when I've experienced
something I can't explain. "No proof" equates to "it's still only a
'maybe'" every time and a theory is a theory, not a fact.

Andy