Manual setting in K-x

How are you measuring the exposure? Don't forget you have to take an exposure measurement and adjust the camera settings to give the correct exposure. The bar graph in the viewfinder should be centred to obtain the camera's exposure recommendation.

However, if that's all we do it might as well be set to Av instead. Set the aperture, let the camera select the shutter speed.

Clearly using the flash all the time is not intended and something in the technique used is a bit amiss. It would be easier to show you how to use manual settings than decribe it, but perhaps go back to auto, establish that all is well. Then practice with making the settings manually.

The other thing that you might like to try is a quick press of the 'green button' while in manual mode. That should then give you the approximate settings (aperture and shutter speed) for the shot you're trying to take.

Using that as the base, you can then change both shutter and aperture settings in tandem, to keep the same exposure value. Thus, if you choose to increase the shutter speed, you will need to open the aperture to a wider setting (ie, a lower f-stop number) to compensate, in order to maintain a suitable exposure.

And if you lose track of where you are with all of that, just press the green button again.

Hi Trixie,

If you are having to use fill in flash that might indicate portraits heavily back lit fooling the metering. Usually only very bright sunlight such as on a beach would need fill in flash and then turned down a stop or so.

Try spot exposure control and check if you have the shadow correction on (medium seems good)