Shutter release on X-90

I hope this is the right forum and I haven't repeated my question somewhere else on this forum. I don't think I have.

I have an Pentax bridge camera X-90 camera. I take landscapes and interior shots but I notice the shutter release is slow. When I went to Salisbury cathedral to take shots, the picture looked washed out (overexposed). I am only learning and have had it on autofocus, TV, AVG and other settings but the pictures all the look the same. I notice when ever I put it on ‘Green Mode’ it looks a bit better but not much. What is Green Mode?

I would like the Pentax K30, as the Kr is no longer available. What I would like to know is if a sensor on a DSLR is better then that of a bridge camera? I know that the lens on the K30 is 18-55m, but I am not sure what it is on the X-90, does anyone know? Thanks very much and hope you can help me?

The sensor on the DSLR is much bigger, so noise levels will be less and the smoothness of the image will be improved. It is a very different beast and a higher quality level.

Having said that, the X90 is a splendid camera that has a fantastic lens range from macro to super telephoto. There's no cheap way to emulate all it can do with a DSLR. It's also lighter and more compact.

However, as you have seen, it is also slower to operate and especially slower to focus. If the picture looks washed out it's probably because the deep shadows are fololing the meter in the camera. There is an exposure compensation button that will help you to change the brightness of the image. If the subject is dark, use a minus figure to keep it dark.

The green mode is a setting where the camera does all the thinking and the options the user has are reduced. Try the P (program) setting to give some more options, but leave it there until, with a bit more practice, the images start to look better.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for your reply. Where is the exposure compensation button? Sorry to ask daft questions, I'm only learning. I have it on 200 on the P program, but I notice whenever I switch the camera on, I have to go into the menu because it automatically switches the sensitivity to auto, and the ISO to 160-800.

I always turn the setting onto shade, and the ISO onto 200 as with the sensitivity. Am I using the wrong settings?

I use these settings on AV for still things, and TV for moving objects.

You don't need to change mode to take still oraction shots. In Av, for example, if you open the aperture you will get the same faster shutter speed that you might set in Tv. The two are inter-connected to give the same overall exposure.

The exposure compensation is usually a plus/minus button - press it and a small bar display shows up. The control wheel will then change the value shown. Press the button again to clear it from the display, but bear in mind it stays set until you change it again.

If you go into the menu you can select auto ISO, you can select the range limits, but you can also select a fixed ISO value if you prefer.

Shade is a white balance setting. That's fine if you want very warm images, but generally you might consider setting to daylight. AWB is also useful for mixed lighting.