learn your histogram, the lcd will fool you. it'll look good in the dark, but the image file will be very underexposed....

just remember with the flash to use INDIRECT flash, bounce it off the reflector, or ceiling or wall or through a diffuser. try to use the flash as a second light source.

in my example image, I was able to create a nice high key image by metering the light outside the window, then opening up a stop and a half to get it bright, and then metering the flash, through a shoot through umbrella. This give good depth of feild, and sharp, with no subject movement induced blur.

softening and vinette added in post.

hope that helps.

Thank you.

here's one with flash and a north facing window.



use flash
get plenty of dof..f8-f16
cotton swabs....lint between fingers and toes is easier dealt with before shooting, just let mom do the work...

have fun.

I seriously believe Pentax should buy the rights to reproduce Matt's book, and use it for a manual, with the flash units.
or at least tell people where to buy a copy.

There are only two things that are required to call yourself a "Pro"....

Pros are consistent.
Pros get paid.

of course one doesn't need to be a Pro to be good.

you're min focusing distance is the same.

if you got them at a feeder, why not try setting up some lights?
perhaps you can get an aperture/shutter/iso combo that you KNOW should give you sharp images... and also test your lens to see if it is front/back focusing...

if you are using a tripod, the sr should be off, there was a fella here that tested that and found it could lock up the camera and require pulling the battery out to rest the camera...

yeah, those little button cells are loaded with mercury.

I'd be thinking corrosion, on the internal circuit boards......
Perhaps fumes from the batteries while in storage, or humidity, or whatever they switched to after trying to reduce the lead.....
I've heard of some electronics having trouble with mercury vapor leaching out of batteries and causing aluminum components to disentrigrate.