Probably.

For Ev compensation, I use the custom button on the back, designed for that very purpose.

I think ISO has always been a primary control, but we had little control over it.

Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are the only variables affecting exposure.

In the digital age we can expose each frame as we wish, unlike the days of film where you had to expose a whole roll using (more or less) one ISO setting dictated by the roll you had in the camera at the time.

On my K10/20D's which I use in Av mode most of the time, I have ISO on the front eDial. Suits me sir.

I think shutter count is under the 'Manufacturers Notes' section in PhotoMe.

As for the purple spots, is this perhaps the over/under exposure indication turned on? I'm not familiar with your model camera so I'm not sure where it is set.

It might surprise you to learn Stefan, that I do know what 'lower the flash output means'. I also know that it has nothing to do with the lens unless the flash is set to fully auto and TTL/P-TTL control is influenced by the lens's aperture to increase/decrease the flash output.

To write "Lower the flash output off the lens." for a person new to flash photography is misleading and unhelpful because it is an inaccurate/incomplete statement.

Your verbose explanation is also completely unnecessary for me because I was probably taking flash pictures before your parents even met. I know how a flash works, and how to use it properly. The OP however, needs some uncomplicated information to help him.

::: What on earth is this supposed to mean Stefan :::

If you mean "use a wider/larger aperture", why not say so?

Although MikeS hasn't been back since his original post, he did say he was not an experienced photographer and 'geek speak' isn't going to help him very much.

And I thought my effort was pretty good at 22 stacked images. Shows what I know .

It's the nest and occupants of a Paper Wasp (Polistes gallicus).

That thought had crossed my mind too.

Focus bracketting is something that would interest me. It'd be very easy to impliment in firmware too. Just select a start point, an end point, and number of steps in between. Job done.

I'd bet you'd like a nice bottle of Chianti too . . .

I really have no idea Gwyn. It's termed a 'tail horn' and I'm guessing that it has some kind of distraction function.

I think this one may be ready to pupate so it'll be looking for some soft earth in which to bury itself.

One of our cats was playing with it earlier so I moved it to a safer place. It was clicking quite loudly at the time. I've since learned that they will bite if sufficiently annoyed. The clicking noise is made by its mandibles.