@Matt - if you had +1.5 in your flash Ev then that's why the fill in flash was over exposed

You should get a correct exposure in Av mode without flash. Yes, the shadows may be deep. Adding flash (at +0.0Ev) should produce a 'correct' image.

Also watch that the flash isn't too close to the subject (for the given ISO setting). There are minimum, as well as maximum, distances to be respected with flash

Matt

Stefan: it seems to work like this...

The main Ev control affects the overall exposure (including flash).
Then the flash Ev control adjusts the flash relative to that base exposure.

So, with the flash mode set to "Slow", setting camera -1Ev and flash +1Ev should give you reduced ambient lighting with dominant flash (with flash effectively being the "correct" exposure since -1Ev + +1Ev = 0Ev).

When you select "Slow trailing curtain sync" that just affects when the flash fires (compared to just "Slow") rather than any metering.

Matt

@Stefan - probably (Depending on time, health and energy - all three lacking at the mo')

@Anne - the AF360 was built pre-digital and the angle display is slightly confusing (but not incorrect). 58 on the AF360 is 85mm on the camera (because 85mm on an APS digital is approx 58 * 1.5

The flash power adjustment isn't manual control
The pop-up is always P-TTL, but as Gwyn rightly says you can control its input to the main exposure.
Matt

@Stefan: The K-7 introduced a new option for the Auto ISO. There is now "Slow" (which will veer towards lower ISOs but obviously slower shutter speeds), "Normal" (which is what the K20D and K10D do), and "Fast" (where it'll use higher ISOs to gain a faster shutter speed). A bit like a program-line for ISO. Useful

@Anne: Ok, from using my K-7 I can say there isn't a problem with the flash - it works exactly as I'd expect. The way the ISO is bumped up is what I would expect... at least on my K-7

No, if anything I'd expecit it to be the same. I presume you are forcing the aperture and shutter speed and expecting a difference in exposure when using the flash? Actually, with low ambient light I would expect the flash to compensate and make them pretty much the same. If you are experiencing a slightly darker image at f/4.5 when using 200mm, I would probably put it down to lens vignetting

I would suggest that there is some basic photographic technical knowledge that would help - shutter speeds, apertures, ISO sensitivities etc.


For indoor "point-and-shoot" flash photography I would suggest the following:
* Manual camera mode
* Fixed ISO, e.g. ISO 400 or 800
* Fixed aperture, e.g. f/8
* Auto flash (though personally I'd use a flash Ev compensation of between -0.5 and -1.0)
(The flash will do all the donkey work of getting the exposure right)

You could set this up on the "USER" setting.

If you want to reduce the "blam" effect of the flash then I'd suggest the following for indoor, low light photography:
* Av camera mode
* Higher ISO, e.g. ISO800 or ISO1600
* Fixed aperture, e.g. f/5.6 (but be more careful with focussing)
* Flash set to "Slow, trailing curtain sync"
Here, the shutter speeds will be much lower - and you'll get some blurring - but the flash will "freeze" the motion. In this setup the ambient light and the flash light will be equally balanced, so you will have less of a harsh image.


If you want to balance the ambient light and flash:
* Manual camera mode
* Higher ISO, e.g. ISO800 (unless you're using a tripod)
* Choose an aperture and shutter speed that register about -1 to -1.5 Ev on the meter
* Flash (P-TTL or popup)
Here, the ambient light will just shine through, but the flash will be dominant. With careful choice of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO you can usually get something that will be ok for kids. The resulting image will be better than either of the above - you'll preserve the "feel" of the room, but make use of the flash.

(I cover these steps and more in my £4.95 flash guide )


In reality, the camera can't automatically "know" which of these three you're aiming for. All cameras, on auto, will just do a quick judgment. The Nikons will add distance information into the flash auto calculations - and this certainly helps (because the effectiveness of the flash will quarter for every doubling of distance - the "inverse square law"). Although Pentax system doesn't have this distance information as you've already experienced with the K20D Pentax can do flash just fine.


Looks like we're folding in multiple "issues" into this one thread...

I'm still trying to work out what you had wrongly set

Matt

Eurhgh! Just as well I wasn't eating when I read about the parasites....
Matt

You should attach the Spyder before running, AFAIK.
Which OS are you running?

I seem to remember getting something similar when I was using just Argyll, and not dispcalGUI... might have been on Windows with a USB issue - you HAVE to follow the installation instructions and update the Spyder USB driver to the Argyll supplied one (not the Spyder provided USB driver)... or it might have been on my Mac!

Matt

...let's establish that it isn't a setting issue first

As I said, it's much much easier to suss out what's happening first-hand. But, assuming your not nearby (Hove) then we'll have to persist with this approach first.

Resetting all settings would be a good way to start. It will certainly sort out the camera issues.

As you have an external flash, I would suggest correlating the problem with that:

* If it behaves the same with the external then we're looking at settings

* If it behaves correctly with external, but badly with popup then it's probably a faulty pop-up.

HTH!
Matt

Ok, I've tried this out some more and can add the following information and descriptions

As I hinted at before there are ways to tell the camera how to balance the ambient light with the flash lighting. Depending on the flash modes you have set, the camera will obtain an exposure for either the ambient or for the flash.

* In TAv mode the camera always aims for ambient lighting. So, you should notice that the ISO setting the camera chooses for your given Tv & Av combination will be same whether the flash is up or down.

* In P, Tv, Av:
- the camera will choose a flash exposure (ie lower ISO) when the flash mode is set to a "normal" one.

- the camera will choose the ambient exposure (ie higher ISO) when the flash mode is set to one of the "Slow" settings (because you are asking for a slower shutter speed that matches the ambient lighting).


This is one of those times that a quick live demonstration would go a long way! With my K-7 it works out-the-box as it is - so either there's a setting problem, or a physical problem (I'm still not sure we've exhausted all the setting issues).

You may want to do a "Reset all settings" on the K-7 to get it back to factory default...

Matt

I don't think the problem has anything to do with ISO setting
The ISO the camera chooses is dependent on a number of factors - but it shouldn't affect the flash exposure (unless you hit the flash limits). As I've tested, the pop-up flash (set to 0.0Ev in the flash settings) works every time in ISO ranges from 100 to 6400!

I can only just make it go over exposed by setting ISO6400, and going in really close.

It makes me wonder whether your pop-up flash is defective... it's almost as though the pop-up is discharging completely every time. That would certainly give the results you are seeing. (The reason I asked about the lens is that older lenses, like the "A" and "M" manual lenses will not support P-TTL flash and will result in the flash completely discharging every time.)

From my limited experience with the K-7 you certainly shouldn't be having these issues.

Have you tried other lenses? (I've only tried the DA17-70... but will try with some more!)

Matt