Sony NEX help please?

[sherry7]

Hello all. I bought a Sony NEX-F3 last summer, and I consistently have the same problem with it. I'm guessing that it's user error, since I'm not the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to cameras. If it is in fact an equipment problem, then I need to send it in before the 1 year warranty expires.

No matter what setting I use, the flash will only sporadically go off. It doesn't matter whether the flash is "popped out" or not. I have it set on auto flash. As far as I can tell, there's not a force flash setting. The main reason I chose this model was because of the capability of tilting the flash back so I could bounce it off the ceiling, but since the flash only works occasionally, that feature is now almost useless to me. If the room is almost dark, the flash will fire. But, if it's lighted but dim, the flash will not fire.

For the record, I'm just a "mom with a camera" who has never had the time to learn manual settings, etc. I typically set the camera on either Auto mode, or Intelligent Auto mode. But even in Auto, I just can't understand why the flash won't fire in a semi-dim room. I find myself reaching for my cheap little point & shoot for inside shots, because at least I know the flash on that will work when I need it to.

Oh, and it's doing this whether or not it's the first shot, or if I've shot a few already. The battery is usually fully charged, or close to it.

Here's an example. You can really tell the lack of flash because her eyes are shadowed. Anyone know how I can fix this problem? Thanks.

 

[2Tiggies]

This is coming from another "mom with a [big] camera" so take it with a pinch of salt if you will but that looks to me like your camera was smart enough to recognize that it didn't need a flash. I would imagine that a flash would have blown out that pretty little face if it had fired. I am assuming you don't do any post processing but if it is a little underexposed for your taste, that would take a matter of seconds to rectify in even a basic editing program. What you could also do is just adjust your ISO by lifting it a little at a time and taking a few shots until the exposure is what you are looking for.

Edit to add: I should probably add that I know nothing whatsoever about the camera you are using. I am going purely by what I'm looking at in the image you posted

 

[cjstarr]

I agree with 2Tiggies on this. The flash would have blown the picture out.
How far from your daughter were you?
My Sony a57 came with software (Play Memories Home)
that would fix the problem with the shadow around the eyes.
Did you receive any software with your NEX-F3?

 

[2Tiggies]

The biggest problem with Auto that many folk overlook is that you can't tell the camera to do or not do anything. When you flick that control to full auto you are telling the camera "You decide". A lot of the time it will do a pretty good job. But it won't always get it right and even if it is technically correct, it may not be what you want from it. That includes the flash firing or not firing

 

[sherry7]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I was standing around 4 feet from her on that first shot. I do have the editing software that came with the camera, but I usually just do a quick adjustment in Picasa with the fill light slide. It's just a pain to do it to nearly every inside photo I take, and the results aren't always good because the photo gets grainy, or the skin tone looks weird. I know I need to learn to shoot in manual, but the problem is finding the time to sit down and read about it. I appreciated all of you giving me advice, without making me feel like an idiot, lol.

Here's some more examples. In the 1st pic (unedited), the flash fired, and I like the results. I would have liked it better if I had remembered to bounce the flash off the ceiling, but at least the flash went off. In the 2nd pic (unedited), the flash didn't fire (literally 10 seconds later, so I'm not sure why the camera changed it's mind and decided not to use the flash). The 3rd pic is an edited version of the 2nd pic (just using the fill light slider in Picasa), and I think it looks awful.