Sony DSCW50 problems

I think this one could just be user error, but I've searched around and can't find anything about it.

The pictures sometimes come out really really dark, or really really light (almost 100% black, or 100% white). It seems to be the flash is either providing too much light, or not enough, but I can't figure it out. I don't think I can set the intensity of the flash as it's just automatic. Is this something in the settings that is wrong, or what?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Brian

post a couple photos ... both taken in the "auto-adjustment" mode, the first w/ no flash

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/467/dsc00657ga9.jpg

and the second w/ the flash on auto

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/5217/dsc00658dx1.jpg

I'm gunna guess that it is your room that is causing the problem. The walls are white, the ceiling is too - the flash is blowing out the detail on the white surfaces. The chair and the books are more-or-less properly exposed in the flashed image, nothing is properly exposed in the unflashed image.

Both shots were taken at the same EXIF input: 1/40s, F/2.8, ISO320 - so the camera is trying to get as much light as possible onto the sensor, without making rediculous amounts of motion blur or noise...not bad IQ at all, it really isn't a lot different than I would shoot in full manual mode.

The first picture is really dark because it has extremely bright areas and extremely dark areas - the light meter is essentially taking samples from both and averaging them to make the exposure - so the really bright areas are still too bright, and the really dark areas are still too dark. Try again with the light source behind you, see if that makes a difference - it IS possible that the room is simply too dark for a good photo, but first let's see what the meter says.

The second shot has most of the detail properly exposed, or at least close to properly exposed. I'd say the camera has done a pretty good job of metering a tough situation; very low light, very bright surfaces. The walls are totally blown out, but that is because they are white and featureless - the detail is lost, but the histogram says that the levels are pretty good - maybe a bit overexposed, but closer to correct than they appear.

To trick your camera into softer lighting, try a little scotch tape on a bit of paper towel over the flash.

Hope this helps!!