[bncooper]

I have just purchased a Ricoh Caplio GX after reading so much about it and also reading the review on this website.

While I agree that it is a good product for the price, I am having a hard time understanding the internal flash.

The flash sometimes gives out a brilliant flash, but sometimes it is barely a flicker. I took many shots under the same (indoor) lighting conditions, pointing to the same subject from the same angle, but the flash output was at different levels for all shots, from just a flicker to an all out "Kaboom".

So how does this camera decide what flash brilliance to use. How does one manually control the brilliance of the flash, which seems to have a mind of its own.

[mic]

Bncooper,

That's a problem Ricoh have had since the RR-30 was released. The flash seems to have a mind of its own.

I took my camera back to the service dept and was told to use spot metering to try to fix the exposure problems as the multi segment mode seemed to be very hit and miss.

A firmware upgrade helped but the problem is still there.

I refuse to use my Caplio in low light because iof the erratic flash exposure.

The other advice they gave was to go out and buy a slave flash.

It was about then I realised that point and shoot digital cameras are basically crap. regardless of who brands them. I got myself a istD now and I'm very happy.

[bncooper]

Thanks Mic,

I guess I am stuck with this camera then. Hundreds of reviews on the web, but no one thought of mentioning this. If I had read about it in someone's review, I would not have bought it.