Should I exchange the SX50 for something better in low light and action mode??????

VisionLight wrote:

Lisa,

Whether the flash you use is the on-board pop-up or an external unit, either have such a short duration of light output that either will stop action. The maximum duration of most flashes is only 1/1000th of a second and can be much faster. But when you use flash, the shutter speed is usually much slower at 1/60th to up to only 1/200th second. So the darker the surrounding area, the better flash stops action because there is less ambient light for the slower shutter to pick up and show partially lit movement. The only difference between the pop-up and external flash is the power of the output measured in GN (guide number). The higher the GN, the brighter the output, the further it will throw illumination. In my tests of the SX50's pop-up flash, I found that it does an excellent job when working in the 2½' to 12' range up an 84° angle of view. That's pretty good for most people's flash shooting. Once I played with the flash a lot, I put the settings that work best for me on the C1 mode of the dial so that I always have them available when needed. Some of those settings that you can start with are: Program mode, evaluative metering, autoISO set to a max of 800 and AWB (not FLASH) for the whilte balance. Since my flash pictures tend to be closer subjects instead of those further away, I've also set FEC to -1/3 and sometimes use -2/3 to keep the highlights lit by the flash from blowing out. With a little experimentation you will see your results and adjust these settings to your taste, but they're good to start with. And you can not only use them indoors but also outdoors in dim light for fill.

Hope this helps,

Vision