P880 AE with red dot flashing

Started Jan 6, 2007 | Discussions
buddywoods Forum Member • Posts: 74
P880 AE with red dot flashing

I bought a P880 camera a few days ago and have a question about close-up pictures. On the mode dial there is the flower and I do see how to change it from close-up to super close-up pictures. It looks like I can’t use the flash when I am in this mode? When I try to take a picture in this mode I almost always get an AE with a red dot flashing and I will be within the inches shown in the manual. At the bottom it will show in red an f2.8 and 0.5”.

I noticed when I have the mode dial set to auto I can press the focus button and there is a Macro AF with a flower. With this macro it looks like I can use a flash. If I have the flash open it looks like I don’t get the AE flashing red dot as much. The manual says it’s best not to use the flash on close-up pictures but if I don’t use the flash I almost always get an AE with the flashing red dot. Which one is better to use, the mode dial on the flower or the mode dial on auto and set it to macro with the focus button? What is the best way to take close-up pictures without a flash and not get the AE with the flashing dot? Maybe there is something wrong with my camera?

Thanks,
Buddy

Dave S Veteran Member • Posts: 3,657
Re: P880 AE with red dot flashing

I played with my 880 some and would say the flower dial is best. Camera focused quicker than macro mode. I was'nt even aware of the flower deal.
I noticed that the blinking red did it on mine only
when the camera was'nt focused --
FZ30/P880/A610

OP buddywoods Forum Member • Posts: 74
Re: P880 AE with red dot flashing

Thanks, Dave.

Buddy

mike051051
mike051051 Senior Member • Posts: 2,368
Re: P880 AE with red dot flashing

Buddy,

The red AE means the camera cannot set the proper exposure, usually meaning that the picture will come out too dark. So if you're in close up mode shooting without flash, you'll need to provide more light. When the lens aperture and/or shutter speed go red, that means the camera has adjusted them to the max allowed in that mode and you'll get an underexposed picture. In that case you should either add more light if possible, or use a tripod or other steady rest, switch to P (program) mode and increase the Exposure Compensation, or use S (shutter priority) or M (manual) modes and adjust the shutter speed slower if you can't add more light. With a slow shutter speed though you really need the support of a tripod or some way of bracing the cam so there's no shake involved to spoil the shot.

In those modes you will need to use Macro Focus and you won't be able to get quite as close a focus as you can with the Super Close-up, but the quality of the exposure will still be there.

Using the pop-up flash on the camera when you're that close would just throw a big shadow onto the subject anyway because the lens basically "gets in the way" of the light from the flash.

The Flower mode on the mode dial assumes that you're taking pictures outdoors or in bright lighting, that's why the flash is turned off in that mode.
--
Mike O'Brien
Eastman Kodak Company

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OP buddywoods Forum Member • Posts: 74
Re: P880 AE with red dot flashing

Thank you, Mike!

Buddy

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