Why does the XA1 need to be reset when flash is turned off?

That's my basic question. Somehow my flash got turned off  (it was greyed out in the setup menu) and, tho I don't use the flash very often, there are times when I need it. So I went into the menu and tried every which way to turn on the flash and I couldn't do it. I didn't want to reset the camera because I have my settings which I like and didn't want to lose them. And of course I didn't have my manual with me when I went on a trip to Bangkok from up country Thailand where I live (tho it wouldn't have done any good as I have since dissected the manual and couldn't find anything to help). So I took it into a camera shop in Bangkok, and the Fuji "expert" immediately did a reset before I could tell him I didn't want to lose my settings.

So why has Fuji set up the XA1 like this? Or was it just me. I don't remember my X10 being like that (the main silly thing with the X10 was that in super macro the flash would not work). And is there any way to save my settings so I don't lose them when I have to reset- like maybe in the C settings? ALso, how did my flash get turned off in the first place? I don't think that was the default mode when I first bought the camera in Canada. Is this similar to other cameras in the X system? I've only had the XA1 for about a month so still learning it's eccentricities. (It took at least a year or more to learn the X10's quirks and quarks, even reading the manual over and over.) Tho I've been a photographer for over 40 years (mostly Nikon equipment) and I realize that my aged and addled (just turned 70) pre-alzheimered brain is not at it's best, any assistance would be appreciated.

There are a few settings that disable the flash. The most common are "Silent Mode" and Continuous drive mode.

Ed B wrote:

Randy Benter wrote:

There are a few settings that disable the flash. The most common are "Silent Mode" and Continuous drive mode.

You're right.

99 out of 100 times people who have a grayed out flash have their cameras set to silent mode.

Yes, pretty sure I had it set to silent mode. Thank you. Wish you had written the manual rather than Fuji!

Thank you!

I just got back from our vacation and while there, I couldn't get flash to work. Was about to send the camera back to Fuji for repair. Glad came across this now, will try it as soon as I get home

davecamerator wrote:

You just had to look in the manual under troubleshooting "flash does not fire". The answer is there.

True, it is available under the Troubleshooting section "some flash modes are not available" with solution to disable silent mode. And even when not in silent mode it is not available in burst mode which is not covered in manual under the flash table on restrictions of camera settings (pg. 131)...

All said, I didn't have the manual with me on our trip and even the manual is not clear on it. I think it should be easier to enable and clarified better in the manual...

I agree that it should also be mentioned in the Flash section, but in Troubleshooting on p114 "The flash does not fire".

p114.