Flash images are blurry

Sounds tasty! ;)

Just kidding. What kind of stReaky images is it recording? Is the problem that you are using it in bad light (eg indoors at night)? It could just be camera shake.

Make sure that your camera is in auto mode and try again - if it was in a slow shutter speed mode, then this could be more of a problem. Also try using flash, if you camera has one.

I have the D40x. Only thing i can think of is the little sensor thing on the front down and to the left of the release button. If you have your finger over it, the flash don't work and the focus won't work right. "Infrared assist" in the manual. Myself, I use the sb400 strobe flash cause the popup flash uses too much power from the camera battery.

If this is happening only in low-light situations when the flash is not on, check your manual to turn the camera's high-sensitivity feature on. Or change the ISO to the highest setting (1000 is good) for these pictures. That should reduce blur and shake. Of course, putting the camera on a tripod or beanbag, or resting your elbows on a solid surface, will have the same effect.

Evening & Indoors? The kit lens is really going to struggle here. Your only immediate solution is to use ISO 1600 which makes the shutter faster but adds a little noise to the pictures.

You really want to get a better lens for indoor work. If you need cheap, try the 50mm f1.8, it's a prime not a zoom, so you will need to use your feet to "zoom" but it's incredibly good for indoor / low light work.

I upgraded to a 17-55mm f2.8 IS, it was rather expensive but I have never had a blurry indoor shot since - I do also use an external Speedlite flash with it though, which also helps tremendously.

It's an expensive hobby!!

Hey abbyr,
The most common cause of blurry images is called camera shake which is the slight movement of the camera caused by hand holding the camera during exposure. This cause can be solved by setting the camera to shutter priority and shooting with a faster shutter speed (1/60th of a second or faster). If you are using flash this is most likely not the problem since the shutter speed with flash is irrelevant since the duration of the flash determines the exposure. Another cause of blurry pictures is caused by not prefocusing on your subject prior to taking the image by holding the shutter button half way down so the camera can achieve proper focus before taking the picture. If none of this helps I would bring your camera to a local camera store and have an expert look at it and make sure you have it set up properly, and if you do I would have it looked at by an authorized service technician. I hope this helps!

Sincerely,
Allan
Go Ahead. Use Us.

Maybe your camera has a problem with flash unit. Replacing the flash unit can solve the problem. Part number of the flash unit is: A7113088A. If you need more help, please advice. Arpi

Well this camera has no manual controls so it's merely compensating for the lack of available light by lowering the shutter speed. I don't think there's very much you can do about it -- maybe you can try to lower the EV -/+ setting (I forget what it's called, it makes your image darker or brighter). If the camera didn't lower the shutter speed you would simply get dark pictures where you can't see anything

It is possible you have the Flash Mode set to one of the Slow Sync modes (lighting bolt with the word Slow). Slow synchronization flash sets a slow shutter speed for the background exposure and fires the flash for the subject exposure. Since the shutter speed is slow, your subject should be still and the camera should be on a tripod otherwise blur can result. Since this mode should only be used when the above conditions can be met, you should use the FILL-IN FLASH (single lighting bolt symbol) mode for most situations that require a flash for correct exposure. Repeatedly pressing the FLASH MODE button will cycle through the various flash mode settings.

It is possible you have the Flash Mode set to one of the Slow Sync modes (lighting bolt with the word Slow). Slow synchronization flash sets a slow shutter speed for the background exposure and fires the flash for the subject exposure. Since the shutter speed is slow, your subject should be still and the camera should be on a tripod otherwise blur can result. Since this mode should only be used when the above conditions can be met, you should use the FILL-IN FLASH (single lighting bolt symbol) mode for most situations that require a flash for correct exposure. Repeatedly pressing the FLASH MODE button will cycle through the various flash mode settings.

It is possible you have the Flash Mode set to one of the Slow Sync modes (lighting bolt with the word Slow). Slow synchronization flash sets a slow shutter speed for the background exposure and fires the flash for the subject exposure. Since the shutter speed is slow, your subject should be still and the camera should be on a tripod otherwise blur can result. Since this mode should only be used when the above conditions can be met, you should use the FILL-IN FLASH (single lighting bolt symbol) mode for most situations that require a flash for correct exposure. Repeatedly pressing the FLASH MODE button will cycle through the various flash mode settings.