Flash keeps popping on D40 - help?

[johnnyguitar]

Hello folks
I have recently bought a D40 kit as my first DSLR. I have noticed today in bright sunlight that when I half pressed the shutter to auto-focus, the flash would pop but when the picture was taken, the flash didn't fire.
This seems to happen with and without a UV filter on and would do it in good light.

Is there a reason for this? As you can probably gather from this post, I am a bit new to this sort of thing!

JA

 

[puddleduck]

Get the camera off "Auto" mode.

 

[johnnyguitar]

I have checked that, but surely if the camera is in 'Auto' mode and in good light (ie doesn't need to fire a flash) then why would it make the flash pop up sometimes and other times it doesn't?

 

[puddleduck]

The metering will be trying figure out if fill flash is needed I imagine.

If you want to control the camera.. bottom line, don't use auto as it'll think it knows best

Auto is defering control to the camera.

Shoot "A" mode and pop up the flash when you want it.

 

[johnnyguitar]

Ah ok - yes I am trying to use it manually as much as possible, but it's very much a learning curve. I'm interested to see what it does in auto mode and I thought that maybe it was a problem.