I try not to use flash of any kind, but when I need it, I usually need it quick. I'm looking for some way to set up the internal flash rapidly, hopefully with one or two clicks. Just guessing, could you set it on P and then adjust the aperture by eyeball estimate?

I'm talking about a situation where suddenly the person you're shooting darts into a dark corner and you need to light him up in a second or two.

You just pop it up and shoot. Set up is generally not required, particularly if you're in a hurry!

as long as you don't mind the quality of light you get from the pop-up flash... you could try shooting with auto-iso... I've never actually used auto-iso, but for shooting in rapidly changing conditions, I could see this being a good option.... out of curiousity... when would you be shooting a person darting from dark corner to dark corner? a bit more background info might help us find a solution for you...

Hate to have to admit it, r_o_b-s-o-n, but kids tend to run and hide when they get around me and my camera.

Also, the few times I've used the pop-up at low levels, the lighting looks not bad at all.

Set it to -1 stop FEC to bring it down a bit and kind of balance it better and then shoot away. That's the best you could do without using an external flash. Av mode probably works better as it will try to balance it with the ambient.

+1 panos. Or, -1.5EV (my standard setting). Few unpleasant flash artifacts then. Very useful shadow lifting.

Lift your iso to 400 till 800 to use as much as possible of the ambient light, flash on -1 till -2EV. You have now nice flash softeners that you can put in your hot shoe. Something like the SG 3IR, but with white plastic.

Totally agree with panos and Kit - Mine is always set to -1 or -1.5

What body do you have? The flash button is right there on your left finger tip depending on how you are holding your camera. Practice pop it up , you should get quick at it I do the same from time to time when i don't have my flash out.

And +1 on setting it down to -1 to -1.5 ev if you have that capability

+1 on bumping down the flash output by a stop. Also bump up ISO and use slow-synch.

Andre's is the total solution; at events I drag the shutter at 1/30", usually, with slow sync—this allows excellent ambient fill; I can handhold at that speed (assuming 24-70); Auto ISO set to kick in at 1/30", and fill flash at -1.5EV. As well, in any one location, I use FV lock to get the exposures right *before* I shoot (and of course have that pre-flash turned off).

If, OTOH, you find that Auto ISO gets a bit hinky, go full manual with the same settings. Yes, on occasions you get some movement blur (like when someone makes a big arm gesture) but the end results look natural, and that's what I care most about. I use a piece of draftman's paper (the stuff they use for tracing) over the in-camera flash, too (a loop about 2" wide): a cheap and effective diffuser.

This way I find I can move around and take real candids, and capture genuine relaxed moments, and be assured of decent, and natural, exposure. hth, KL

Yup... higher ISO, slow sync, aperture priority, use the flash for fill. Sometimes I have to use EC +0.7 and FEC -1.3 to let the camera know I want a better-lit environment and less fill.