IXUS 800 IS - Flash Problems

[Bakuteh]

I just bought a new IXUS 800 IS two weeks ago and have immediately encountered a problem when taking photogaphs with flash on. On auto record mode I took a number of indoor photographs which included a group photo. For some reason, part of the photo on the left was in the dark, like a partial "eclipse" effect. On another photo, the right was in "eclipse". When I tried to replicate this using similar situations, it did not recur. However yesterday while taking an indoor photo with similar settings of some people on a dinner table, the foreground (the dining table) was bright while the subjects at the table appear to be in a shadow. Could any wise member advice me the probable cause of this problem, or am I not using the right settings for this point-and-shoot camera? Many thanks in advance.

[CRE@TE]

Try shooting in Manual mode with flash off and IS on. You might be surprised how well it works.

[Bakuteh]

I messaged Canon USA and got the following response:

" The Auto Mode will take control of all settings other than the
resolution, flash and drive mode. Were you using the flash during the
indoor shots?

I recommend resetting your camera to default settings. This will allow
the camera to do a reboot.

The majority of the menu settings and button operation settings can be
reset to default. Settings cannot be reset when the camera is connected
to a computer or to a printer. "

After following their tip (resetting to default), the photos taken with flash and auto record on came out just fine.

Thanks to Canon USA and your reply, everything is working normally now!