Originally posted by calsan Before we blame the workman, I think it may be the tools - the FA50.
'It refuses to expose' - by this do you mean it refuses to take an exposure or picture? The camera won't release the shutter if the subject is not in focus.
Unfortunately, the FA50 is a very old design and is not a good lens for auto focusing at night. I can only use mine manual focus in low light. Try turning on the AF assist lamp in AF-S mode this may work if you're close to a clear subject. Failing that, If you switch to manual focus, you can make an exposure.
Try a different lens, preferably a modern DA lens. The cheap 18-55 has no problems auto focusing at night and will lock focus quickly when the FA50 won't even attempt to focus.
I have checked it with various other lenses (also with the DA18-55) with the same result.
Maybe I expressed myself unclearly. The shutter is released, thus this is not about AF.
It is the blinking of the three values that is strange to me because
1) It is hard to understand what the "blinking" actually indicates. Is it a "use a tripod" warning or does it mean "now it's too dark to take a shot even with a tripod"?
2) it does not only occur in nighttime situations but also during daytime in certain dark corners indoors (could that be below EV 0?),
3) I encounter it also in M mode, and
4) the phenomenon is nowhere mentioned in the manual, what is mentioned is the blinking of only one of the three values, not all three of them together.
Peter