The second test I did on green mode, with no flash.
The Pentax is shooting at 1/100, F5.6, ISO 800, and the histo is a little skewed to the dark (first pic)
The Canon is shooting at 1/60, 2.5, ISO 200, and the histo is pretty even (second pic)
The Canon seems much sharper, but it is a prime and the aperture is wider, so could that be why? Also, the AWB on the Canon is more pleasing to me.
I think the times I get frustrated are when I am shooting indoor events for family and friends and am too far from the subject, so I guess the flash is to blame. I also may be a little picky, I shot a bit of my friends wedding in February and she absolutely adored the shots.. I on the other hand think they are awful! I do have an external flash, but it is old (Starblitz 160M). Not sure that it would make much difference over the built in? Since I already have the Canon, I can just use that in a pinch for indoor when I don't have time to play with the settings. In the meantime I will practice with it and keep learning! I really want to be a better photographer
Thanks again for your help!
I have attached a couple of my favorite outdoor shots from my Pentax