patmartj, Just 2 pointers I thought you might like. First I noticed that with the clock picture it was not quiet level. It isn't you! It seems that I get that too. I have scoured the web for anything on this. Nothing. I have even gotten it when using a tripod. make sure you have editing software that lets you rotate images by hand. I use Photoshop. Second with the clock image you used the flash. It looks good and clear, but if you use the flash as sparingly as possible and play with the "S" and "A" settings. These settings allow you to get more control over your exposures and better effects too. With these settings you can set Exposure time, F-stop etc. All the controls for these features are really handy while holding the camera so once you get used to where they are you can make these changes on the fly. Be careful though! You will get that damn flashing hand a lot! The Flashing Hand on the F707/717 is the camera telling you that you have to have a steady hand because your exposure time is less than optimal. I use a tripod whenever possible. One last thing. The manual from Sony is not the easiest thing to find info in. I went out to there website and searched (and it took a while) and found the manual in PDF format! I can now search on keywords! Talk about speeding things up... This way I only use the hard copy in the field. You have a great camera with tons of flexibility! To get more life out of the camera you may want to get a reader for it so you don?t put that extra stress on the camera. Readers are only like $20 (US) at Wal-Mart. Great images! I Love the old mans beard! Magick Michael aka zhounder PS being a bit of a clock fetish, can we see the whole thing?!