Canon camera help, please
 

For the life of me, I can not find how to do this. Google returned nothing useful.

This is for a Canon Ixus v3. I think the US equivalent is s230, but I'm not sure.

I want to increase shutter speed in "never use flash" mode, so that my pics aren't blurry when photographing something moving fast (i.e, motorcyclist). I have no idea how to do it.

Any help please?

You would end up with underexposed photos. It picks the shutter speed low enough to let in enough light. You need a lot of light (or a flash) to take fast pics. Chances are, it's automatic settings are just preventing bad photos. If you want more flexibility, I think it has a manual mode.

Didn't think of that - I know only a little about photography. Regardless, I'd still like to experiment with the settings and see what the results are like. At the moment, with the no flash setting, I can put the camera down on a table, set the timer and step away, yet the result will never be as clear as when I use the "auto select flash/no flash" setting, even if flash doesn't go off with the latter option.

As you said, there ARE two operating modes, auto and manual. Manual offers a little more flexibility. I use manual so that I can change settings and allow distant objects to appear a little sharper without the need for touching up in Photoshop. I think it's called "landscape focus" (or something) and it isn't available in auto mode.

I've had the camera in both auto and manual modes, but I still can't find anything to change shutter speed.

if you are trying to shoot moving objects with a camera such as this will need lots of light (either ambiant or artificial).

this is because the maximum lens aperature is slow in that camera.

also problematic, (for action work) is this camera (and most all consumer digicams) have a "shutter lag" which makes it very difficult to get the camera to your eye, frame your subject, and click off the shot in time to get the image you want. if you try to shoot a basketball game with this camera mostly you will be about 1-2 seconds behind the action. you thought you were getting the jump shot---when you look at the result the players are heading back towards the other basket.

if you must use this camera to shoot motorcycles in motion, then do it on a sunny day and "pan" the camera with the motorcycle in the frame---in this way you can overcome the shutter delay and get passable shots.

there are hi-speed digicams at the pro level (ex: nikon d1-x, etc.) but they are different beasts.

the camera you mention can still do lovely nudes in ambiant light---it has good color. just make sure the models aren't wiggling around...or if they are, use an umbrella, and a slave flash.

avoid on-camera flash.

good luck.