How do i use the mode setting to insure quality pictures in gloomy weather conditions

if you have air tv you will need to put your antenna higher up

Taking pictures with maximum level of details while it is overcast weather is much easier than in sunny weather, where you need to look for so-called "open shadow" to limit overexposure.
Depending on your taste, the best possible setting would be one of the built in auto exposure modes for cloudy weather. You might also want to try adding some flash while taking photos in open terrain - it will not work miracles, but will add light to your subject (however, flattening some details). You might also consider overexposing in the camera settings to get more details, when there is not much ambient light.
Usually how it is done is that photos are edited in post processing to get all the required details. And overcast weather gives a nice, even exposure.
Using such a camera is always a compromise between image quality and portability/easy of use.
Consider reading http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=40649

Did you change the "exposure compensation" or "ISO" setting?

Setting and Calibrating Your Altitude
1. Press MODE until CAL is shown.
2. Hold SET to begin the calibration.
3. Press START/SPLIT (+) until HOME ALTI is displayed (or choose WEATHER when calibrating weather).
4. Press MODE (NEXT) to begin the setting process.
5. Press START/SPLIT (+) or STOP/RESET (-) to increase or decrease setting values.
6. Set the value to your current elevation.
7. Press MODE (NEXT) to advance to the next setting option.
8. Press SET (DONE) to finish.
9. To complete calibration for the REFRENCE HOME altitude (or WEATHER setting), press and hold STOP/RESET until watch beeps.

Repeat this procedure for WEATHER, making sure to choose the proper weather condition on the WS4 that matches your current weather.

Once these two variables are calibrated, your WS4 will be ready to go, providing you with accurate altitude, pressure, and weather forecast information at your fingertips. Enjoy.

Hello,

From the BlackBerry Curve 8520 Home screen, press the Camera key on the side of the phone > Press the Menu key > Scroll to and select Options > Scroll to and select the desired setting: * White Balance : This setting changes the contrast of the pictures taken to optimal for the listed conditions:
o Automatic: The device automatically adjusts the contrast for each picture.
o Sunny: Ideal for outdoor pictures on a sunny day.
o Cloudy: Ideal for outdoor pictures on a cloudy day.
o Night: Ideal for pictures in low-light conditions.
o Incandescent: Ideal for indoor pictures with incandescent lighting.
o Fluorescent: Ideal for indoor pictures with fluorescent lighting.
* Picture Size: To change the size of pictures taken. Larger pictures require more storage space.
o Large (1600 x 1200)
o Medium (1024 x 768)
o Small (640 x 480)
* Picture Quality: To change the quality of pictures taken. Finer quality pictures require more storage space.
o Superfine: Best quality
o Fine: Medium quality
o Normal: Lowest quality
* Color Effect
o Normal: To take color pictures.
o Black & White: To take black and white pictures.
o Sepia: To take pictures with a sepia tint for an old-fashioned look.
* Store Pictures: This gives you the option to store pictures you take to either the device memory or the media card, if available.
* Folder: To change the default storage location for pictures taken with the camera.
After you adjust your BlackBerry Curve camera settings, pess the Menu key and select save.

Did You ever use a SLR back in the stone age when all we had was film?
Film was/is rated with a ISO number, the higher the number the faster the film.
Fast film had fewer and larger grains of silver iodide, (the particles that changed tone, color etc.when exposed to light), therefore it took less light to take a picture.

The down side was a increase in grain. Large grains meant that blow ups, 8x10, 11x14, posters, etc were not as sharp,
as with slow ( low ISO film)
Most outdoor photos had plenty of light so the film had more grains ( high ISO) to capture the available light, and the result was a much sharper image.

Portrait photography used very very slow film ( your 50 ISO setting) but in a studio you had all the artificial lighting you needed, so your portrait came out with very fine detail.

Now the FE-280 does not have a shutter setting, but we can compensate by changing the ISO setting, and the overall effect will be.
Fastest= 1600 ISO for very little light and poorest picture quality.
Slowest=50 ISO for plenty of light and the highest picture quality

200 ISO was the most popular because it worked well outdoors and indoors with a flash, with very good overall picture quality.

400 ISO was a good choice for gloomy days and medium lighting conditions.

Your ISO settings on the FE-280 will have a similar effect.
My best advice is to play around with the different settings until you develop a knack for it, we used to use light meters and a lot of guesswork, quite expensive when you had to buy film and pay for processing.

OK enough history. heres how....
Turn dial to (P) PROGRAMAUTO
Press (MENU)
The camera menu in center is bracketed, Press (OK)
Scroll down one bar on the on screen menu to (ISO)
Press (OK)
Scroll up or down to desired ISO
Press (OK)
TAH DA !

All other functions will be automatic or any other setting that you might choose..
If you change the dial and later go back again to (P) it will retain your selected ISO setting, which is displayed, on screen.

I hope I was help full, and you enjoy some of the special effects that you will now be able try.
By the way... good taste in cameras.
Best regards, Paul

Try it with DIS function on.
You take a shot, in average daylight conditions in 11 modes, See which settings give good pictures and use those settings.
Probably the best setting for the digital camera is AUTO(green),for a novice

Program Auto (Factory default setting) Program Auto mode is used for regular photography. The camera automatically makes the settings for natural color balance. Other functions, such as the flash mode and metering, can be adjusted manually. Portrait Portrait mode is suitable for taking a portrait-style picture of a person. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Landscape + Portrait Landscape + Portrait mode is suitable for taking photos which include both your subject and the landscape. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Landscape Landscape mode is suitable for taking pictures of landscapes and other outdoor scenes. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Night scene Night scene mode is suitable for shooting pictures in the evening or at night. The camera sets a slower shutter speed than is used in normal shooting. If you take a picture of a street at night in any other mode, the lack of brightness will result in a dark picture with only dots of light showing. In this mode, the true appearance of the street is captured. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. If you use the flash, you can take pictures of both your subject and the night background. Indoor Indoor mode enables you to take pictures while indoors by allowing the flash to reach farther away. Beach & Snow Beach & Snow mode enables you to take pictures of scenery containing white sand or snow. Cuisine Cuisine mode enables you to take pictures of food by increasing the saturation, sharpness and contrast settings to take sharp, vivid pictures of the subject. Self-portrait Self-portrait mode enables you to take a picture of yourself while holding the camera. Point the lens towards yourself, and the focus will be locked on you. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. The zoom is fixed in the wide position and cannot be changed. QuickTime Movie QuickTime Movie mode lets you record movies with sound. The focus and zoom are locked. If the distance to the subject changes, the focus may be compromised.

What is the best situation to use each of the shooting modes? The shooting modes are described as follows: Program Auto (Factory default setting) Program Auto mode is used for regular photography. The camera automatically makes the settings for natural color balance. Other functions, such as the flash mode and metering, can be adjusted manually. Portrait Portrait mode is suitable for taking a portrait-style picture of a person. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Landscape + Portrait Landscape + Portrait mode is suitable for taking photos which include both your subject and the landscape. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Landscape Landscape mode is suitable for taking pictures of landscapes and other outdoor scenes. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Night scene Night scene mode is suitable for shooting pictures in the evening or at night. The camera sets a slower shutter speed than is used in normal shooting. If you take a picture of a street at night in any other mode, the lack of brightness will result in a dark picture with only dots of light showing. In this mode, the true appearance of the street is captured. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. If you use the flash, you can take pictures of both your subject and the night background. Self-portrait Self-portrait mode enables you to take a picture of yourself while holding the camera. Point the lens towards yourself, and the focus will be locked on you. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. The zoom is fixed in the wide position and cannot be changed. QuickTime Movie QuickTime Movie mode lets you record movies with sound. The focus and zoom are locked. If the distance to the subject changes, the focus may be compromised.