Olympus E-510 flash flashes violently before photo?

YES – I have this model camera at work and I have no idea how to make it stop sometimes. I greatly look forward to an answer!

Try reading the owner’s manual about disabling red-eye reduction.

You could always turn off the flash and compensate by letting more light in- slow down the shutter speed and open the aperture wider.

DSLR’s are very, very manual. It’s good to take advantage of the fact that it’s not a point and shoot.

Also, like robmandu said, read the owner’s manual.

Yes, it is for red eye reduction. See this for some help.

If it has a setting, turn off low light autofocus help if it has anything like that.
It should…..

Canons do the same thing which is why I hate them and think it’s the worst concept in the world, by the time someone is taking a picture everyone is blinded.

I love my Nikon and never switching to the light side. It doesn’t do that stupid flash thing and really you’d think Canon would have put a use to the built in light they have like the Nikons use rather than for just showing when it’s about to take a timed picture.