I use a Nikon 4600 4.0 megapixel digital with as you have seen, mixed results.
I found an old suntanning "Heat lamp" in the closet and I used that for the lighting on the final blitz pics -
I used my old desk lamp with a 120 watt bulb in it to achieve this "Dusk" type shot -
These shots were taken in natural light, which I prefer - though it's not always available when I'm ready to shoot!
rb