Flash test

Rubbish photo - there is a reason....

I received a replacement Macro Ringflash so did some further testing.
It was immediately apparent that the flashgun was working exactly the same way at the first one - that is, not at all well.

Still getting perfectly exposed images only with the lens wide open.
This image is a testament to the depth of data held in the raw files that can be recovered rather than the flash gun. The image was something like 4 stops under-exposed on ETTL metering.

However, I discovered by accident that the exposures were correct when the lens was focussed anything above 1m away. Below that the exposure was simply under-exposed by as many stops at the lens was stopped down. How weird is that. Certainly makes the flash completely unusable as a Macro flash.

Looks to me like a software problem where the Subject Distance is used by the flash but mis-interpreted when the distance is less than 1m. Stuffing a real number into an integer value instead of a floating point value. A rookie software issue.

Not expecting any of the fancy features to work, like controlling the flash from the camera (which does work), but, basic metering and exposure really is a must.

Awaiting a response from the manufacturer.