flashguns

[realspeed]

I have a couple of flashguns for my cameras the main one being a Godox V860iii . This had me scratching my head a hell of a lot
I just could not understand why I couldn't get it to auto distance settings. Maybe it needed upgrade? NO this is the latest version. So a little more digging and research. In actual fact a almost to the bottom of the pit ,so to say.
Like most flashguns they have diffuser built in which can be pulled out. Now I never ever gave that a thought, but that was the cause . It was not pushed back in fully to the retaining slot which I found out can cause this problem

showing diffuser and bounce flash card partly out from retaining slot

 

[Phil V]

The ‘diffuser’, not the bounce card, is actually designed to only work while the flash is at its min zoom setting (typically 16mm). This is a feature not a bug.
And we also need to understand that the zoom setting isn’t a ‘distance setting’, it’s designed to match the zoom angle of the lens attached to the camera.
As such this auto setting is fantastically clever. And completely useless to most ‘photographers’ because the last thing a photographer wants is a camera mounted flash pointed directly at the subject. It creates a simple unattractive light.
What most photographers do is bounce the flash, or angle it and add a diffuser (not the time for discussing the efficacy of diffusers). And at that point the auto zoom is redundant, so stops working as it should.

There is some merit in considering different zoom settings depending on bounce surface or diffuser design.

Just for clarity though; ‘distance’ is calculated by the TTL hardware by sending a pre flash and measuring how much of that light comes back to the camera. And it’s fantastic because it’s not a camera to subject distance, but a flash to subject distance and works with multiple flashes off camera too. With thought, we can do some clever stuff with it.

Hope that adds some clarity.

 

[Constable]

This is a common problem with Godox. You think the diffuser is pushed fully in.It looks like it is. But it didn’t click all the way. After the first time it happens to you, you remember just to give it an extra push and, voila, the focal lengthsettings come back.

 

[Phil V]

This is a common problem with Godox. You think the diffuser is pushed fully in.It looks like it is. But it didn’t click all the way. After the first time it happens to you, you remember just to give it an extra push and, voila, the focal lengthsettings come back.

Also the diffuser and bounce cards are 2 completely separate things but it’s so easy to pull the diffuser when you want to use the bounce

 

[swanseamale47]

To be honest I only use the manual zoom option when I want a "narrow spot" which I sometimes use for outdoor shots in low light. That said I dont use the diffuser either.

 

[realspeed]

Phil
I think you are reading too much in my post. This was purely about not returning the diffuser properly which prevented to auto zoom working. Thats all

 

[Faldrax]

This is a common problem with Godox. You think the diffuser is pushed fully in.It looks like it is. But it didn’t click all the way. After the first time it happens to you, you remember just to give it an extra push and, voila, the focal lengthsettings come back.

It's always been a potential problem with flash - I have old Minolta and Sony flash designed for their unique hotshoe which do exactly the same thing - if the diffuser is in they wont 'zoom' to the widest setting, and if it's out they will only use their widest setting.

 

[Phil V]

This is a common problem with Godox. You think the diffuser is pushed fully in.It looks like it is. But it didn’t click all the way. After the first time it happens to you, you remember just to give it an extra push and, voila, the focal lengthsettings come back.

Canon flashes also suffer, and as @Faldrax have posted, other brands too.