[fb_penpho]

Checking out new arrival, TT350. With my 55-300 PLM attached the auto size flash angle change does not work. I changed to my 18-55 and that works, can hear the flash zoom motor buzz. With either lens, in the viewfinder when flash switched on both show, lightning arrow. With the 55-300 I checked exif data to make sure lens is passing back data to the camera, as to the zoom position of the lens.

So, my assumption is that the flash is accepting the data from the 18-55, but ignoring data from the 55-300. My assumption may be wrong, anybody got any ideas? The flash is firmware v1.0, no updates available. GODOX claims my K-S2 is a supported camera. Have not tried their product support yet, will try that next if nothing of significance is forthcoming.

[mcgregni]

Pentax P-TTL flashes have a maximum aps-c zoom setting of 58mm, so the first question is does the Protocol support communication of flash zoom settings longer than 58mm on an aps-c camera. .... Perhaps Sigma or Metz owners could tell us if their flashes autozoom beyond 58mm ....?

And also, I think everyone here would like you to test out Godox Product Support, and report back here!

[Des]

So, my assumption is that the flash is accepting the data from the 18-55, but ignoring data from the 55-300. My assumption may be wrong, anybody got any ideas?

I picked up my TT350P on the weekend. I just tested the Auto zoom function with the DA 55-300 PLM and DA 18-135 on my K-3. The zoom motor whirred away when I zoomed in and out with the 18-135, but not with the PLM.

I also tested it with the DFA 100, to see whether it just doesn't respond to telephoto focal lengths, or whether it's to do with the KAF4 mount on the PLM. I set the zoom manually at 28mm, then switched to auto. The zoom motor whirred again. I fired some test shots with the 100 with the zoom set manually to a wide setting and then set to auto. I heard the zoom change when I switched to auto. With the test shots I didn't have enough distance to subject to see whether the spread of light differed, although I'd have to say there didn't appear to be any difference in the lighting between the manual zoom setting at 28 and the auto zoom. I'm sorry, but that's inconclusive.

The zoom function worked fine in manual zoom mode.

Perhaps Sigma or Metz owners could tell us if their flashes autozoom beyond 58mm ....?

Good idea Nigel. I've got a Metz 58 AF-1 but unfortunately I can't help. The zoom function is broken. (The diffuser was broken off when I got it.) It won't even zoom manually. It's stuck on 18 :-(

[fb_penpho]

I picked up my TT350P on the weekend. I just tested the Auto zoom function with the DA 55-300 PLM and DA 18-135 on my K-3. The zoom motor whirred away when I zoomed in and out with the 18-135, but not with the PLM.

I also tested it with the DFA 100, to see whether it just doesn't respond to telephoto focal lengths, or whether it's to do with the KAF4 mount on the PLM. I set the zoom manually at 28mm, then switched to auto. The zoom motor whirred again. I fired some test shots with the 100 with the zoom set manually to a wide setting and then set to auto. I heard the zoom change when I switched to auto. I fired some test shots but I didn't have enough distance to subject to see whether the spread of light differed, although I'd have to say there didn't appear to be any difference in the lighting between the manual zoom setting at 28 and the auto zoom. I'm sorry, but that's inconclusive.

The zoom function worked fine in manual zoom mode.

Des, thanks for doing the tests. Now tried my 18-125mm sigma hsm. I can hear flash motor move as I slowly rotate the zoom range at 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm. A change to 105mm does not happen. For me, there appears to be a problem with the auto zoom setting mechanism. If I go to manual, as I change the angle to the different settings, 14mm to 105mm, I can hear motor buzz at every point through the range. Have sent a report to GODOX, started to wait for a reply. Interesting you got the non response from the PLM.

[mcgregni]

You guys keep saying you're "hearing" the auto zoom working ..... Can't you actually "see" it, as in an indication changing on the display? Does it not have an indication of the zoom position?

[fb_penpho]

You guys keep saying you're "hearing" the auto zoom working ..... Can't you actually "see" it, as in an indication changing on the display? Does it not have an indication of the zoom position?

Unfortunately no, under manual it shows what you have selected. But for auto it continuously says 'au'. A small down point for the product.

[Des]

But for auto it continuously says 'au'

Yes that's all I can see on the display too. I looked through the user guide for the TT350P and can't see anything different (although the diagrams all show the display with the zoom set manually).

Now tried my 18-125mm sigma hsm. I can hear flash motor move as I slowly rotate the zoom range at 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm. A change to 105mm does not happen.

I tried again with my 18-135, with the zoom on the flash set to auto. Yes, it's the same - I can't hear the motor adjusting after about 50mm. Maybe that's consistent with the zoom limit of 58mm for PTTL on APS-C that Nigel referred to. I can still set the zoom on the flash manually up to 105 (ie the field of view equivalent to about 70mm in APS-C) whatever the focal length on the lens.

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Last edited by Des; 11-14-2018 at 02:18 PM.

[Des]

I got the Godox XProP bundled with the TT350P. I've been experimenting with getting them to work together, with the XProP on camera controlling the TT350P off camera. I've got them to work. Looks very promising.

I was interested to see how the zoom function on the TT350P goes when controlled by the XProP. For this experiment I'm using the Pentax K-S2.

I set the zoom on the TT350P to Auto. I set the flash to Slave. I sync'd the flash with the XProP in group A, channel 1. The XProP is talking to the flash - when I change the exposure settings on the XProP they show on the display of the TT350P. When I press the test button on the XProP, the TT350P flash fires. All good.

On the XProP the zoom for a group can be set manually to 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, 80, 105, 135 or 200, or Auto.

As I go up the zoom settings on the XProP manually from 24 I can hear the zoom motor on the flash adjusting until it comes to 105. Nothing happens on the flash when the settings on the XProP for the relevant group go from 105 to 135 or 200.

Now I set the zoom for the group to Auto on the XProP. With the DA 18-135 mounted on the camera, I turn the zoom ring on the lens and I hear the flash zoom motor as I zoom in from 18mm up to 70mm. From 70mm, nothing happens. (I guess that's about the equivalent FOV to 105mm on FF.)

I tried it with the DA 55-300 PLM as well. Same thing. Zooming the lens from 55mm to 70mm I can hear the zoom motor on the flash working. Above 70mm, nothing.

So the upshot is that, with the TT350P off-camera controlled by the XProP mounted on an APS-C camera, the flash head can be zoomed manually to 105mm. When the zoom mode on the XproP is set to Auto, the zoom motor will activate when the lens is zoomed up to 70mm, at which point the flash motor stops zooming.

Seems curious that in Auto mode the flash motor will go further (when the lens is zoomed to 70mm) when controlled by the XProP than it will when mounted on the camera (58mm?). The manual zoom settings available are the same when the TT350 is mounted on-camera as when it is an off-camera slave controlled by the XProP (24-105).

[fb_penpho]

Had a thought about the zoom value being displayed. When manual 'M' is displayed along with the zoom value. They could have omitted the 'M' when it is auto and displayed the zoom value. So, no 'M' the zoom value being displayed is the current auto zoom value. The interface could be the same, that is show 'au' to set the zoom mode, then as it is accepted the 'au' changes to the zoom value. Not difficult to do, they did not give it enough thought.

[Des]

Had a thought about the zoom value being displayed. When manual 'M' is displayed along with the zoom value. They could have omitted the 'M' when it is auto and displayed the zoom value. So, no 'M' the zoom value being displayed is the current auto zoom value. The interface could be the same, that is show 'au' to set the zoom mode, then as it is accepted the 'au' changes to the zoom value. Not difficult to do, they did not give it enough thought.

Perhaps the sort of thing that could be implemented by a firmware update?

[fb_penpho]

Perhaps the sort of thing that could be implemented by a firmware update?

Unfortunately, from past experience, once a company has printed the manuals, they seem very very reluctant to change the way the object operates. I do not expect anything new to happen.

[inkista]

Unfortunately, from past experience, once a company has printed the manuals, they seem very very reluctant to change the way the object operates. I do not expect anything new to happen.

Actually, in the case of Godox, they tend to not care about the manuals at all, and continually add bug fixes through firmware updates. Early adopters tend to be inadvertent beta testers. Maybe even alpha testers, sometimes. I would highly recommend finding a firmware upgrade with a very high version number on the Godox website (like, say, the X1T-N which is on v24), downloading it, and looking through the revision history in the bundled PDF to see how many things can get fixed/added post-release with a Godox device.

I would recommend, if you want to see this fixed, that you email Godox (servicesupport@godox.com) and/or Flashpoint support (brands@adorama.com) about the issue. You probably won't get any reply from Godox, while the very overworked Shua of Adorama is likely to tell you there's no fix. And there's no guarantee anything will be done. But they can't fix a bug if they don't know about it.

[Des]

I would recommend, if you want to see this fixed, that you email Godox (servicesupport@godox.com)

Done.

[fb_penpho]

I sent a service request to Godox 48 hours ago. 48 hours is long enough to answer even just saying received your email. I expect a company to perform better than this. I also posted a poor review as the product should not have been issued with this problem. The company who sold it have asked for reasons of the low rating. Being a Godox supplier I hope they will gee up Godox to clear the problem.

[Des]

I also posted a poor review as the product should not have been issued with this problem.

I assume you mean the problem raised in the first post. Well, I think that's a bit harsh personally. As Nigel says, even Pentax's own flashes won't zoom beyond 58mm on an APS-C camera (ie the field of view equivalent to about 85mm on FF). It seems to be the same with the TT350P when set to auto zoom. At least with the Godox it will manually zoom to 105, that is, the field of view equivalent to 70mm on APS-C. As I read Nigel's wonderful guide (2nd ed, p.48) the Pentax flashes can't zoom at all beyond 58mm APS-C/85mm FF, even on manual setting.

As for the failure to display the zoom setting when the zoom function is set to auto, well it's disappointing but needn't be a deal-breaker. Quick tests show that the flash does respond to the lens setting, even when used off-camera as a slave controlled by the XProP. If you want to be sure that the setting is right for the focal length, you can set it manually (translating from the FF FOV as required).