Polaroid 108 AF-1 flash (Metz 24 clone)

[PitaDaVespa]

Hi!

I bought these little flash to work (mainly) has a fill flash on my Canon 5D.
I have a Canon 430 EXII, but I missed a small and light flashgun that I could carry around all day without suffering with the weight.

So I bought this Polaroid. It's very funny to use and one single pair of batteries seems to last for hundreds of shots.

Now the problem/question: it overexposes very easily. Using bigger apertures than f/4, especially if there is something white near by (less than 2 meters from the camera) it overexposes (blows) quite often.
Using narrow apertures than f/4 the problem happens less.
Does anyone have this problem?

Also, the flash is a bit loose in the shoe. Can that be the reason that sometimes it fires in full power?

Thank you very much,
Luis

 

[PitaDaVespa]

Update after several testes made:

The problem happens more if I'm using AV mode.
If I shoot using Manual mode, it is ok on more than 90% of the time as long as I shoot faster then 1/25. If I shoot slower then 1/20, it almost always fires at full power, completely blowing the photos.
As anybody tried this issue?

I'm now pretty sure this has nothing to do with it being a bit loose on the hot shoe.

Thank you all for your help.

Regards,
Luis

 

[PitaDaVespa]

New update:

The problem is (apparently) solved.
One day, after putting it and removing it several times from the camera's hot shoe, using it alternately with the 430 EX, it just started to work fine.
I used it today for around 100 shots and it over-exposed only once (fired in full power). It turns out to be a very nice and fun speedlight.

I believe it was an electric problem (bad contact) in the hot shoe.

Thank you all (for reading this ),
Luis