My 580 EX II exposes properly when the diffuser is not on the flash. The diffuser is made for this Speedlite and yet when I use it there is a drop in the exposure by about one and a half stops. I have tried the flash with different manual settings ...
Thanks to everyone for the comments. To clarify, I was using the 580EXii with a 100mm macro lens with the camera on manual settiings and, for the test, shooting at one of my prints about 6 to 8 feet away. Ambient light was too low to be a factor. ...