Flash timing off in G1 ?

While using the flash (in any mode) I notice that I get many photos of subjects with the eyes closed, sometimes halfway thru a blink!

I've never had this with my other (non digital) cameras, and I wonder if others have noticed this.

Either my G1 (and only my G1) is a little slow in capturing the shot and gets people halfway thru the blink, or I'm doing something wrong.

(BTW, I love my G1. (with 1Gig microdrive.) I find I end up taking most of my shots in Av mode at f8.0 and let
the camera pick the shutter speed. In very low light I go to Manual, but the Auto exposure is usually not good enough. )

Try FE lock (press the *) and press the shutter half way (AE lock) before pressing it all the way down. This makes the flash instant and there is no E-TTL preflash + calculation time.

Focus assist light can also be very bright to some people, so don't aim straight to their eyes. Use focus lock.

I've noticed some people are more sensitive when they see you press the shutter they close their eyes. So try to be "transparent" and calm when you shoot, and never shout "one-two-three..NOW!"

Bounced flash and diffusers (and using Tv mode) helps, too, with those sensitive types.