WG-4 Focusing issues in Macro/microscope mode

I'm very excited of what I'm seeing through my new WG4 camera but focusing is about to make me crazy. I do realize so many of the focusing problems of digi cameras from the 8 cameras I've owned but this one is a doozy.

When I go LED lit super close up mode, I half press the shutter release as prescribed. On the screen I see a well lit focused picture but before the camera locks it goes much darker. It does this in other modes too. Well lit then dark.

I am also finding that it will not focus by putting on the macro ring, placing it say over a tiny bug on a table. I have to lift it back to let in ambient light to get a focus which leads me to believe the LED lights are snake oil. Nice feature but does not give enough light to focus or actually..isn't the infrared focus light outside the ring?

Any tips, help with making very close, zoomed in macro shots would be very much appreciated.