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I didn't expect it to be with a macro lens on first viewing.
Looks like diffraction at f/22 got you a bit soft, then whatever additional crop / pp is in play didn't take kindly to starting off soft.
Might want to kick up the light a bit if you are going to go that small with the aperture (see below).
Since this is a flat plane subject (the wing, that is), you could shoot it around f/11 (or less ) and stay out of the hard hit that diffraction makes as you go farther north into f/16 and beyond. With a flat plane subject, you might even get into f/8 - f/4 territory with the macro lens (flat field).
Personally, my testing put me at f/13 as my threshold for diffraction, so I typically don't go past f/11 ... or, at least am very cognizant of it when I do (and my expectations).
As to the lighting. I typically use an underexposure on the FEC to keep things natural looking, similar to what it sounds like you did.
However, if the lens is going to be "soft" because of the diffraction, then I might want my lighting to be of a higher contrast to offset the soft lens.
I recall shooting an old Vivitar zoom, and coming away with an image that looked as sharp as some of my Canon / Zeiss glass. Only to realize that the lighting on that day was strong Sunny 16, strong enough to overcome the shortcoming of my old Viv. Some experimental comps later (won't bore you, more than already am ), and I came to better understand how much influence the quality of light has on things, too.
I shoot much ambient (99.999% these days), but am aware as to when my lighting is soft, or highly specular. In general, artificial flash IS highly specular, and we often like to tame it down some. Here ... shooting f/22 with the softening effects of diffraction ... specular lighting could be your friend, where it often times needs tamed, this time I think it could be even more helpful at f/22.
Shooting at 1/16 or 1/32 power, you were likely using it as fill lighting, with ambient being your key lighting. I might consider to reverse this (or rebalance it, at least), and use your flash as your key lighting, and allow ambient to be your fill. Depending on how you balance them and / or swap the key / fill relationship ... and if you use modifiers (softbox, reflector, etc.) ... can achieve different looks to retain things in a natural realm.
Short version ... more specular (higher contrast) light to offset the effects of diffraction (lower contrast) at f/22 (and ISO 1600).
I think I got my finger on it, now.
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