The Bugs are here !

[DanK]

In keeping with what Geoff wrote, almost no macro photographers I know use ring flashes. They tend to produce flat lighting, and they are hard to diffuse. I use a standard Canon 430 ExII, which is my general purpose flash as well. I use a couple of different home-made diffusers with it.

[IzzieK]

You can remove the ringflash at the end of your lens if need be. I had done this and with my other hand was able to light some parts of the object that was hiding in the shadows.

Dan I have the adjustable lighting one, either you lower the light and have it on the fix lighting or not. It has a high and low adjustment...I will never use the ring light for a child photo because the catchlight does not look good.

I just use a standard Speedlite flash which works well enough. In fact the basic camera pop up flash can be handy is you use it correctly.

Two things put me off ring flashes. Worry about accidental damage to something 'stuck on the end of my lens' and not wanting to have something which looks like two threatening eyes on the lens when I'm approaching nervous insects.

But they can be useful if you are getting very close to your subjects and are in a shadow area for a Speedlite type of unit.