Ring flash for portraits

[gatsu]

Hello there, I'm getting interested in taking portraits, and I wanted to know if a ring flash like the Sunpak Auto 16R Pro Ring Flash Ex-Demo would be appropriate for it.

I actually like to use a 50mm lens, and I have the feeling that the Sunpak is better for macro photography.

If that doesn't work, do you have any suggestion for a budget price? I use a Canon 550D.

Thanks!

[Cathus]

if you already have a flashgun, you could consider getting one of the ringflash converters such as the Orbis, though you can get generic ones from ebay cheaper

[gatsu]

Originally Posted by Cathus

if you already have a flashgun, you could consider getting one of the ringflash converters such as the Orbis, though you can get generic ones from ebay cheaper

Thanks Cathus, I actually do not own a flashgun at the moment.
When possible I prefer to take pics in daylight. Now that I got this sweet 50mm 1.4f I can take nice pictures also when inside, provided some ambient light.

Recently I started to take pics of people at the clubs with a certain success (I was amazed by how many people actually DEMAND to be photographed), so my idea was to get the ringflash to have better portraits in difficult light situations (like...flashing lights, or green/blue/fucsia lights in semi-darkness). Since I'm still a semi-beginner, I'm not completely sure if that would help at all, but I saw some nice pics taken with ringflashes so I was wondering if that could be an option...Opinions on this?

[amk1977]

Flashguns make a huge difference to portraiture and enable you to create some really pleasing lighting on your subject that you just can't achieve without one. You can of course use reflectors to bounce light back into your subjects face to life shadows, etc. but, that option might not always be a practical solution and if there is no real light source in the first place, such as in a night club, then getting a flashgun is pretty much essential.

As Cathus says, you can get ring flash adapters on eBay which are a much cheaper alternative to purchasing a flashring. A lot of the cheaper flashrings aren't TTL compatible, and so it might be a PITA to use them on the fly, if moving from various locations inside the club, where lighting varies from one area to another. Having an adapter will result in TTL metered lighting, provided your flashgun has it to begin with. You can also take off the ring adapter and use the flashgun for bounce lighting with diffusers too, which allows you to be much more versatile.