Ring Flash...advice.

Ok, i'm thinking of getting hold of a ringflash for portrait stuff. Ive seen the various tips & hints online that suggest buying mega-bucks pro kit with truck battery powerpacks etc...hmnn, just a tad out of my league!
However, i'm not convinced by the £25 EBay 'adaptors' either. My question, i guess, is this, are the dedicated/compatible RingFlashes worth it for simple home/outdoor portrait work?
I love the fashiony look of the lights and would really fancy a go at this. Plus, looks good for macro/close-up work too.
Waddya reckon?

Ring flashes are not for portraits - just for macro as far as i am aware. If you use them for portraits you will get red eyes.

Not answering your question, I have an Orbis - 160 quid but excellent. Bit of a faff to manipulate but works on any camera I have.

Chris

I sense a thousand eyebrows being raised.

C

apologies - it appears i was indeed mistaken

While we are on the subject, I have asked this on another thread but no replies yet.
Has anybody got any experience/comment on the Sigma macro ring flash EM 140?

Yes but I only use it for Macro so not much help.

I have the pentax af 080c.
I use it mainly for portraits, and also for macro...
I have posted both tips and photos in past threads....
rather than repeat everything in detail...
here is the short version:

use the ring flash as fill light for contrast control, you can't go wrong that way.

you can have your subject looking away from the flash, or you can have the ambient light bright enough to dial closed the pupils, or you can use one bright video/flashlight to close the pupils, or software to remove the red eye..

not really an issue...

if you are handy you can make a jumbo sized studio ringlight with a trip to the hardware store and about $60.00.... for light sockets, daylight balanced cfls, and some wiring...
use a trashcan lid to make a circle on some plywood, a jig saw or bandsaw to cut it out, cut a circle out of the center, wire up and screw in the light sockets paint it white and mount it on a stand....

Yes Mike - Macro work - wasn't thinking of using it for landscapes
so if you can tell me what you think of them that would be great. Thanks

Well, i bit the bullet & ordered one from SRS - fantastic deal on these at the moment and, again, fantastic service from the guys there!
Ordered yesterday and it arrived this morning! Looking forward to giving it a quick try out this evening before i really try to get to grips with it. Fantastic looking piece of kit - complete with a lovely carrying case and a couple of lens adaptor rings too.

So which make/model did you actually buy?

Sorry, yeah, i went for the EM140, just waiting for some more lens adaptors to arrive and i'll give it a whirl.
My girlfriend is into Macro/Nature stuff, so i'll have a chance to use it for that as well as in our (tiny) little studio at home for portraits.

What happened to your AF160FC Pete