Originally posted by photolady95 That's true. What I didn't like about ring flashes on insects was when the flash was a ring of light. I think it detracts from the overall quality of the photo.
It does detract from the image, but the benefit IMHO is totally worth the artifact. The ring flash has allowed me to get some phenomenal images I certainly would not have without that light source. I'm sure a skilled post-processor would be able to minimize the light ring, but I really doubt it could be completely removed in a way which doesn't visibly alter the image, particularly given the nature of compound eyes.
I know one guy who has built a huge ring diffuser of PET milk jug plastic (re-thermoformed over a buck) and avoids the rings. I'm not sure whether his base is a ring or just a pair of speedlights. It's quite the contraption, though.