Abstract: An improved photo flash lamp, especially suited for medical photography includes a housing having a viewing tube extending therethrough and protruding therebeyond for mounting onto an adapter threaded into the lens of a single lens reflex camera. The housing carries a ring strobe concentric about the viewing tube for illuminating the subject matter photographed by the camera lens through the viewing tube. A set of high intensity illumination lamps are disposed within the housing about the viewing tube concentric within the ring strobe for providing shadowless illumination of the subject matter to enable proper focusing of the camera lens before the picture is taken. The ring strobe is interfaced to the camera by way of a flash-ready circuit which alerts the camera that the ring strobe is ready, thereby warning of a condition which would result in improper film exposure prior to when the ring strobe is fully recharged.