Can anyone point me to places in the Chicago area that have DV lighting equipment on display and are knowledgeable in the area?

For instance if I wanted to see a Lowel Rifa up close and maybe compare it to a Photflex Silverdome while talking to someone experienced in the field... Actually I would like that very much.

Rental house maybe? Thanks

Fletcher (http://www.fletch.com/) may be able to help you.

I have both a Rifa (1K) and a Photoflex soft box. Perhaps I can answer questions you may have.

Thank you for the Fletcher link. It's good know there's a place in the area to rent lights for a day; that would let me try some equipment. I guess they'd rent to me even though I wouldn't nearly be in their target group of "high-end professionals ... in the industry."

Thanks for the offer to answer questions. I'll start a new post to keep things on topic.

I had a really good experience renting from them for a day. They even have a handy drop off system so that you can return the lights after they've closed.

Thanks Ryan, that's good to know. I had been mentally pricing in an extra day or partial.

The drop off thing really came in handy on my last shoot in Chicago. Our shoot ran long (in fact, we almost missed our flight out) and it was a life saver. Very quick and painless. Just ask them about it when you're picking up your gear.