Anyone with experience with these lights find the dimmable versions valuable enough to spend the extra dough, or is a fixed intesity good enough?

Ed:

I can't tell you how valuable the dimming function is. OK, I'll tell you!

On all my shoots, I like to have at least one Gyoury standing by as a "last minute" light (unless I needed to use them both within the scene, which is often the case). Just as you are ready to go, if you realize (or the client points out) that a touch more fill is needed for a black hole etc., to be able to toss the Gyoury in there and dial in the exact level of light needed without having to mess around with nets, scrims, pinching barn doors or backing the unit off etc. is indescribably wonderful.

Being able to remote the ballast means that if you hang a Gyoury as a backlight for, say, multiple interviews, you can adjust the intensity for different color hair (less for blonds, "distinguished" gentlemen, that sort of thing) without having to stand on a chair etc.

Finally, you can achieve lighting effects such as a crackling fire or a TV set just by working the dimmer up and down.

Spend the bucks! You'll love it.

Thanks for the info Charles, even though you're spending more of my money :)

Charles, the Kino's seems so much more less expensive, including the bulbs...two diva 200's in a kit for around 1650 and change...wonder why the Gyoury are so much more expensive?

Yeah, looks like they are about $500 more expensive for comparable packages. I hadn't realized that, thought they were competitively priced. I bought the full kit with the China ball setup and a bunch of other accessories, so I was up over $3000; since the Diva's don't have the feature set I never bothered to compare the basic units price-wise.

I would send an email to Chris Gyoury at chris@meansst.com with this question, perhaps he can "sell" you on the advantages of his system over the Diva's. Tell him I sent ya!

<<<-- Originally posted by Charles Papert : ... Tell him I sent ya! -->>>

Oh, that ought to put you squarely on his Christmas card list this year. <g>

Charles, I did what you said and did not receive an answer back. I purchased the Diva 200 kit for around $1600...Might not be as flexible, but the resale value I am sure is much higher. For all you retailers out there, always respond to your emails, for you might miss out on a sale. :)