I also have a dynamo hub on my primary commuter. There are three downsides to dynamos. They have always been so, and remain.

First is cost. My hub was $140, then I had to have a wheel built around it. Rim was $80, 32 spokes at $1.50 each, plus labor. Then you have to buy the lights.

Second is portability. It's easy to move battery lights from one bike to the other. While you can easily move a wheel from one bike to another, there's still the matter of lights and wiring.

Third is light output. Yes, the new LEDs put out tons more light than the old halogen systems. But they're still limited by the 3-watt output of the hub. People with younger and better eyes than mine, or those who ride slower than I do, can probably see pretty well with just the dynamo headlight. I can't.

While I was very impressed with the output of my Schmidt Edelux as compared to a buddy's halogen system, it's still weak and wimpy as compared to a MagicShine. My guess it's that it's 230 to 250 lumens--tops. In other words, a smidge brighter than my DiNotte 200Ls. And that's the light that with one exception (see below) is acknowledged as the brightest dynamo headlight on the market.

This year I faced the choice of trying the SuperNova E3 Triple--an unregulated dynamo light with three LEDs, allegedly two or three times brighter than my Edelux--or buy more MagicShines. I bought more MagicShines.

For less than the cost of the E3 Triple alone, I bought two more MagicShines. If I'd purchased the E3 Triple, it's incompatible with my B&M taillight. I would have had to buy SuperNova's taillight too, and replace all the wiring. I'd have also lost the reflectors that are part of the B&M taillight.

The other thing is that even with the Edelux and a pair of DiNotte 200Ls on my bars, I was still dismissed as "just some guy on a bike" by motorists and pedestrians alike. With just a single MagicShine, I'm respected and treated as traffic by cars and peds. That's worth it all to me right there.