I have a Shimano dynohub on a older bike - it has operated trouble free for about 10K miles so far. About 3 years ago I built up a new bike which is my primary commuter, it too has about 10K miles on it now, and it has a Schmidt dynohub on it, it too has operated trouble free. Differences between the two:

Price: - The initial purchase price is higher for the Schmidt, but over the life of the hub, I find this to be irrelevant.
Power Connection: - The Schmidt has spade lugs, which I have found more trouble free than the plastic connector that the Shimano hub uses, but not a big deal.
Aesthetics: The Schmidt is definitely prettier - shiny and has remained so.

If I were to buy another dynohub, it would probably be another Schmidt, but if I were told that I had to buy the Shimano, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Either way, you are well ahead of the cost and reliability of a battery lighting system.