Professional,
This is a very engaged and interactive community on this forum, and there is a lot of great talent and advice floating freely here. I think some of the things folks like Guy, Marc, Bob, and occasionally myself included are saying is that one should use whatever they can afford and that gets the job done. Some of the lower priced lighting gear can do a lot for not much investment. However, I have found that most of the time, a lot of that gear tends to be money somewhat wasted. In other words, you may not recover your spending, either in selling it later, as compared to better gear, and more importantly, when you are using it. There is a lot to be said for flash consistency, as several have pointed out. I have a philosophy that I have followed for a long time, and it has served me well.
Basically I try to buy the best I can afford that gets the job done and gets out of my way when I am working. In other words, I do not obsess over the latest and newest, unless there are some really valuable new features that will allow me to get what I want with less effort and with greater consistency. Not everybody needs or wants this sort of thing, and that is fine. They are not paying my bills, nor doing my work. I do not succumb to all the competitive hype, but I rather evaluate what the gear can do for me and how I shoot or use it. I would have Profotos in my kit, if I could justify the need. Until recently, most of my work has been outdoor, available light, fast action sporting events (polo, equestrian, auto, etc.), and there has been little "need" for lots of lighting gear. I have been able to get by with very reliable and accurate DynaLites, but after years of shooting with them, and realizing some of my changing needs, I see some of their limitations for me. Does not mean they are not good lights, but I am starting to outgrow their capabilities with the greater use I am giving things as my focus changes.
I think many of us go through that sort of thing, so we do change gear....some more frequently than others, but most folks keep the bank account in mind, and buy things that will pay for themselves with use. The more prudent path is to buy into good lines of gear so that you can expand as you need to. The better brands of lighting, as discussed here provide that sort of growth opportunity, and the makers pay attention to the folks buying and using their gear, to some degree, constantly improving and offering features that are useful, and not just for marketing.
Trust me, I get a few pangs of envy when I read about Marc getting some new lighting gear, or Guy cycling through some new camera system, but I learn from them and offer up my own perspectives and experiences, not worrying if what I shoot with is the latest, the most expensive, etc. My stuff does what I need it to do, and when it no longer can, it gets replaced, or the kit grows with new things for my needs, not at anybody else's urging or comments. I respect the inputs from folks, but a 50MP MF system is beyond what I need right now, as are $10-11K Profoto Pro 8a Air packs plus heads. That may change as my business changes, and if it does, I will look at whatever best serves my needs then. These new Profoto D1 Air monoblocs are not something I have been looking for, but I certainly appreciate what they could allow me to do maybe easier than my DynaLites are today, so I am seriously thinking about revamping my lighting kit with them in mind. That is me. Might not be the solution for anybody else.
Sorry if this sounds a bit like a sermon or something. Not intended that way at all. I was just starting to sense some of your frustration over all this high dollar gear hype, and wanting to try to keep up a bit. Trust me, this forum can be dangerous in that respect, but the good thing is that if you know what you need, can afford, and how you want to use it, there are lots of folks here that can offer many perspectives, and that is great.
As for not having many shooting opportunities.....create them. I used to be out chasing horses nearly every day, taking 3-4K shots per week in peak season. I am changing that, and now am spending more time shooting people, starting to create new kinds of product perspectives, and things that are forcing me to use different gear in different ways. I love it. Nothing terribly great yet, but it is important to keep the artistic side engaged also, and not just to chase the same old paying work all the time.
Sorry for taking some of this off track, folks, but some of these new products have some really great features and promise, and it is sometime worth getting past specs and prices and thinking about how they can "get out of the way" for shooting. These Profoto D1s are looking that way for me, and I am not much of a monobloc person. Good stuff. Thanks for indulging my rant.
LJ