So I've demo'd both fixtures. More recently the MK1s but I've also demo'd the FLX extensively. My vote is for the MK1 Hybrid. However, depending on your application, the FLX may be better. Here's some thoughts & comparisons:
-MK1 Hybrid has a wider
zoom. They don't list it on the website/website is inaccurate but I measured the
zoom with a rotating wheel
gobo in and it goes out past 40 degrees. The FLX does not get that wide.
-MK1 Hybrid animation wheel is independent. FLX combines animation with the stamped wheel so it isn't continuous (like a Viper
Profile).
-FLX has more rotating gobos. 6 MK1 vs 8 FLX.
-MK1 Hybrid has more static gobos and more gobos overall because of the animation wheel taking up space on the static wheel in the FLX. 16 static MK1 vs. 6 static FLX.
-FLX field is flatter for spot mode. MK1 Hybrid has a little
bit more of a hot spot.
-MK1 Hybrid can't use prisms in beam mode. I honestly forget whether the FLX can or not. I'd guess it can tho. With the MK1, you can still
zoom really narrow and use prisms, it just doesn't have that 5-10% or so brightness bump from beam mode lensing.
-FLX can't use color mixing in beam mode.
-However, I think the color mixing on the FLX was a little better/more even.
-If I remember right the FLX has better separation on the linear
prism if you want to make the
ACL spread beam look from one light.
-MK1 has prisms you can use simultaneously. You can
overlay the 8 facet circular with the 4 facet linear. In the FLX they're not layerable. I love this look.
-Both units have a narrower
zoom range with the fixed
gobo wheel than the rotating
gobo wheel. Part of this is due to where they are in the optical path. Standard with most hybrids.
-I believe the
lens on the MK1 Hybrid is bigger, makes a fatter beam look.
-FLX employs "Lightpipe technology" making it harder to do layered looks (animation with
gobo, 2 gobos,
etc).
-MK1 Hybrid does not have an independent color wheel. The color wheel chips are on the
CMY flags (like a Mythos - circular flags, 2/3 of the wheel is color mixing, 1/3 of the wheel is color chips). This really is not a plus or a minus, it's just a way of doing things that's different.
-Plastic exterior housing of the MK1 Hybrid is more durable than that of the FLX, both in
thickness and actual material composition.
I think the MK1 Hybrid is a heavily underrated
fixture. I recently programmed an new
venue with 16 of them for a previous employer that sold a big install and they look great. Great beams, big
gobo looks, nice prisms, and good color.
Final thoughts: if you need to have a better spot
fixture with focus on only one graphic
element (
gobo/animation), FLX is it. If you need to have a better all-around hybrid, or if you require discrete/continuous animation, MK1 Hybrid is it.