BenFrankske, I agree, the MDG Atmosphere is a terrific
unit, however, possibly overkill for what he is doing. I tend only to use the MDG in a larger
house, it is not a light duty
hazer as I'm sure you know.
The reasons for my preference of the XS over the DF-50 for theatrical applications is really the quality of the
haze. The DF-50 tends to give off a "thick" (oily)
haze that looks great for concerts, however when the
house lights come back on, the place is really hazed up, hard to see. However, given the smaller particle size and generally lighter particles given off by the XS, the
haze tends to be more even, less dense, and does not interfere with visibilty when front light is added. Beams are definatly visible when employing backlight, but it doesn't become the
focal point of the show. I've used both a DF-50 and an XS in on my
current stage, as well as others, and this general trend holds true. However, these are 1000 seat + houses, it might be different depending on
house size.