Hooray! for Pentax. Whenever it gets to the US market, it'll provide an entry level option into MFD for a lot of people who insist on buying new, but couldn't afford a current
new MFD kit from Mamiya/Phase/Leaf or Hasselblad. :thumbs:
However, I think it'll have little to no effect on current customers of current systems. Beyond all the user expectations already established and mentioned by Guy and others, I doubt there are very many current MFD users willing to take a bath on their entire system investment to move to Pentax. Some may do it for a S2, because it's a Leica and is truly sexy and exclusive with unquestioned optics, but not many of those either ... as the cost of current system loss added the cost of the new system is absolutely ferocious.
Tim, depending on your actual applications, I wouldn't be put off by the 1.3X crop factor at all. IMO, these backs are the right choice for people, social documentary, and street photography ... especially if you tend toward available light. They are fast, offer a bit better ISO performance, and 28mm on them is wider than you may think.
I think the P30+ is exactly the right choice given your criteria and budget. Mamiya bodies are plentiful as are many of the lenses, and performance/software/service/support is not in question at all.
Here's my personal analysis: my subject matter criteria parallels your very closely, except I use a bit more strobe lighting than you. I went back into my files to compare usage between my H3D-II/31 (similar to the P30+), and H3D-II/39 (similar to the P45+). By far, the 31 meg 1.3X crop camera was the most used ... (which is why my 39 only has 2900 shots on it
). I have action shots from the H3D-II/31 that clients enlarged to 5 feet wide for trade show displays and they were spectacular!
Now my paying work has shifted away from studio/product, to even more people/event/portrait/fashion. So I cancelled my order for a H4/60, and next week should take delivery of my new 1.3X crop H4D/40 :thumbup: Had I not had the previous experience it would've been a less clear move for me ... not to mention that in the end, this upgrade cost me $5,000. instead of $19,000. :shocked:
-Marc