I tried multiple times to get out of 35mm DSLR, but so far this did not come true. Even with those advanced MFDBs like P40+ and H4D40 there are too many limitations WRT high ISO performance and lenses - especially tele and zoom lenses.
I rather think that FF DSLRs will get pretty close in their next incarnation no matter if they come from Canon, Nikon or Sony. These will have around 30-36 MP and will be still better at higher ISO than current 40MP top of the MFDB line offerings.
I hoped the S System to become a total replacement of DSLR, but obviously this did not happen and will not happen too soon - sigh!
So for me a combination of M43 plus high ISO capable DSLR plus reasonable MFDB is my current lineup. And I am a happy camper in all those camps so far!
I think that depends on personal applications, and alternative gear.
I was also convinced that the 35mm DSLR was essential ... mostly due to the higher ISO performance, thus the D3 was part of my gear closet.
However, I did a survey of my own work over a 2 year period or so ... by studying the Exif info from 10,000+ wedding and personal shots ... and found that ISO 1250 was as high as I went, with a few higher that rarely got used. I also rarely used the base ISO in any camera unless in the studio. What was important was ISO performance from 320 to 800 which was overwhelmingly a vast majority of the keeper shots.
What you
think you need and what you actually use can be two different things entirely.
I dumped the D3, and have never missed it. For low ambient light shots I tend to favor the M9 and fast M lenses anyway. That M kit is not going any where ... but it is not a big assed 35mm DSLR
Tomorrow, I will be shooting a wedding and will take the Sony A900 with a 24-70 ... but only as back-up to the H4D/40. I sure am not buying a second H4D/40 as a back up :ROTFL:
What I've learned so far is that even when using LR for the Hassey H4D/40 shots (volume amounts of images are easier to push through LR) ... LR's new noise controls have made ISO 800 incredibly good and 1600 very usable for candid ambient light works. I also found that the True Focus feature is faster than the A900 AF for off-center compositions which is also a vast majority of what I shoot. Plus, setting manual WB with the H4 is also faster, important because of the mixed lighting at weddings, and the ever changing lighting scenarios. The Hassey TTL flash is also faster and easier to use than any 35mm DSLR including the Sony.
DSLRs could squeeze 50 meg into that confined sensor size and it'll still never be MFD IQ. So it doesn't matter where that goes in future.
Like you I also looked to the S2 as an alternative and found it lacking in that comparison criteria ... but that was before Hassey announced the H4D.
I won't be offing the Sony kit, it would be to big a loss and not worth it ... but it'll get used less and less as I master this new H4D.
-Marc