Keep posting the shots from the 645D. It's great to be able to see how the resulting images and colors of each of these MF systems differ. Each system certainly has a particular look to it. To my eyes, it seems like the colors from the 645D look similar to those from Hasselblad ... bright and cheery. Personally, I would have investigated the 645D more before I purchased my S2 if not for the lack of lenses with strong performance at wide-open apertures. For those who like to shoot stopped down and are willing to spend some time identifying and acquiring excellent lenses, it's a system to look into for its value considerations.
Patience, might be key for those with and/or looking into the system. Developing a body/back and slowly filling in the lens line seems to be the way that each of these manufacturers is approaching the market. Phase has done a great job with this with updates to their lens line-up and I'm feeling good about the four current lenses now available with the S2 (remember the S2 has been on the market for a couple of years now).
Kurt, your assesment regarding the 645D is quite accurate from my experience. Although current Pentax lenses don't have quite the peformance characteristics of the S2 lenses, especially wide open...if one is willing to go through testing multiple samples of a given lens to find "good ones", certain (although not all) focal lengths are quite usable near their widest aperture or at the least, a stop down. Those comparing theses two systems must keep in mind though that many similar focal lengths between the two system initially start with their widest apertures a stop apart... ie: the Pentax lenses a bit slower. Therefore, even if all other things were equal in terms of optical performance (which they are not) and a pair of respective lenses from both manufacturers could be shot wide open...the Pentax lenses are a stop behind and so the resulting image, OOF areas, bokeh will be different of course. In addition, edge/side detail in some of the Pentax lenses will also not be quite as good until well stopped down.
With all that said, I am finding the 645D array of lenses quite capable, have many desirable image characteristics, some are quite exceptional, and compared to other MFD systems, on the whole, reasonably affordable and moderately easy to find.
For those that haven't seen Kurt's and many other Leica S2 users posted images, I'd urge you to have a look in the "S Is For Show Us Your S2 Shots " forum here on Getdpi (under the Leica heading)......where some really remarkable shots can be seen taken with the S2 system.
Dave (D&A)