i think this marriage is very positive.
i was wondering the last days,- more so after the 5dmks and the S2 announcements,- how this mf thing will go on,- more and more player in a market who will have increasing pressure from the lower end.
i think lower prices are nice for us, as long the companies survive. digital studio and architecture shooters even really NEED the mf systems, together with cameras and lenses as you only find in the mf segment. there is no offer in the mass market, from canon and nikon ( and hasselblad? ) . from the bigger players come only compromises ( as mediocre or submediocres shift lenses ) but no hiend solutions.
phase still seem to look hand-wringing for a camera system. they couldnt join in th hy6 deal, but they knew they need urgently a camera system, as sinar/leaf and hasselblad have.
its obviously that the mamiya cooperation is not working very well, and i doubt that leica will bring the solution for phase. ( contax? sems so that kyocere still is not willed to give the brand free again,- and although its a very nice system and all who use it like it,- its not on par with a modern system either. there should have to be created a new camera as well, if the brand could be reactivated. )
sinar and leaf were working together in the beginning days of digital, so they have a longer history together. i see many fields where they could exchange their technologies and save a lot of money, than to invent the wheel separate and to compete.
both together can form a really strong company, probably the best in the market. offering cameras for studio (P, sinar m ) , architecture ( arctec ) , fashion ( hy6-afi )
and backs as the new sinar 30 mp, the afi7 and e75 and the leaf 60 mp back.
they really have all, including a big distributor network.
this cooperation can work fine, as i believe.