I think the prices will go even lower. Blad is a savvy company. They see the writing on the wall and are acting accordingly. Their products are really solid now. I'm not a fan of a closed system but, if the prices come down some more, you could buy an H3 AND a stand alone Blad back with an adapter plate to fit whatever other odd camera you may have. This way you would have a back up and a back that would fit that RZ or 680 in the closet. This should also kill the stupid high used prices.
Its time for some consolidation in the industry so that they can shake out the inefficiencies in their operations, take advantage of economies of scale, and turn these things into top end commodities. I think Phase will be the odd man out. I say this because they don't have a really attractive camera. The AFD3 is OK, but, and not to make any Sarah Palin reference, its like putting lipstick on a pig and charging a premium for it. Like dropping a 911 engine into a bug, or the somewhat pathetic Porsche 914. The new reality is that the focus is moving away from the Back as a discrete unit and towards the camera/back as a unified unit. Perhaps the AFD4 will be a real high end product that will attract buyers, but there is a serious let down moving from a Hy6 to an AFd3, or, to a lesser degree, from an H3D to an AFD3.
The thing about dealer service is this: If a product needs lots of support and swap outs all the time, I don't want such a product. Be it a car, a camera, an espresso maker, a printer, what ever. If the product is either unreliable, has electronic bugs, is badly engineered, prone to failure etc., it is not a professional tool. I don't think the backs fall into this category.
How many of you have had a failure? I had an old AFd crap out on me. The Leaf back worked just fine. My Phase back was rock solid, never a problem that couldn't have been worked out on my own. So where is this value in a dealer network? I'd rather have two backs at lower prices than a HOTLINE number and the promise of a FEDEX replacement the next day, if a loaner is even available.
I do believe in owning my gear, if its affordable. A value proposition must be made. I would like a Briese Focus 77 and a 220, but I don't think its worth upwards of $35k for two light modifiers. So renting makes sense. Same thing with backs that cost upwards of $40k. Renting makes sense. I am planning on picking up a used Aptus 54 or Sinar 54 when I find one real cheap. Until then, I'll rent the best and the brightest on someone else's dime.
These things should be commodities like the Canons and Nikons.