I believe from reading this thread that from a pure technical perspective - the Hassie with 28mm wins.
But as the last post indicates, I have the problem of defining what is priority:
Simply put, the equation is: As weight increases, the ability to walk any distance decreases.
It's that simple.
Three days ago I had trouble walking 20 yards, and that was without carrying a camera.
Other days I can do substantially better, but not near what I used to do - run Marathons
and hike all over the planet with no issue on control of the legs.
A chap must learn to find this change in personal physical limits "entertaining" rather than
devastating.
What this tread has shown me to date is the Nikon D800 can do an acceptable job, while not
what I'm used to in image RAW data, but at a weight that will allow me to continue to gather images in
accessible areas - not distant hikes to waterfalls up steep hills. Those days are gone even
without a camera. Thus, I'm thankful that the D800 at 36.2MP and great Dmax is now in
the marketplace!
Like with many progressive neurological diseases, it is a downward slope you are
living on. Thus I figure it will be a slow progression from the use of a Hassie AND Nikon D800, then gradually taking the Hassie out of the equation and going with D800 and Leica M. Leica being the final tool
that will allow me continue to capture images.
Thus, at this point in the journey I think I will sell off my 50-110 lens as it is just too heavy, use the Hassie with 28 for very short (close to where the car is parked) scenes and buy a Nikon D800 with a wide angle
and short tele to use for scenes where I need to walk any appreciable distance to shoot it (and which
my wife could carry D800, a wide angle and my RRS carbon tripod with no problem).
I'm also finding it interesting to evaluate the need to move from Landscape photography, which in my experience does require hiking and stamina in your legs, to other areas of interest. Yes, I'll still pursue landscape scenes as a "trunk photographer", but I think that focusing on
Abstracts, Architecture and possible Portraits will be a transition that I will have to shift my focus.
The transition will be "entertaining" to say the least.