Instead of buying a P25 or P45, buy a P21 for 13 grand or whatever and a canon for 8 and for 21 grand you have the transvestite of solutions. (the best of both worlds).
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If it was only that easy, (and that inexpensive). You are not making note of the two sets of lenses, two sets of chargers, two sets of accessories, two sets of camera bodies, etc. That alone adds another potentially tens of thousands of dollars to the investment, when you're talking about medium-format.
I suggest that most anyone reading this could get by just fine with two 1ds3 bodies, five or six lenses, and that's it. Walk on the plane with one carry-on bag. That's very hard to do with Contax/Phase solution, especially with many of the smaller planes now in use, with smaller overheads.
Now that TSA won't let you Zip-Tie your checked luggage, it makes it very hard to think about checking backup bodies and lenses. My second assistant just flew out west, two weeks ago, and someone at TSA took his 5D and two zooms. When he got to Albuquerque, the slots were wide open, where the 5D and two zooms had been. And since you can't Zip-Tie your cases, there's no way to prevent this. Yet another reason to keep your kit small.
Since a few of you here seem to be independently wealthy and not concerned with economics, this part is for the rest of the crowd here: When you read stories about massive layoffs at both Corbis and Getty, and you realize that even the Stock business is in the tank, it does make a prudent person wonder whether it's wise for a young photographer to invest tens of thousands of dollars in MF bodies and backs, when they're depreciating at a very rapid pace. I got an email request from a major NY magazine last week that I worked for about ten years ago, and the editorial job offer was for $300 a day, plus a measly digital prep fee, and maybe a tiny amount for an assistant. It was all I could do to hold my tongue, and not write a nasty email back to her. If any bean counter did the math, and realized how much gear a photographer takes to a job, compared to a normal editorial fee, they'd have a heart attack, and immediately recommend you moving toward a career in Insurance or Appliance Sales. If I was a young photographer, just starting out, it simply is hard to justify investing in medium format, given the total cost investment, no matter how good the files are. At some point, the rent comes due...
Just one opinion. But my point is, in the Real World, there's a hell of a lot more involved in this decision than 12 bits versus 16 bits, or focus fall-off.
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