I suspect the Phase back on a Hy6 won't (ever) happen after Sinar & Rollei went out of their way to cut Phase completely off from the Hy6 body originally. And now that Phase owns Leaf, well...
I doubt seriously if a multi national company is trying to punish a camera maker.
Not to divulge anything in confidence but I was told it's all about money. The Phase One buy in for the HY6 was large, the takeover of Mamiya was less, so I doubt if the Hy6 makers (whoever they were) tried to lock out anyone and if they did, that makes absolutely no business sense. I think what the HY6 makers tried to do was get contracts of volume, so they could go forward.
If I'm wrong, show me the e-mail that proves otherwise.
In regards to Leaf, I think you have to realize that Leaf owners view their products as Leaf products, not owned by Creo, Kodak or Phase and for the people that bought into the HY6, if they're left hanging, well I think we all know how they feel.
I don't get the medium format thing of brand/dealer worship and what one brand really has to do with the other.
I never understood the Phase vs. Hasselblad thing. Hasselblad has THE camera platform and wanted more digital back sales, so they devised a system where they could sell more digital backs. If you are a Leaf, Phase, Sinar owner with an H system it didn't really change anything, because H series cameras and lenses are everywhere.
One of the refreshing things about owning Contax is I never really worry about them. Nobody's gonna diss them, lock them out, or put out rumors because they're gone and if they do stop making backs, well I'll just buy a different camera.
But as far as "open" systems, in my mind none are that open unless they have universal mounts for the backs. If that was the original process 98% of this medium format conversation would disappear.
Regardless, there are about a dozen things "professional" photographers would like to see from camera makers, (in all formats) but punishment is not on the list.
IMO
BC