This is the difference of the look in the real world.
Three different images, though same model for the same editorial project.
The first is a Canon 1ds3 (girl in electrical dept. of movie studio), The second contax p30 +, talent on white
The third, p30+ talent reading script.
All were shot with continuous light, all with tripods all around 800 to 1000 iso.
The horizontal image best illustrates the medium format look as it's not noiseless, not oversharp, but it has a look and sharpness I don't see from cmos cameras. The mf ccd images also don't have that global cmos color look.
Interesting the bottom image is 800 iso, 80mm lens, F4, produced with 1 500w broncolor hmi (with 1/4 stop of spun) for the key, the accent lights are small 250 watt frensnel tungstens.
This is basically the minimum light I would use for digital video, so the fact this older medium format back works in this situation is to me not surprising, but makes me feel a lot better about that purchase I made 6 or 7 years ago.
The talent in white somewhat flies in the face what most people here look for in a digital file. It's also shot with broncolor himi and I don't care much about noise shadow worry, as for me it's fairly easy to clean up, (though I don't shoot smooth objects,
but i do care about holding the whites and I shot this image tethered but never looked on the computer, only the challanged p30+ back and hit it. Also I do not check a histogram, I've never looked at a histogram other than turn it off as I don't even
know what a histogram means and imagine I never will.
The first image, from the 1ds3 is nice, but doesn't have that crisp depth you see (at least I see) in even these small web reductions.
So is medium format worth it? Well for me I'm not sure I would drop 50k for a system, but given I own 4 bodies, two backs every lens and bought over a period, it's well worth it, though I love the contax, don't care much for other medium format cameras other than
the Leica S2 and the Pentax and for long use, neither one of those cameras I would take over my Contax. As I've said before I would find it hard to believe that any modern lens is sharper than these contax Zeiss, or for that matter prettier.
Then again as mentioned by others you don't need to spend $50,000. A used p30+ will go for about 6 to 7k and a contax and a few lenses, $1,500 more, but at used prices you not going to depreciate much.
But as always it's down to personal opinion.
BC
I should add that to get the most out of a medium format file (any file actually) you'll have to fully understand post processing in more than just a convertor.