I rather like the diversity of options the Leaf / Phase duality provides. I hope they don't go away. A Credo 40 is very very similar to an IQ140 with a few features lacking - no hard buttons (useful for gloved operation), no focus mask (useful for iterative focusing on a tech camera and for quick checks during portrait/fashion work), no metadata for horizon/tilt for automatic perspective and horizon correction. Many people are happy to pay for those extra features and can opt for an IQ140. Others are okay without those features and can save some money by going the route of a Credo. The Credo also has separately made color profiles which share lineage/intention with previous Leaf color profiles to provide a different look than P1 and to provide continuity with photographers and institutions that have become accustomed to or otherwise love that look.
The Credo 40 Promo is getting a lot of traction. It serves as a nice market counterpoint to the IQ250 which offers numerous advantages but at a much higher cost of entry.
The two backs share a lot of technology so there is not as much cost of independent development as when there was an Aptus II line which shared little-to-nothing with the P1 line.
The Credo line also supports the Hy6/AFi which is a small but important community to serve.
The IQ launched before the Credo. The IQ2 launched and there is not (yet) any Credo 2 with similar wireless capabilities or the long exposure sensor in the IQ260.
Also remember that for years Phase One offered the P20+, P21+, P25+, P30+, P40+, P45+, P65+ at the same time. So having four IQ2 backs and three Credo backs at the same time is not a large change in distribution methodology.
Well that was a very hasty edit.
(for those who missed it...
"You see a lot of this throughout the camera industry and other industries. The 6D and 5DIII, the 1Dx vs 1Dc, etc etc. "
was posted and then deleted)
Anyway...
Except it is not four IQ2 backs and three Credos, is it?
Four IQ2 backs, three IQ1 backs, three P+ backs.
Three regular Credos, two WS Credos, seven Aptus.
As to development costs - yes, of course there's a lot of technology sharing.
But there's a
lot more to a company's cost base than just R&D.