some may say its because of the D800.... MF gets cheaper

[Neeneko]

Actually, thinking about it... the real thing that could be a threat to them wouldn't be the high MF bodies, but instead of lower size manufactures start producing sensor packages with the same colour depth. The bigger the sensor the longer the product lifecycle, the older the generation of technology going into it. I could easily see Sony or Canon deciding to focus on how many bits per pixel they are getting out of the sensor and leapfrog over the 14 or 16 bit of MF.

For that matter if they get their MP up a bit more and have more bits, they could do some serious tricks with the CFA like baking ND into the array and getting some really impressive DR, which would take the MF sensor makers a while to catch up to.

 

[Danielle]

LOL. I don't care what the reason is, this is positive news to me.

 

[Aglet]

That is less 'snob factor' and more 'business factor'. It is like showing up to an interview in a nice suit, if it is more likely to get you the job then you better well do it.

That's a better analogy.

Altho I still don't quite get it, I've never worn a suit to an interview, just a funeral.
And only out of respect for the occupant of the casket I helped carry. (still wore hiking boots for traction )

As for bits-per-pixel, 16 will be plenty for a LONG time.
12 can be good enough, 14's even better, but the data better come clean from the sensor to start with.
Not much of that happening in Canon bodies yet, those 2 LSB are mostly encoding noise instead of tonal detail.

 

[Neeneko]

Altho I still don't quite get it, I've never worn a suit to an interview, just a funeral.
And only out of respect for the occupant of the casket I helped carry. (still wore hiking boots for traction )

This fits in pretty well with the example, context and audience are key. For professional photographers, some types of clients will care, others will not. A while back I was arguing with a fine arts photographer that was pointing out in his community digital was stigmatized and nothing short of high resolution film with 50 year old $10k+ lenses would get you a second look.... so if you wanted recognition (work and awards) you used exotic film and expensive antique lenses.

With interviews, some will care, some will not. At my place, last person who showed up in jeans we just sorta shook our heads, but I have been on interviews for other types of jobs that a suit was not necessary or appropriate.

 

[aznable]

When a 80mb MF comes along they say the MF will struggle to compete.

I think nikon SONY can make said sensor easily

corrected… and...maybe they can in labs just as canon did and aps-h 120mpix one.

but bring it to market it's a totally different story

 

[psolberg]

Altho I still don't quite get it, I've never worn a suit to an interview, just a funeral.
And only out of respect for the occupant of the casket I helped carry. (still wore hiking boots for traction )

This fits in pretty well with the example, context and audience are key. For professional photographers, some types of clients will care, others will not. A while back I was arguing with a fine arts photographer that was pointing out in his community digital was stigmatized and nothing short of high resolution film with 50 year old $10k+ lenses would get you a second look.... so if you wanted recognition (work and awards) you used exotic film and expensive antique lenses.

With interviews, some will care, some will not. At my place, last person who showed up in jeans we just sorta shook our heads, but I have been on interviews for other types of jobs that a suit was not necessary or appropriate.

I agree that in some situations you need to present yourself. yet what camera you use, as long as it is not an iphone, it is becoming increasingly irrelevant as long as you deliver what is expected of you. Sure Canon/Nikon are seen as kid's toys in the Hassy, Leica, Mamiya circles. Yet the images coming out of the D800 are really putting a black eye on these OEMs which demand huge prices that are not proportional to the gains. People wake up to this and OEMs of MF equipment will either be forced to adjust prices to remain competitive, or have to take leap forwards to fend off 35mm dslrs.

Nikon's D4X could very well be a 50MP monster based on the 24MP APSC sensor just like the D800 is based on the 16MP APSC sensor.

Dedmands for these types of cameras exists and it will not scape the eyes of Sony and Canon either which both will inevitably be playing catchup now that nikon was blazed the he trail.