Yes, I think different folks have different perspective.
I think people who tend to be closer to perfection while maintain practicality -- will tend to appreciate more expensive, high quality, yet closed systems.
Folks like me would tend to 'wonder around, experiment' while in the process, increasing difficulty of usage, and, probably, reducing quality of output.
Like the picture you posted with Zeiss... I liked it, and if I would take it, I would think it is great. :-).
But you are right, shadows/blackness is not gradual, and, instead unnaturally digital.
My hope is Nikon opens up their lens mount, and make it truly open.
I do not think they will loose business if they do that.
Instead, I think they will create a multi-tiered ecosystem of not just lenses, but other auxiliary devices, that may even be transformational to the market space...