So we're now in an era I'd describe this way: 24mp, full frame, US$2000 as the primary entry point the camera companies want you to pick, with 24mp, APS-C, ~US$1000 as the fallback for the price conscious. Anything outside of those two has to have a unique reason to exist, something that would make you ignore the three primary attributes I just described.
I agree with Thom's analysis. I am in the market for a new ILC and feel that a 24MP sensor is what I want. But the current price tags of offerings from Fuji, Sony and Nikon have me feeling "cautious" and I don't feel I need full-frame. APS-C is suitable for this hobby. Thom thinks $1000 is the right entry-point for a 24MP APS-C camera. I think I would spend close to $1600, especially if a 24-70mm (35 mm equivalent FOV) lens was included within the basic kit.
One final comment for the professional crowd: one of the on-going problems professional photographers have had in the digital age is that competent amateurs often are in the right place at the right time with entry bar cameras (i.e. ones that produce usable images for the media). If the bar is at 24mp full frame, that really means that the pros have to up their game considerably, as 24mp full frame is enough for a two-page magazine spread, even at high ISO values.
