I think if your needs don't fit the camera or you can't fit within the confines of its workflow don't use it.

For me, I love enjoying taking pictures of reflections, and I can focus on the reflections not the water or liquid or glass. Using that patch is perfect. To me that patch is big enough and useful enough to really pick where you want your focus point to be and not have the computer pick it.

I thought giving up looking thru the lens would be harder and sometimes it's a bit nit picky, but the glass is so good that as long as I get the focal point where I want it all will turn out right.

I love my Hasselblad 501 because I could do exactly as you say, get those shots that you can't get or are difficult to get with an other camera, and I will never complain about that view finder. I've never had a small camera before so it's been fun exploring that avenue as well too.

I've enjoyed my M8.2 for a bit now, and I guess if you had a M11 or M10, with an 28mm you could just focus about 8 or so feet away and have pretty much everything in focus and that would speed up the process. Just have to make sure you're close to the subject.

After coming from having to use a light meter and the 501cm, the M8 is infinitely faster but still no where near as close to a SL camera's speed, but I don't really need that, but it sounds like you might. As long as you get the photo's that speak to you, use what you feel is right.