Except for the small fact that no matter how much I would just love to model in zbrush, since it’s the best organic modelling software around, I just can’t afford it, tho it’s not even that expensive.
Also, why would I want to use blender with maya, or max? (Actually I like yafray better than maya’s internal, tho it might be because of that *@&³ watermark 
)
well yafray has caustics and gi but thats all maya does not have. but for that mayas shader network system is mh let me say far above yafray. yafray even cannot render metal shaders (anisotropic highlight).
but maya comes with mentalray anyway so in mental ray you have all from maya you know + photon gi, caustics, AO and other stuff.
claas