Maxwell Render...
 

Have u guys seen this (i dont have any suitable words) stuff...

http://tora_2097.cgsociety.org/gallery/

Though, this is months old.I though of it posting here early.But forgot.

Yep.
I love Maxwell render, and anyone who knows how to properly use it.

It produces some amazing stuff.

Is it for the easier learning curve?

I think Mental Ray is a complex rendering system and it takes time to master.

On the other hand, some other rendering systems(such as Maxwell) can produce fairly similar result with much less effort.

I wonder, how much will be the effort difference, to produce something like THIS, between a Maxwell and a Mental Ray expert.

:confused:

Maxwell is just as much of a learning curve, and it really only worth learning for renders where you need GI, Caustics, and all that good stuff. It handles that quicker than Mental Ray, but for simple to mildly complex renders Mental ray is better.