Hi again,
corben_dallas, sorry for making your decision more difficult, but when I read all those contributions in favour of the Aria, I had to give a statement for the ST. I think comparing the Aria to the ST is a little critical, because it means comparing cameras which play in different leagues. Both cameras are excellent, but one of them is made for heavy duty, the other one is not. Before I bought my second hand ST I owned a 167 MT, the Aria's predecessor. I did not like the push button controls of the 167, so I had a look at the Aria. Both of them are entry level cameras (that's the way Contax called it, I think), nevertheless their built quality seems to me better than that of many semi-pro cameras of other manufacturers. I would have bought the Aria, but then I had the opportunity to lay my hands on an ST, and it feels and sounds much better! Maybe the additional strength, built quality and reliability is not necessary for everybody, for me it was and still is very important.
Concerning the Aria's databack: every ST has a databack which can record date and time between the frames. If that is not enough you can get a databack which can imprint text and other data and which you can use for timed exposures.
The ceramic pressure plate serves the same main purposes as the one in the RTS III: precision and durability. This pressure plate can not corrode and can not easily be scratched.
By the way: before I bought the ST I called Contax/Yashica Customer Service in Germany and asked if and how long they could service and repair it. For many, many years, they told me ...
Having said this in favour of the ST I must repeat that both the Aria and the ST are excellent cameras, you will not make a mistake, whatever you decide!
Regards
Georg