Is it just me? "Thoughts from a newb"

Jon wrote in post #17417457
What? Nobody's said it?

"That was a great meal. You must have really good pans."

Photography, like invention, is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. To the extent that my camera does something yours doesn't (or vice versa), and that something is relevant to what we're trying to photograph, the gear will make a difference. But if you're outdoors, using a lens in the "normal zoom" range of focal lengths, you'd have to pixel-peep to tell whether photographer A used a $90 P&S or a $9000 Leica. Of course if you're in the super-tele range, the guy who's cropped in tighter on the subject SOOC was using the P&S (SX50, etc.), or he has a Titanium VISA.

"That was a great meal. You must have really good pans.".....

Jon wrote in post #17417457
What? Nobody's said it?

"That was a great meal. You must have really good pans."

Photography, like invention, is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. To the extent that my camera does something yours doesn't (or vice versa), and that something is relevant to what we're trying to photograph, the gear will make a difference. But if you're outdoors, using a lens in the "normal zoom" range of focal lengths, you'd have to pixel-peep to tell whether photographer A used a $90 P&S or a $9000 Leica. Of course if you're in the super-tele range, the guy who's cropped in tighter on the subject SOOC was using the P&S (SX50, etc.), or he has a Titanium VISA.

Aswald....LOL....I've heard it too...about my cooking, well rather about my pans!

A compliment none the less.... I've heard some pans can be quite the "dish".

It's all about the photographer. Some of my favourite shots I've shot with my phone.

That said, if you wanna indulge in some delicous BOKEH, you're gonna need a relatively big sensor and fast lens. Many other types of photography require specific gear too (like a sturdy tripod for long exposures).

Bonecollector wrote in post #17415749
Is it just me, or does the right lens make even bad pictures look good?

What I'm saying is... if you're standing next to a tourist with a little digital camera, and you have you _________, with your special _________ lens, yours will come out looking much beater, before and after editing. Am I right?

No. Snapshots are snapshots on a $5000 dslr or a $99 p&s or a old flip phone. There was a user on a forum a couple years ago all proud of his new d4 and what was posting was common tourist snapshots.

This kind of thinking leads to mediocrity.

Good picture, bad picture, the camera doesn't care, it can do both.