And guess what - no serious photographers give a crap. If you think your photographs are lacking because you don't have the latest trendy gear, then you are sorely deluded. Your photographs are lacking because of YOU. So instead of learning about composition, or looking at the photos of past masters, or studying the great paintings, you buy yet another gadget. I have had the same gear for at least 2 years, and believe me, the latest Canon or Nikon or Sony will not improve my photography.
Groan... I can't believe I'm wasting my time responding but I've started so I'll finish.
I see this tosh time and again on line and was there really any need to be so insulting? IMVHO your post would be more at home on the DP Review forum than here.
So, lets see if I understand. If I care about new kit and new features I'm not a serious photographer I'm just a deluded gadget freak? What crap. It's a garbage view but it is a nice pat line containing just the right amount of insults and put downs to shut anyone talking about new gear up even though they too may know about composition and all of the other stuff that matters and might just see an advantage in the new stuff that you with your closed mind can't see.
People probably said similar lame insulting tosh years ago when things we now see as very useful to serious photographers first came along. I can imagine the comments...
"Auto focus is for amateurs taking snap shots. Learn how to anticipate where your subject will be and pre focus or sell your camera and take up knitting you muppet."
"Metering? If you brain is so tiny that you don't know from experience how to set your camera up or can't at least work out sunny 16 you shouldn't be allowed out without a nurse."
What if buying new kit gives you more chance of getting the shot or opens up completely new possibilities?
New stuff from the A7 series in general and the rII in particular -
"FF" image quality in a small form factor. This means I could take a compact and light FF system into places I couldn't as easily take a larger and heavier DSLR. Hmmm, sounds like a big plus to me and exactly why I bought an A7 and ditched the Canon kit I'd used for over 10 years.
Image stabilisation for any lens fitted to it. I think that just might come in very handy indeed.
Silent shooting. Love It! The 20D I used for about 7 years had a shutter that sounded like an anvil being thrown into a tin bath and having the ability to take pictures silently is a massive advantage - to some people.
When was the last time anyone could shoot silently with a FF camera and a stabilised 50mm f1.2mm? Er...
That's only three things and I'm bored now but IMVHO these three things are three big things and may be enough to tempt users of other systems to change and may enable decent photographers who know all about composition and all of the other stuff to get shots they simply wouldn't get with their old kit.
If you think new kit doesn't improve your photography maybe that's just you and you're not pushing the envelope enough and maybe other people are. There's no denying that both the image quality it's possible to get out of digital cameras has risen (otherwise I'd have kept my 300D) and there's also no denying that new abilities and features enable pictures to be taken which couldn't have been taken in the past anywhere like as easily, if at all. I can get useable shots at ISO 25,600 from Micro Four Thirds now. I couldn't do that with my 5D.
PS. You've had your kit two years? Bravo. I've been taking pictures for over 40 years and I still have the camera that started me off when I was 10. I have however bought some new kit along the way when I saw advantages - for me.
Rant over. See you on DP Review