The thing is, Christopher, that if that is indeed what you want to do - take high resolution photos of small features on the surface of the moon - then you do actually need special gear to do it. And people here, such as myself, would be glad to advise you of what gear would get you towards that goal (lunar rilles, craterlets and peaks - not fly's eyes, obviously!). So in some contexts, you cannot do stupid (or even clever) photography unless you have the right gear. One is not being a "hero" in having this gear, one is merely being equipped for the purpose in hand. It's not about having "the greatest", it's about having the minimum necessary gear to achieve the goal.
I hope I've now used the word gear enough, in a positive light, that you can approach it again without trepidation.
Love the pictures on your website, BTW. All taken with your Mamiya Press? I use a Mamiya Universal Press sometimes.
Of course my post was ironic and exaggerating, and I wish I had the spare money for some better gear too .... (Anyone very rich sponsoring me an Arca F-Line tech camera + lenses?).
But as you said - gear has a purpose, and the OP pointed towards the problem of gear abuse/misuse and the focus of discussions drifting away from the purpose.
I'm glad to read you cared to have a look at my website, which is quite new and the first time I am trying to present my stuff to the public (apart from the user critics here), though I once had an assignment to do the photography for a little rural exhibition about local conservation of historical buildings.
The two old landscape albums (Alps and Tuscany) are taken with the Mamiyosaurus, the new stuff is mostly made with a Canon G11 (some of the new albums are made with a loaned Leica M6).
I have taken great effort to repair and get repaired the Mamiyosaurus and the lenses and I'm proud of this ancient gear (three different bodies and the complete lens line from 50 mm to 250 mm). So I still have to get it back to work these days.
Though sometimes I'm promoting the use of film and especially b/w, but if I were a commercial, mostly non-artistic pro I surely would go fully digital and use the best gear affordable for the job/purpose.....
But its very interesting for me to work with this pesky little Canon G11. Its good within its league and it doesn't stop me from looking and developing my new photographic self.
That said I support what fredjeang was attempting with his initial post.
Generally said: Purpose first, gear second, though I'm well aware, that good gear may help expand and grow as a photographer.
