Before adding my 2 cents worth I think I want to make it clear that I didn't in any way interpret Ndroo's comment in the way you're suggesting Leon. Maybe you aren't either but as it was obviously Ndroo's comment that prompted your posting, it could be seen that way.
I think most people, in this group anyway, will sympathise with your comments Leon. I think we all appreciate that no one can suddenly replicate another's work just because they use the same camera or stand in their footprints. But we photographers rely on cameras and without them, we couldn't do what we do. Obviously different cameras will give different results and it's up to us to choose the right camera for the job - but, ultimately, we are relying on the camera to do the job we are asking of it. So, I suppose I'm saying it's a combination of both the photographer and their camera.
As we are bound to use some form of camera, inevitably, we all have some interest in them. Some of us more than others maybe, but we must all, at least, have sufficient interest, or knowledge, to be able to make that choice of what camera to use. This knowledge will not extend to every camera and we will have some general opinions of what sort of results a certain type of camera will give us. If we then discover that a type of camera from which we expect a certain type of result, actually gives something better, or worse, then it's not unnatural that we comment on it. In Ndroo's post of his 'Holga by the sea' images, Roryot commented that one of the images seemed sharp for a holga. I don't think that means he will be using a Holga in future whenever he wants sharp images, it's just a comment. I took Ndroo's comment about the 'T' to be in the same vein.
Of course some comments, made by your friend for instance Leon, are misguided and there are many people, both photographers and non-photographers, who believe having the right camera or being in the right place at the right time, will guarantee a good result. I don't ever take such a comment as an offence - more I see them as being made in ignorance. I might roll my eyes, grit my teeth and bite my tongue but I think we just have to accept that not everyone is the same and accept it. We might, if given the opportunity, try to enlighten the person, but mostly just let it go.
I think it's also worth raising that many people do not see photographs as we see them. My late mother was one example - she could never seem to appreciate a photograph just for it's artistic merits. To her, a photograph was a record of a time and place. I used to get annoyed no end whenever I showed her a photograph and her first comment would be 'where was it taken'. Mostly she would not have know the location and certainly would have had no intention of going there, but the photograph just wasn't complete without her knowing where it was taken. This is just the sort of comment that might give offence but if we recognise that not everyone has our eye, then sometimes things make more sense.
I think the final comment I would make is that I, and many others who post images, not just on this forum, specify what camera the photographs were taken on and, maybe, what film, processing, exposure etc. etc. was used. This invites comments and we shouldn't be offended if someone then makes one. If I didn't think the fact that I used a P&S camera for these photographs would be of interest to anyone, I wouldn't have mentioned it.
Anyway, I think that's probably a dollars worth so I'll quit now.
