David DuChemin's blog strapline is "Gear is good. Vision is better." His point is that whilst the cameras and all the other paraphernalia we use to create photographs are important, it is having the vision to make a picture that has much more value and will contribute so much more to the finished image. Of course, he is absolutely correct and his writing and book do a lot to explain what vision is and means for a photographer. Highly recommended.
If that sounds like a lame excuse for this piece about cameras, then you have seen through me very quickly. Whilst I completely subscribe to his view about vision, I do not subscribe to an alternative view that "the camera doesn't matter." Of course it does! If anyone says you can get just as good a picture from the Apple iPhone camera or latest Canon or Nikon DSLR they are probably talking complete nonsense, although clearly the amount of "goodness" needed depends on the final use of the picture. If it is to be used only on a social networking site like Facebook then chances are the iPhone or other phone-based camera will do the job perfectly. But when the image is to be used in publications, printed or require other critical examination (and I don't mean just anorak-clad pixel peepers) then something different is required.