Originally Posted by
nkedel
Practical image quality is almost always a matter of the photographer and how they take advantage of the lighting available (or added), and other than noise levels, a really good photographer with an outdated camera that seems "bad" by will usually beat an average photographer with the latest and greatest.
+1
My niece never carries anything more than a years-old basic digital, but she gets better results than family members with DSLRs or far better P&S cameras.
I've stood side-by-side with her and taken effectively the same shot, but she's got the knack for framing and making tiny adjustments in angles and exposures (about all her basic camera can do). My shot sits on the page and hers comes to life.
There's no substitute for skill.