You hear it all the time. It’s not about equipment. It’s the 12 inches behind the viewfinder that makes the image. What matters is vision. Equipment will not make you a better photographer. True.
But.
Having the gear that you need to make an image is just as important as finding the image. Both parts of the puzzle are needed. So many boring images have been taken with the best cameras on the market. A Leica rep many years ago asked me what I thought what was the most photographed subject was with a Noctilux. I quickly answered head and shoulder portraits. He said nope. He said cats are the most photographed subjects with a Noctilux. Many people have the equipment but don’t know what to shoot. At the same time a Noctilux in the hands of the right person will produce images that are not possible with any other lens. The reason to buy a Noctilux is not for the one stop benefits in low light situations. It is because of the unique images that it creates. Another example is the studio strobes that I shoot with. I use Broncolor lights for two main reasons. First they have modifiers that give images a unique look with the Para umbrellas. Also they have a very short flash duration that can stop any motion for fashion or product work. I could buy cheap lights that don’t have these capabilities but I wouldn’t be able to do they work that makes my images stand out.
Having equipment and not using it’s capabilities is what all of that gear isn’t the answer talk is all about. Saying you can shoot everything with one camera and one lens can be liberating in some aspects but is no good when your inside a church and you need an ultra wide lens.
Its just that you have to have a story to tell and have the right equipment to tell that story. I shoot with Leica’s because they mesh with my shooting style. I like looking through a rangefinder. I like that I can carry 2 cameras and lenses in less space than I need for one of my Nikons and lens. Also the look that Leica lenses produce is what my mind sees.
Too much equipment gets a bad rap because people buy equipment as a crutch to cover up the fact that their images are boring. If that new lens will enable you to do something that you can’t do now it might be worth adding it to your bag. But only if you use it.