It's all about the lighting and the pictures not necessary the gear..
It's always about the lighting. A good photographer will always work with whatever equipment s/he has in hand. You do, however, want gear that allows you to do what you need. For example, I keep a little Canon powershot(I know it's blasphemy!) on my nightstand simply to get a shot of my dogs when they're doing something cute or to keep in my purse just in case. . . you know those moments, "aw, shucks, if only I had my camera" . . . and yes, I sleep with my dogs (don't think I need to sleep with my nikons, too . . . I guess I should say, my dogs sleep with me) Well, I've gotten some cute shots, but missed more because the camera response is so much slower, and forget about "creative lighting" . . . .
Because this is a Nikon site, there is a lot of discussion about equipment, and sometimes some people may come across as "snobbish" . . . I don't think it's intentional. Snobs don't hang around here much . . . they usually figure out pretty quick that we don't stroke egos here.
Pro, prosumer, amateur, etc., whether it applies to equipment or photographer are really irrelevant terms (and in my opinion, should be obsolete)when it comes to photography. Your camera is only a tool . . . what matters is how you use it. We've had some spirited discussions about similar topics (pro vs amateur) in this forum, and what is so cool is that we can have these discussions and still stay friends.
So, I shoot with an outdated (or out of production) camera because it allows me to be creative and manipulate situations that may be less than ideal. Choice of camera should simply be personal preference. As far as I'm concerned, snobs (in any area of life) are unhappy people with more baggage than they know what to do with. This site is about the pursuit of photography, having fun while getting better, learning from each other, and most of all, having fun.
By the way, I love your avatar, Rob!
Best Regards