I'm not a professional - though I've done the odd photo job in the past. It started out as a sort-of 'gear lust'. The word 'lust' is easily transposed into the word 'slut'. So, I guess I was...am a 'gear slut'. But my total, dirty slutty-ness eventually gave way to a desire to actually learn the art of still photography.
At the time I was cutting my photographic teeth, film was still king. So, I learned from a very 'film-centric' perspective. Digital photography...digital cameras (DSLRs) have come a long, long way since then. This actually cuts to the heart of my close-mindedness regarding photography. It's almost like cameras are 'too easy' now (not like ‘slut’ easy - like simple easy). They hold your hand...a lot of the challenges are removed. Film photography had these 'boundaries' and you had to work within them. I *like* these boundaries...I respect them. They've always forced me to 'approach' a shot or a given photographic scenario. It forced me to think about how to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish and to work for it.
The good news is, there are a lot of gear choices out there. It's easy (and can even be a little less expensive) to put together a kit that allows me to work within my precious 'boundaries' while not being a complete dick. /rant
At the end of day the gear are just tools. Nice tools are great to work with - everyone knows that. Advanced tools allow you to expand your craft and give you a degree of control that you'd otherwise not have with 'lesser tools'. I really like my setup - I think it's totally tits! But the end result - the photograph - is what is most important. Like music, photography can never be fully 'accomplished'. There's always something better, more challenging, more lovely...more slutty to strive for!