Edit: Directed @Tristan mostly
A good photographer can produce amazing stuff with cheap, simple gear. I'm with you there 100%. Skilled hands is the foundation of ones photography.
However, what I have found that to get good results out of cheap gear.. you have to try and work a lot harder to produce those results. Back using the old 400D (was great by the way, a gateway to progression in my photography) and after just purchasing the 5D, I found I had to spend a lot less time processing my images that they output such at white balances, out of camera was light years ahead.. There's a plus for buying pro gear.
Next was upgrading the 10-20 to the 17-40L. (although the 17-40 isn't too expensive in terms of Canon UWA's.) 10-20 is a great lens. But after buy the 17-40, you can really see the difference in not only the IQ, but the attention to things like stopping down for sharpness.
The 50L was bought because I didn't want to buy, and then upgrade again later when I'm ready.
These pro gear offer not only the IQ.. but they increase the amount of keepers (less chance of missing important shots.. [not so important for portrait sessions I guess.. you get to take shot after shot]) and they decrease the amount of processing needed to be done. Which means more time behind the camera and less behind the computer.
But that's enough talking for me
I'm in Adelaide at the moment.. so i'll stop talking and get out and shoot. So I have something to post, not just talk about.