My current equipment includes:
Canon 7D DSLR
Sony RX100M2 compact camera
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD
Tamron AF 17-35mm f/2.8-4.0 Di LD SP Aspherical (IF)
Canon 420EX flash
Canon TC-80N3 Timer Remote Controller
Manfrotto 3401B tripod
Manfrotto 322 RC2 tripod ball head
Rogue FlashBender (Bendable Bounce Card/Flag)
Lens shades for all lenses
Hoya SMC polarizers and UV filters
I don't believe that equipment on its own makes a better photographer. I've seen incredible pictures taken with a simple pocket camera and horrible pictures taken with a $4,000 camera. Skill is what makes a great photographer, not necessarily just the best equipment.
That being said, it is easier to get better technical quality in your images when using better equipment. This is why I buy the best equipment that I can afford at any given point in time. That takes care of getting the best image quality out of the camera. I figure the creative aspects are up to me...
I've shot Canon since 2001 when they exploded into the mainstream digital SLR (DSLR) market and led the industry with consistently strong digital image quality that nobody else could match. In fact, Nikon wasn't able to pose much of a sustained digital threat to Canon in the DSLR market until 2007 when Nikon released the blockbuster D3, D700, and D300. Now I think the companies are mostly equal. Both companies produce digital cameras that are equally capable of producing astoundingly high quality images that far surpass anything possible with film.
On the computer I use ACDSee Pro 2.5 as an image browser, Adobe Photoshop CS5 as an image editor, and Adobe Bridge CS5 for image keywording and categorization. Each of them does their specific job very well. Until I find one piece of software that performs all three of these tasks just as well, then I'll probably stick with these separate applications until something better comes along.
