I find this rant completely unconvincing. My experience compels a very different interpretation. Learning from the pros helps, but in the past 10 years the gap

I find this rant completely unconvincing. My experience compels a very different interpretation. Learning from the pros helps, but in the past 10 years the gap between amateurs and pros has shrunk so dramatically, and quality camera gear has become so much more affordable, that thousands of people worldwide have hacked their way to surpass the skill of most pros. And yes, having a 64-point tracking focus and metering system and a 16MP 3200 ISO low-noise sensor behind a stabilized f/2.8 telephoto lens really does make up for a big gap in skill - so much so that hacking the rest of the way is quite a bit more conceivable than before.