[cguess]

Pro photographer here: The best way to tag someone as an amateur is if they look at a photo and ask "what lens was that?"

[Lio]

As an amateur (who did a bit of paid work in his youth) I still look at photos I like and wonder what lens was used.

I don’t really care about the brand or model but I like to know the settings. Ie aperture used, max aperture, focal length, etc.

Was very subtle flash used and if so what was the placement and mod, etc?

I just want to know how it was made.

Even with shots from people like Cartier-Bresson where he almost always used the same lens, film and settings. I still wonder if anything changed.

I don’t miss all the arse sniffing, snobbery and inverse snobbery involved in photography though.

[fujinghg]

My father was a professional photographer. He was also a professional asshole so his response was always to respond with the shittiest worst lens he could think of and see if they bought it.

[pkolaczk]

Funny, but professionals do it quite often. In all professions people do talk about their tools and exchange their experiences. Quite usual.