I consider myself as a "forever beginner" because I had a photography phase when I dig myself a bit into it but not tooo much and finally gave up because I didn't like all that "seriousness" around the photography scene.

AND there was also the $$gear$$ issue

I've got a friend who works in a photo lab and invited me for a « gallery opening » in his lab, first time I attempted to such event. People were in awe in front of the photos but it irked me everytime I thought I could see how much money has been put behind the best pictures. Like they were SO clean, so perfect, so sharp... when I was in my enthusiast hobbyist phase I put all of my efforts on composition, good light and stuff. But I've got modest equipment and it saddens me to think that I will never be able to make a perfect picture even if I've got the perfect composition, subject and light, if I don't have the required gear for it.

Hence the redpill I'm looking for : without wanting to reach for a Hasselblad, how much money do we need to spend on gear to reach that acceptable level of "intrinsic" quality required to make a good to great picture ?

I hope you're getting my point, I only talk about digital photo btw BUT am open to discover film I think, though I don't want to fall into the gear rabbit hole because I know it's real and it's that kind of boring/serious things that discouraged to pursue my hobby. I don't want to make good snapshots, I want to take good pictures if I ever try it again.