Does it annoy anyone else...?

All these thoughts are correct. You can also add high quality lenses, filters, hoods, tripods, lighting equipment & a ton of other ancillary hardware to the list of stuff that HELPS a person get a good shot.

The real bottom line answer to your dilemma, is recognizing that the person making that kind of comment, is completely ignorant as to what is needed (hardware wise) in addition to the creativity side.

You can give many folks the most expensive set up available & they'll turn out nothing but snapshots. At the same time, give someone with the right creativity a low-end point shoot and they can manage to produce exceptional photos. All of us operate somewhere on that mixes the creative & the mechanical resources.

When dealing with people, such as you describe, either grin & bear it or tell them you have either a $20,000 camera ,or depending on your mood, you made the shot with a $19.95 cheapie. Have some fun!

I'm not. I like hearing it when the picture was taken with my entry-level dSLR. I enjoy it more if I get to show them that the picture was taken with my wife's simple point-and-shoot. Yes, you are totally correct. The best camera in the world will give out crap when in the wrong hands. That is why I like hearing that "expensive camera" comment. I don't have expensive cameras.

The same things happen to me. One time I had a camera that looked like the olympus fe 4000. It wasn't nearly as good. I took a couple of pics. and I was told that they were really good pictures. They said that I must have a really good camera. It's annoying. I totallyagree.

im totally with you, when i took my first photography class i was part of the advanced part because my teacher said i had a "good eye"but in the same class with others. we used the same camera to do studio shoots and while some were amazing others were to be honest less than decent. so even if you use a 3,000+ camera it could still turn out crappy unless you have the skills

Anyone can take a picture with an expensive camera, but few can take a photo with a cheap camera.

Note the word usage in my answer.

I can do both.

I'm totally with you. I also get this a lot myself.

A camera is only a tool which the camera is only as good as the person is actually using the camera.

It is easier, however, to take good pictures with good cameras.

Perhaps the comment is directed towards the resolution of the photo as opposed to the quality?

You can create a special shot with a compact, but SLRs etc. will almost always take a better one.

Yes it's a bit annoying. I think they're just jealous. ;)