But, even a pro can only do so well with certain gear. And SuperZooms are that certain gear.
So, do you need a $1500 rig to get sharp photos?
Well, no. You don't Most SuperZooms need to be stopped down a $1500 rig for sharp photos in some situations.
Your camera +bit and also have a 50mm f/1.8 (~$100) will get you nice sharp photos for street shooting, portraits, etcsub range that is absolute junk.
But, you'll spend way more than $1500 along the way to get the photos If you want in all situations. The whole point of an interchangeable lens camera is in having the bestaren't stopping down and don't know your lens for the job. This means having multiple lenses. This means spending money. It's probable that you'll have more than $1500 investedwell enough to know its performance at some point in the futureall ranges, this will cause image quality to suffer.
In general, try to avoid zooms that go over 3x. Pro lens groups are along the lines of 16-35 (~2x), 24-70 (~3x), 70-200 (~3x). You don't have to use lenses like this but start to become aware of the tradeoffs that the lens designers made in creating the design and start to pick attributes that mean a lot to you.
So, do you need a $1500 rig to get sharp photos?
Well, no. You don't need a $1500 rig for sharp photos in some situations.
Your camera + a 50mm f/1.8 (~$100) will get you nice sharp photos for street shooting, portraits, etc.
But what if you wanted to shoot wildlife? Chances are you'll need a longer, and more expensive lens.
So, you'll likely spend way more than $1500 along the way to get the photos you want in all situations. The whole point of an interchangeable lens camera is in having the best lens for the job. This means having multiple lenses. This means spending money. It's probable that you'll have more than $1500 invested at some point in the future.