Does A New Camera = Better Photography?

I was thinking about this after seeing a post in the D40-D80 forum at DPreview. I don't think a new camera will make you a better photographer, but I do think it might help you get the shot that you would normally miss. For me, I need to upgrade to a faster (FPS) camera than the Nikon D40. Also, the D40 does not focus with the fast primes that I want, like the Nikon 5o/1.8. Furthermore, I miss a lot of shots because if I have to make changes this usually involves going into a menu. If I had a dedicated button for a setting, ISO for example, I have to dig into the menus. There's only ONE programmable button on the D40, so I'm limited to what function I can choose for the button.

While I'm shooting sports it becomes apparent that my camera is too slow. In my case, a new camera will result in better pictures. Changing settings on-the-fly is really important to me. Also, using fast primes would produce better low light photos and allow a faster shutter speed. Some would benefit from getting a better sensor with lower noise figures. Others might benefit from the addition of specific features that would help him/her improve their photography. Whatever the case, I believe a newer camera can help make better pictures, but only if you've reached the limitations of your current camera.