What is more important the camera or the lens and why?

what do u mean, they are both equally important.

This is actually a tough question. Both make a difference, but I'd say that a great lens on a mediocre camera will take a technically better picture than a mediocre lens on a great camera. There must be a balance somewhere in the middle.

Many of us recommend in favor of spending money on lens upgrades rather than body upgrades.

Certainly in a film camera, the lens is MUCH more important than the camera, which must be merely adequate at carrying the film and operating a shutter somewhat accurately.

In a digital camera, there are no really poor quality SLR bodies these days. If someone has a D50 or a Rebel XT with the 18-55 kit lens and finds themself with $1,000 or so to spend on equipment, it would do more to improve their pictures to buy a top quality lens than to buy a body with more pixels.

And while I don't really agree with you arjc1n3d, I am not the onen who gave you a thumbs down! There's no call for that if you have just expressed your opinion. This is not a black and white question, so you can certainly hold true to your opinion without criticism.

Both are important. Buy a good camera, like a Nikon D50 or D80 and do lots of homework on lenses. There is 3 concerns outdoor shot, indoor shots, and night shots. There are lenses that can do all three, Don't forget ask question when you go shopping and if you see someone with a nice camera out shooting pics, ask them a few question too. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, it will pay off. I use the Nikon D-80 with 18x135 and 70x300 lenses.

I agree with Dr. Sam, he has provided you with a perfectly good response to your question. With film, the lens has the most influential effect on the final photo.

I would say the lens is sorta more important because even on a medicore camera the pictures will be better than normal. If the lenses is medicore and the camera is good then your shots will be amazing. Plus bodys get outdated in a year so lenses are a better investment anyway