The only photo club that I've belonged to (http://www.groupf56.com) didn't allow conversations about gear or equipment at the official meetings (people did talk about it afterwords). Photographs were evaluated on the final results, not what means were used to take them.
It is an interesting club. There are monthly meetings which are ~2 hours long where people talk about recent shows, what they have been working on, and new resources available in the area. After those meetings people show their recent work (just laying it out on tables and asking and answering questions). There are smaller (6-8 members) working groups that meet on a similar schedule or more often that are critique groups. Those groups have a fixed membership so that they learn each others styles intimately and can help each other grow. I found it to be a very enjoyable experience. I personally think that is how clubs should be run. When I have more time for shooting and printing (which I do digitally) I'll be going back for some more. alex
