I have one complaint about all the apps mentioned here. they don't run on a decent os. LINUX!! get rid of this winders only crap. the "hobbyist" apps are suitable for thier purpose, the "professional" apps for theirs. all qualify as real 3d. renders from all qualify as art. quality of art is dependant on the skill of the person creating it. not really the application. for making a cg animation, in most apps, the library of models needs to be built. in all the scene needs to be setup. the animation needs to be setup the render needs to be done. these are where the skills / talent of the user are most critical.