Getting equipped, pre lvl 50, and crafting?

Whats up everyone. I have been playing for about a week now (only vanilla [Relm Reborn] version and find myself already at the lvl 40 DRG (35 range for a few other classes). My question is this, should I wait to maximize my gear until level 50? I just reached level 40 DRG, and finally decided I would buy level proper gear for the first time. lvl 1-35 went so fast that buying gear seemed pointless, and quests gave pretty much everything I needed. Now that I am lvl 40, and I have seemingly good gear for that level, should I wait until hitting 50 before I really try to maximize again? For that matter, should I save company seals (or pvp seals) for level 50, 60, or 70?

Besides this, I am considering trying crafting, but... Besides the benefits crafting gives you for materia, is it easier to simply quest for, buy, or trade seals (pvp and GC seals) for good gear? Is it necessary to craft to get great equipment, or is the AF gear the best?
Thanks all!
Pan Dahar ={>)

The best gear is usually either dungeon/raid drops or is bought with tomestones. Good gear is also available through crafting, but to be able to make it you need to have good crafting gear - which makes it a slow way of gearing up until you hit level cap at which point gearing through other means becomes more troublesome.

The only times it is really worth the trouble to maximize gear is at levels 50, 60, and 70 (i.e. current and previous level caps)
You can do it at other times too if you have an easy way of getting the gear. (For example when leveling a second/third/... job when you already have all crafter/gatherer classes leveled higher - then you can easily craft gear for that class/job.)

The gear you can buy with company seals is nice for levels 20-49, but useless afterwards.

If you follow the MSQ and do all sidequests (including your class quests) you WILL get good enough gear as quest rewards that it will last you all the way up until you reach level 70. Never any actual need to buy gear for your main class/job until you hit level cap.
(The level 45/50/60 and 70 class/job quests will give you decent left-side armour.)

Just make sure you have a half-decent weapon (ilvl 45+) by the time you reach level 50, and then do your job quests and follow the MSQ - and by the time you are ready for the Heavensward content you will have a full set of ilvl 110 gear at the very least.

If you're mainlining a single job, MSQ can keep you pretty well geared up (some side quests may also provide additional gear that the MSQ doesn't).

At 45, your job quest will reward you with some decent gear improvements (left side only), followed by an additional boost at 50.

Company seals are very nearly useless for gear for you at that point. PVP gear is (to my knowledge) not ideal for PVE content. Crafted (HQ) gear offers very slight boosts over vendor, typically near-equivalent to dungeon loot, but ultimately not highly necessary.

You're soon to start reaching a point where you'll be accumulating Allagan Tomestones of Poetics. (most easily gained early through beast tribe quests, though if you're pushing one job, you might not get much here before the better gains at 50) This currency will allow you to purchase effectively the best gear at level 50 in Mor Dhona, item level 120 Ironworks equipment (which can be further upgraded to ilvl 130).

So, for where you're at, and as fast as you're pushing, just keep plowing through to 50 and save up for Ironworks, and you won't start seeing anything better until level 55 gear at the earliest.

MistakeNot, this is great advice, thanks! I am a ways behind on the main story quests, looks like I better get back to doing those as they are still in the lvl 20 range. I think ill change my job to a healer until MSQ are in the lvl 40 range, then swap back to DRG and go from there.

And Hasrat, thanks for the elaboration. I will keep in mind these Tomestones of Poetics ={>)

Much of the game content is gated behind MSQ. If that's the case, you're likely missing out on a number of dungeon options for gearing, as well as most other options. Good on you for being considerate and buying vendor gear to catch up, though. Most ignore it, but gil is so easy, it's just a waste if you don't buy gear if it offers easy improvement.