advice please on setting up from scratch

chippy

chippy

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I am due for a new computer this one makes more noise than my washing machine! purchased about 6 years ago for a degree at Uni it has served me well (pentium 4 (i think) 2.4giger hurts with a about a gig of ram from memory. (hehe a pun already)

I am reasonably computer iliterate (if you couldn't already tell), but i'm a quick learner so if i can get some advice here or if you can point me two a good place to ask would be appreciated.

I want to be able to work with (from scans) medium and large format film, from 6x6 to 8x10inch colour and b&W (obviously whole plate and 8x10 will produce large files, i can predict). I wet print b&w at the moment (happy with that still) and also get colour printed at the lab. not sure if its economical to print my own colour from perhaps a R2400 or if the quality is as good from the lab?


i would also like to get images onto the net with the veiw or possibility to having a web page with images for sale but also to share some of my information on vintage camera that doesnt appear on the net anywhere (i notice other folk have this, although i am not sure if anyone ever sells much...but thats another topic i guess). starting a web page looks daunting. i have seen templates to buy and even downloaded a few samples, but i didnt have any luck with making them work. My son says a program dreamweaver would work....

anyway

Thinking of getting a epson V700 (cant afford drum scanners) unless the V900 ever arrives. also thinking of getting the nikon 9000 for the 120 film but that may have to wait (only so much money). I have asked my pro-camera shop here but depending on the person i speak to i get conflicting advice...one fellow may say to me that i would not be happy with results from the V700 and not waste my time and get the nikon 9000, while others have said the epson is not far behind...either way i will need the epson for the sheet film.



But what do i get in the way of a computer (configuration). what things should it have. what would folks here choose if buying a new set up?

There are a few computer places here that will put together most any configuration, but when i look at all the different cpu and motherboard and so on and so on, there are so many different types it makes no sence. and unfortuately the computer shops here have zero idea about photography let alone converting from film or sheet film to computer files to give any real advice on the best set up.

i havn't looked at Mac computers (although that happens to be what the pro-camera shop sells) because i have no history with them and dont care to have to learn something completely different (hard enough as it is!) and we have several computer in my home networked (rather poorly-i did it- but it works) so i am not sure introducing another system is a good idea or if it would be compatable

is it best to keep this computer as a stand alone machine for photo work only? concered about it being connected to the net and getting virus, also i could use it for business.

what are the things i should be looking for installed in the computer (hardware related)?

Are two screens of benifit? is anything special needed to be asked for(installed) for this to work? two screen i think would be good even for my work or veiwing thing on the webb if that possible.

what type of screen should i use? (there are so many brands and models) i hear some are better for seeing correct colour as it would appear on the print.

fire wire? is that needed, i think it is, although most seem to have this.

should windows Vista or XP or both be installed?

should i have some kind of seperate hard drive to file images on?

appreciate any advice






cheers
 
dont know much about the scanners but i can tell u from 20 years experience with computers having owned many that a mac is the way to go. they are so easy to use very intuitive and compatible with windows as far as your home network goes. Apple computers just cant be beat for reliability and they are not prone to viruses. My macbook pro is the best ive ever owned and worth every penny i paid for it. And yess buy a second hard drive to back up your work and also back up to dvd.
 
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Macs certainly have their place. Especially on windy days. 😀

Actually it is mostly a matter of personal preference. I don't nor have I ever owned a mac. I have used both Linux and Windows. If you are comfortable with Windows OS I would probably stay with it, but check into macs to be sure. Especially if you have any friends with macs. On Windows OS, I would not go with Vista. It has had problems, as have most MS OS. The difference seems to be Uncle Bill hasn't been quick to fix them, preferring to move on to a "new" OS, now to be called simply Windows (again). For now, I would stick with XP SP2, or if you must, SP3. The price has dropped and it is robust enough.

As to the kind of computer, get the best you can afford. If possible, get a quad processor, at the fastest speed you can afford, with the most memory you can afford. A 500 gig drive is probably good so you can install several programs and still have plenty of memory left. For your storage, consider a raid on your network. If it sounds like money, yes, there is that. Just always get the best you can afford. The better it is, the longer it will last you.

As to scanners, I can't help. I have an Epson that will do up to 4x5 reasonably well. Is that good enough for what you want? I don't know. I can't even imagine scanning 8x10 film on anything less than high end pro equipment for big bucks. Hopefully someone else can help there.

Dreamweaver will indeed help you with a web site. It is expensive and has a learning curve. Perhaps some of the simple web hosting sites would be better. Start out the best you can and improve as your ability improves.

Good luck.
 
I have both PC and Mac, there are nothing wrong with the both of them in terms of hardware, but in terms of software especially the Operating System, I have to admit that the Mac OS X is certainly the best, MS Windows Vista does not even come close.

As for me, I'm planning to get rid of my PC soon since using Windows OS is a real pain in the A$$ !!!
 
what exatly makes a Mac better? They boh turn on by pressing a button, then you open scanning and photoshop programs ...right?
i asked my son but all he would say was that he doesnt like them and that some people prefer them no matter what .he says they dont right click and folder organisation is different in some way. ..from his small experiance with them at school

does photoshop work just the same in the Mac...i havnt got that at the moment but my son says he can probably get it from his mate for nothing for me, which will save a dollar i suppose


also he says that a lot of programs wont work with mac...thinking they are designed for windows (made by microsoft
 
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chippy said:
what exatly makes a Mac better? They boh turn on by pressing a button, then you open scanning and photoshop programs ...right?
i asked my son but all he would say was that he doesnt like them and that some people prefer them no matter what .he says they dont right click and folder organisation is different in some way. ..from his small experiance with them at school

does photoshop work just the same in the Mac...i havnt got that at the moment but my son says he can probably get it from his mate for nothing for me, which will save a dollar i suppose


also he says that a lot of programs wont work with mac...thinking they are designed for windows (made by microsoft
Click to expand...

Good for dummies even I could put in a home network two desktops and a notebook, wireless printer and wireless network and relay so it works in the garden.

Took a full day to set-up last Christmas; and since then I’ve had zero viruses, zero pop-ups, and zero maintenance, it’s hung a couple of times with VueScan but I think that’s probably the duff Minolta softwear drivers.

I have two teenage children even they can’t crash it, I now spend my spare time doing what I want, not PC maintenance like I had been doing
🙂
 
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Almost every professional photographic, graphic artist and designer uses a Mac.

Don't listen to those who have not tried one.

There's no question that a Mac is superior for photography.
 
If you can, go to a store where they sell Macs and play with one for yourself. Take a test drive, basically. A principal advantage, as has been stated above, is no viruses and a more stable operating system. Many people think that they're just more pleasant to use, with better user interface, etc., but your opinion on that is for you to decide.

You could get a laptop plus an external monitor, or an Imac (all in one desktop with screen), or if you want to spend $$$ a Mac Pro. Macs are comparably priced to similarly equipped PCs, and since you're looking to get something for photography you'll need that kind of power. If you get a laptop, I'd recommend a MacBook Pro, and I think that if you're looking to save a few dollars, you can get a previous generation machine (they just updated the line) for a few hundred dollars off. Then buy additional memory online (not at apple–I'm happy to suggest places) and it's easy to put it in.

You can look on the Apple site and get prices for the new machines, but also go down the apple.com/store page, and on the left side there's a Special Deals–look at refurbished and clearance items to save a few dollars. You might also be able to buy a new one with an education discount if your son is in school...

Photoshop is essentially the same. You'll find that you'll want a second monitor if you get a laptop, so look into a high quality one there.

Ben
 
Mac or Nothing. Seriously.
The 'learning curve' is not steep. It's a system you're eventually going to want to use, so why not start now? I wouldn't advise throwing another penny down a PC suckhole just so you can remain consistent with your previous 'mistakes.'
 
chippy said:
what exatly makes a Mac better? They boh turn on by pressing a button, then you open scanning and photoshop programs ...right?
Click to expand...

Like the difference between a Mercedes and a Chrysler.

There is an elegance to the Mac design. It is being copied by various PC companies, but the emulation attempts are sad fakes, wrapped in a shell of suck.

Have you ever used an iPod? Compare that to something like one of the earlier Sony MP3 devices. Elegant simplicity versus convoluted anti-design. And, i used to LIKE Sony. But, that was before Apple started making things other than computers.
 
Make sure you store the Mac in an appropriate designer bag.

CK Dexter Haven said:
Like the difference between a Mercedes and a Chrysler.

There is an elegance to the Mac design. It is being copied by various PC companies, but the emulation attempts are sad fakes, wrapped in a shell of suck.

Have you ever used an iPod? Compare that to something like one of the earlier Sony MP3 devices. Elegant simplicity versus convoluted anti-design. And, i used to LIKE Sony. But, that was before Apple started making things other than computers.
Click to expand...
 
Get a Mac, I don't have one for my photo work, but started using them at work exclusively. My next PC will be a mac, I have too much invested in my current machine to switch over at home, but since you are started anew buy a Mac. Whichever one you can afford should work fine for you.
 
the difference between a PC and a Mac is same as a FSU camera and a Leica. One u will always work on one u will not. one works better at everything one does not. one will last one will not. One is built with the user in mind one is not. one u will wish u bought the other and with a mac u will know u got the best. Ask my hard headed children who own dells when they come to use my mac cause their computer is broke or has a virus and they will tell you on this subject I know what Im talking about. But if you like fixen things go with a PC you will get a chance to learn how to fix a computer. As far as operating system goes if you know how to use windows u can use a mac basically same GUI without the flaws.
 
Mac is the way to go; but if you decide to go PC anyway, get as much RAM as you can cram into your new box, and don't go with Vista. It's worth paying extra to "downgrade" to XP. Linux is great, but not for everyone. Ty it out with one of the live distros (like KNOPPIX) before going all in with Linux. Good luck!
 
there is certainly a resounding cry of positive remarks for the Mac, so today i will see if i can take a look at them at least...I dont think there is a dedicated Mac place in Adelaide anymore though, there use to be a store in the city that had just them but it shut it doors a few years back...

not excatly sure what RAID is..some sort of external hard drive storage?

I am not sure how large a file will be from a scan of whole plate (6.5x8.5inches) or 8x10 negatives (simular to having 4 image files open as a 4x5inch neg, if someone here uses 4x5).

So would a laptop memory (or cpu) capacity be able to handle it? (its certainly bigger than a file from a 10-20Mb DSLR)

a quick check shows the Mac Pro is very expensive though ($3900AU more than i want to spend really), more than twice the price of what a high spec PC seems to cost and even then it seems to have option to add extras. so i presume this is the base model


Specifications

* Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processors
* 12MB of L2 cache per processor
* 2GB (2x1GB) of 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully buffered DIMM
* ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (two dual-link DVI ports)
* 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s; 7200 rpm; 8MB cache HD
* 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
* Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
1 Year Apple Warranty

not sure if the above has fire wire which would be needed for the scanner i presume.

there seems no convincing my son, he has his mind set on getting a PC for himself. his friends have PC's and he doesnt like the Macs at school, not that he knows much about them. but thats ok, it may just mean that my kids will finaly stay off my computers.

He didnt think the comparison of the Ipod to Mp3 was a winner, he feels that Ipods are way over priced (Mp3 have the same or more features) and marketing is the reason they are popular. i pointed out there was girl i went out with a year or two ago that had the Ipod system that we used, and it was dead easy.

So are there disadvantages to the Mac?
more expensive? paying for fancy look and case?
will it network with PC's and plug into (compatable) my Dlink router?
can it open and use files from my PC's? (tranfered either by USB, disk or network?)
Are some common programs not suited/compatible to work on the Mac?


thanks for the answers so far, i had no idea the macs were so popular. it was only an after-thought that i mentioned them at all in my opening post.

i want to try an get these things soon before all the prices go through the roof with the AU dollar falling so much.
 
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