New computer for photo editing

[anerjee]

my late 2009 27 inch iMac is dying a slow but sure death -- i Believe it is the GPU chip overheating thats killing it.

To replace, I'd first like to consider staying with Mac -- my copy of Lightroom, Vuescan, ColorPerfect etc are all for Mac.

I'm considering buying a Macbook Pro, as well as an external 4K monitor. This gives me the best of both worlds -- flexibility of a notebook and the fun of a large nice monitor.

I'd like to hear from the group if they have a similar set-up and what it is. Any other advise also welcome.


I may also consider the 5K iMac, but then I don't get the flexibility as above, and I'm not sure if a 4K screen will appear much better than a 5K screen.

 

[x-ray]

Make certain the software version you're running is compatible with the OS version your new machine will have on it.

I would strongly consider a used machine running Lion 10.7 and no later. Mountain Lion 10.8 and Maverick 10.9 had color profile issues and some hardware like earlier Wacom tablets would not run on them. I don't know about Yosimete but I'd research it carefully. I've used Apple computers since the the IIC and Apple has a history of creating comparability issues every time the change the OS which is about every year now.

I was forced to update OS last year due to buying a new camera and had to update Lightroom. When I went from Snow Lepord to Mountain Lion my computer would no longer hold a monitor profile. My Wacom would not work and no updates have solved my problems. I researched the issue which was quite common and wound up having another solid state HD put in my Mac Pro dial quad core machine. I had Lion installed on it and that's what I run under with no issues.

 

[John E Earley]

I've had issues with Yosemite allowing 3rd party software (Gimp) and it won't allow many 3rd party hard drives. Everything has to be approved (likely sold at the store) by Apple. This is great for security but sucks for usability.

Despite this, I'm considering a Mac Mini for photo editing to go with my MacBook Pro. I'll continue using PS Elements, Premier Elements and VueScan on Mac even with the issues I've had with Adobe.

 

[btgc]

What makes you thinking your Mac is dying? Does it restarts without cause, crashes, freezes or fails to output valid picture?

Probably replacing thermal grease would remedy heating. Over time it hardens and looses capability to transfer heat.

If you just want newer, faster and 4K - that's different story.

 

[anerjee]

What makes you thinking your Mac is dying? Does it restarts without cause, crashes, freezes or fails to output valid picture?

Probably replacing thermal grease would remedy heating. Over time it hardens and looses capability to transfer heat.

If you just want newer, faster and 4K - that's different story.

Random freezes where the mouse keeps moving but the system is unresponsive. It usually refuses to boot after that. If I wait for an hour, it will boot normally, but randomly freeze again after some time. Makes me think heating is the issue. Internet searching revealed similar problems,, usually traced to the gpu.

I'm considering repairs, but the issue is the usual fear of throwing good money after bad. If the computer is at its end of life, something else will fail shortly.

 

[btgc]

If the computer is at its end of life, something else will fail shortly.

That's true. I wouldn't invest lots of money there but tube of thermal grease is about cup or two of coffee (which I could miss for a good try).

 

[Dwig]

I've had issues with Yosemite allowing 3rd party software (Gimp) and it won't allow many 3rd party hard drives. Everything has to be approved (likely sold at the store) by Apple. This is great for security but sucks for usability. ...

This is default behavior, but can easily be changed by any user with admin privileges by simply going to the General panel in System Preferences/Security & Privacy.

 

[Dwig]

Make certain the software version you're running is compatible with the OS version your new machine will have on it.
...

+1, this is a critical step.

 

[Dwig]

...
I would strongly consider a used machine running Lion 10.7 and no later. ...

That would limit you to purchasing used equipment that is several years out of date. Macs can't run OS versions older than the one that ships with the machine when new. You can't purchase any new Mac and "downgrade" the OS to anything other than 10.10.x.

Also, security updates for the old OSX 10.7 are ending. Any machine running 10.7 should only see very limited internet use. It shouldn't be used for general browsing or for anything needing security (e.g. online banking, online shopping, ...).

I upgraded the Early 2009 MacPro that I use at work. It went from 10.6.8 to 10.9.x Mavericks. We had issues with the Wacom that one artist uses but eventually the issues were resolved with new drivers (painfully late in being released) and with dot release upgrades to the OS (don't know which was the major fix, possibly both).

 

[willie_901]

Whatever you buy, budget for as much memory as you can afford.

For photography I would recommend the Apple Thunderbolt display. It's not as expensive as you think because of its connectivity diversity and ease of use.

I realize there are excellent, superior third-party displays. With my 2013 Mac-Mini I enjoy excellent screen calibration using just the OS X Color Profile Calibration tools. Both color and B&W prints from LR are remarkably close to what I see on the screen when I use MPIX or a local pro printing lab. I choose not to own a proper printer for photography. My client's art/marketing directors are pleased as well... as am I when I see my commercial work printed or online.

Using the Apple Thunderbolt display has saved me a lot of time and trouble. My workspace does not have light with mixed color temperatures and I calibrate the display every two to three months. I connect a second monitor, four external drives and charge my MacBook Air and and an iOS device.

I use an Asus PA246Q monitor for a second screen. The Asus is a nice device, but no matter how hard I try, I can not properly color calibrate this display. I assume accurate color calibration would require purchasing a specialized calibration hardware/software.

 

[John E Earley]

This is default behavior, but can easily be changed by any user with admin privileges by simply going to the General panel in System Preferences/Security & Privacy.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[anerjee]

To report back: it seems that the notebooks which can drive a 4k external display are limited to the 15 inch retina MacBook Pro and the latest 13 inch MacBook Pro. When properly specd, these cost within 80% of a retina iMac.

The retina imac seems expensive, but value for what it offers. What is a bit worrying is that I'm reading it is a first gen product of sorts with some issues. For a $3000 product that seems a bit too far.

Perhaps best is to take a lower end path now and wait.

 

[dasuess]

For photography I would recommend the Apple Thunderbolt display. It's not as expensive as you think because of its connectivity diversity and ease of use.

+1 for TB Display... One thing to be aware of its reflectivity, but for critical work I use mine with the shades drawn and then have no issues.

 

[Ronald M]

Mac Pro latest and Eizo Color edge display with intros.

MacBook air for portable plus small intros. Above is what I have.

Buy your MacBook Pro and wacom Cintiq 13" so you can do photo editing like a painter directly on the screen. Quit trying to do photo work with a mouse or even worse, a touch pad. It can be set up for dual display or single and has programable keys for brush size , redo etc. Tons of options.

Bigger Cintiq models are available, but unless you are pro and expert, the small one is fine. You can always zoom in with a hand gesture for detail work.

I love my Color Edge 27 the old intros 4 works with Yosemite as does CC and cs6.

 

[willie_901]

+1 for TB Display... One thing to be aware of its reflectivity, but for critical work I use mine with the shades drawn and then have no issues.

Yes, I would control/limit the light sources in my work space regardless of the monitor(s) I used.

 

[back alley]

over christmas, i bought a new mac mini and a 28 inch viewsonic monitor, along with a spyder calibrator...it's so nice not having my old macbook freeze up on me.
this new machine moves fast and so far not a problem.

 

[Darthfeeble]

All the new mac minis and notebooks except the 15" pro are dual core processors, the same with all the 21" iMacs except the most expensive one. I wasn't aware of this and nearly bought a 21" with the dual core. Probably would have been enough to run aperture but I don't have much patience.

 

[BillBingham2]

There were widgets that I've installed several years back that showed you system info including temperature. This might give you some insight into over heating.

Here in the States we have the ability to purchase refurbished units from Apple. Sometime the current product, sometime older generations. The big deal with these for laptops is that they come with one year of Apple Care coverage for free. Towards the end of the first year you can purchase a 3 year traditional Apple Care coverage and you are covered for four years. I've done that with my new Mac Mini.

I don't do any editing with my photos, my son who just bought a current model referb MacBook Pro 15 inch does and loves the power.

B2 (;->

 

[Frankd]

I also had issues with my old MacBookPro. I replaced it with the latest and it's really nice except I had to purchase a Firewire adapter and external DVD drive. I also plug it a 27 in. monitor--it works great! With the MacBook you still have the mobility to use it on location. I would warn against Yosemite OS. Programs that were fine under Mavericks have problems under Yosemite. I wish I had back loaded Mavericks before starting to use this computer.

 

[DrTebi]

Hi,

I just thought I pitch in since I have been running a 4K monitor for quite a while now, and recently tested a newer model as well.

What you need to keep in mind is, that your computer will have to work 4 times as hard as before (assuming you had an "HD" display, 1920x1080), since you will now be editing your image on four times the resolution (3840x2160).

I have a MacBook Pro 13" with the Retina display, and when I ran it on a 4K screen (actually a "Cinema 4K", the LG 31MU97), I noticed quite a difference in performance.

Another thing to keep in mind is, that a 31" 4K screen is quite big. This means that you may have trouble with color-shifts, bleeding etc. when viewing just slightly from the edge. The LG monitor I tested was so bad, even looking at it straight on was not producing an evenly lit image. You don't notice this so much with bright images, but anything dark will be annoying.

So my suggestion is, if you want to go for 4K, make sure you have a very powerful computer to run it, especially with lots of memory as was mentioned in this thread already.

And when you buy a monitor, be sure to test them before you buy, or at least make sure you have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

I have been running an IBM T221 since a few years; it's a dinosaur, it was rather an experimental monitor and does certainly not have amazing color and brightness as the newer models today. Nevertheless, I decided to stick with it until Eizo comes out with their 24" 4K monitor (for which I will also have to sell a few cameras...).

My observation was, that images look fantastic on the IBM due to the high DPI. At 22 inches, the DPI is 204, which is in my opinion quite a noticeable difference when compared to the LG, which is 31" and has about 150 DPI.

Having said that, the iMac 27" Retina may be just right for you—more than 200 DPI, lots of power etc. I have however heard some photographers complain about it's color accuracy, so I would definitely spend some time at the Apple store with some of your own images to test it out thoroughly.

And last but not least, Just in case you became curious about the IBM monitor, forget about running it on Windows, I spent countless hours trying to configure it. I doubt it will run on Mac, unless you have one with four monitor outputs. I am running Linux since many years, and got it to work there perfectly. It was not an easy task however...