Macbook Pro for image editing?

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Deleted

Senior Member
My main use computer is a Windows 7 desktop, I also have a Mac Mini. I have Photoshop Elements on the Windows pc.

I'll shortly need to replace my ageing laptop & could justify a Macbook Pro.

Would a Macbook Pro (i5, 8mb RAM, 512gb SSD) be suitable for image editing work (along with an external storage drive)?

What sort of storage space do other members find they are using for their archive photos?
 
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Felisek

Senior Member
I have a 15" MacBook Pro with retina screen and it is excellent for image editing. It certainly does not lack power. Photoshop works much faster than on my old Windows laptop. The screen is fantastic, though I'd suggest calibrating it first. I have a 1 TB SSD in the laptop, which is more than enough for my pictures (at least for now). I also use a 2 TB external storage for Time Machine.
 
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Deleted

Senior Member
Thanks for the feedback

I'd be looking at a 13" Macbook Pro Retina as I need more portability in my work. Would a 13" be too small?
 
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Felisek

Senior Member
Biscuit said:
Thanks for the feedback

I'd be looking at a 13" Macbook Pro Retina as I need more portability in my work. Would a 13" be too small?
Click to expand...

I think this is very individual. A few of my colleagues use 13' laptops for work and they are very happy with them. For me, this is too small. I'd suggest going down to a shop and having a look. You could bring a few of your pictures on a USB stick and view them on the laptop.
 
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Deleted

Senior Member
Thanks.

I've already seen this & the 13" Retina model has pretty high resolution. I would just have to sit closer! :)

I'm interested in your 2tb archive storage. Do you mainly shoot RAW or JPG?
 
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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
When traveling for my day job, I'm usually using a 13" MacBoor Air with i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and running Aperture and Light Room. For personal travel, I have a 15" MacBook Pro retina, i7, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD which used to be my home system. My home system is now a Mac Pro, 6 core Xeon with 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD and 5TB of external RAID storage.

I prefer editing on the MBPr just because of the extra storage, but the MBA works fine in a pinch. The 13" retina MBP would be even nicer from a display perspective, but that's getting down to personal preference IMO.

I do travel with an external USB drive when editing on the MBA just to make sure I have things backed up, so other than storage (which you addressed) I think you'd be well off.
 
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Deleted

Senior Member
Thanks @Felisek

Charlie, great info, thanks. Storage space in particular is something I need to prepare for. Do you prefer to use Aperture or LR? Do you only shoot RAW?
 
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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I shoot RAW and sometimes do RAW+JPG fine. I started with Aperture just because I already had it, but since Apple is killing it I'm in the process of learning LR.
 
Thumper_6119

Thumper_6119

Senior Member
I have a 13" and a 15" Macbook Pro (both are Retina displays). I use the 13" more for travel (or any other time I am out of the house and need the laptop for editing, etc). It is excellent for editing, at least for me. I also like using Apple's Magic Mouse. I use a 3 TB Lacie Thunderbolt drive for backups and Time Machine.
 
Woodyg3

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I used my Mac Book Pro for quite a while and it did a great job. The new ones have even better displays and are plenty powerful in the processor and graphics department. I have an iMac now, as well, and I love the big screen for photo editing. The only "down side" to such a big screen is that I can obsess about sharpness and noise that I couldn't see on the smaller screen. ;)

I bought Aperture a few weeks before it was announced that Apple was no longer going to support it. I really like the program and have become quite comfortable using it, so I'm not too happy with the folks in Cupertino right now.

I suspect that I will switch to Lightroom at some point. I don't see Adobe or Lightroom disappearing on me for many years to come.

Anyway, I would have no hesitation in recommending that you go ahead with a MBP if you are looking for a great, portable computer for photo editing. Heck, it's a great computer period.

PS: I love the discus in your avatar. I used to breed freshwater angelfish, and I have a real appreciation for Discus, as well. I assume that is your fish?
 
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Deleted

Senior Member
Hi Woody

Thanks for the Macbook advice. My Avatar is of Ruby, a young female F1 super-red Discus. I have 6 Discus in my 260 litre tank. I'm hoping to be able to get some good close-ups of them, along with my wife's Betta.Splendens menagerie.

Here's a very short video meant to show my spray bars, but you get to see the fish too.
Fluval G3 spray bars - YouTube
 
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