16 replies to this topic

[RossCumming]

I am thinking about getting a new laptop, which will be a MAC of some sorts.

 

The primary function of the laptop will be for everyday use (wordprocessing, internet browsing, email etc.), so not too intensive, but it would also be used as a travel tool for "light" photography (ie, it will only be used to view and potentially do some minor processing of a small number of images whilst on vacation for immediate use rather than waiting to get home to the iMAC). I would expect to install Lightroom with NIK Efex, but not Photoshop (that will only be on the iMAC as neither of us use it that often).

 

My choices are between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The new MacBook is too small to consider.

 

I am not too bothered about the weight difference between the 13" Air and the 13" Pro since it will be myself that will be the pack-horse carrying it (on vacation anyway) and not my partner.

 

Does anyone have opinions on the merits of the Air over the Pro and vice-a-versa? Specifically, I am more interested in opinions on functionality rather than over aesthetics.

 

If I went 13" Air, I would most likley pimp it up to the 2.2 GHz i7 processor and 8GB RAM with 512GB HDD. However, doing this takes the cost above that of the 13" Pro with the 2.9GHz i5 processor (8GB RAM, 512GB HDD).

 

So, I am not sure what the best option would be; the pimped up Air or the (relatively) basic Pro?

 

Or should I not bother considering the 13" units at all and simply go for 15" Pro? My only issues with this is physical size for travelling and also I would most likely sacrifice HDD capacity since I do not wish to spend more than £1500 GBP on it (and would most likely use Apple Refurb store to get a better deal). However, since it is not intended to be the main photo editing tool, the HDD size may not be an issue since it should not be used for permanent storage of image files.

 

Interested to hear opinions from anyone using MacBook Air/Pro for editing, what spec you are using and how it performs.

 

Thanks,

 

 

[Nikonite]

I think I have an idea of what you refer to as "light" photography, but before a competent recommendation can be given we should know what photography equipment you are working with. Also does "light" include working with raw files?  

[Merco_61]

If it is the non-Retina MBP you are comparing to the Air, the very old 1280X800 screen isn't too accurate in it's colour rendition. The 1440X900 in the Air is much better for processing photos. The Retina on the other hand is *very* much better than any of the older apple laptop screens. The 15" has an even wider gamut than the 13" Retina but it is a much larger machine.

I am thinking of getting a new machine myself to replace my mid-2010 15" with the matte screen. This will probably be a 15" with a quad-core i7, 16 GB Ram  but without the Radeon card as it will be my work machine for the next 5 - 6 years or so. I have tried most of the current mac laptops and have found the 15" a better choice *for me*. 

[deano]

I have the 15" air.  Bought it for the light weight three years ago.  No CD drive.  I find it very slow for uploading and working on photos.  There is no ability to upgrade any systems.  It is fine for writing files.  I should have gotten the Macbook Pro, as I think it is a much better computer for photo processing.

[RossCumming]

Hello Nikonite,

What I mean by "light" photography is in terms of use; it won't be used for processing hundreds of photos on a regular basis, instead, it may be used a few times on vacation to view and maybe even process some images so lightening fast import and processing is not as critical, but I would like to know that whatever machine I choose has enough grunt in it that it is not unbearably slow.

Mostly RAW fiiles from D610 and Canon 6D but since we both shoot RAW, but occasionally we shoot in JPG to make use of the HDR function in both cameras., So some JPG files may be used. I guess these will be insignificant compared to RAW in terms of processing requirements.

I would want to install Lightroom 5.x and subsequent updates as required) and also Google Nik Efex plugins.

Thanks,

[RossCumming]

Peter,

 

Like you, if I go ahead and replace my current two Windows laptops with a new MAC, it will be a long-term purchase so want to, where possible, ensure I get the best option I can for the intended use. It will absolutely have to have the retina screen, I don't see any point in not having it since I want to use the laptop for the next 7+ years.

 

If I opt for the 15" MBP then the sacrifice would be 256GB drive over the 512GB as that option will push me over budget. However as I said, it is not intended to be the "workhorse" PC so storage space is not a primary consideration; that will remain the job of the iMAC (and current wired external storage devices). I would also be looking to add a TimeCapsule (or similar wifi storage) in order to easily transfer files between the MBP and iMAC from anywhere in the house so HD capacity may be a compromise that I am prepared to make to get the best long-term investment.

 

I need to go have another look at how big the 15" MBP is and if it will fit easily into my camera bag!

 

 

@Deano, I am well aware that user upgrades to any of the MacBooks, and even my iMAC is limited, which again, is a reason I want to get it as right as I can now. I already have the SupaDrive attached tot he iMAC so that can be ported between iMAC and MBP whenever required (its hardly used anyway except to rip CD's usually!).

 

Thanks for all the input so far......

[Thumper]

I have a 15" MBP, a 13" MBP, and a MB Air.   I primarily use the 15" for the majority of my photography work.   I use the 13 if I am going to be doing any work away from my house.  (At my work office, at a relative's/friend's house, etc). The 13" fits in all of my bags so well.  The 15" fits my bags, but the 13" is just a much better fit (for me) and so easy to tote around.    I got the Air with the thought that it would be good for travel, but after I have been spoiled by the Retina displays on the Pro's, I won't do photo work on it.  It is basically an internet surf machine and music manager now.   But if I am working at home, I really do enjoy having the 15" Retina display to work from.    If I had to choose just one, I would most likely go with the 15".   

[TBonz]

Well Ross, I bought the  15" MacBook Pro Retina in mid-2012 and have so far been quite happy with it.  Specifics:  2.6GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB memory, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB.  I went with the 512GB Solid State Disk.  With sports, I take lots of images so during busy seasons, the original images don't stay on the SSD too long, but it is also my ONLY device that I use for processing so all images go through my Mac.  I will have to say that it makes downloading images quite fast and I'm very happy I chose it.  No way I could afford a larger one, but when I need another system I'm hoping the technology (and price) will allow for a much larger drive.

 

I happened to be at a Best Buy (electronics chain) earlier this week and took a quick peak at the new Macs.  I have to say I was impressed with the 12" MacBook with Retina display.  In a brief look on the Apple site, I think if I were buying right now, I'd pick up one of the models with Retina display vs. the MacBook Air and I'd probably add as much memory, processor and disk space as I could.  Given that and your questions above, I'd probably go with the 13" MacBook Pro with Retina and the best options I could afford.  Alternatively, I'd select the higher end 12" MacBook at $1599 USD.  

 

My goal at some point is to get to a small but loaded MB of some flavor that is easy to travel with and a large monitor / "dock-type setup" with additional disks, etc. for when I'm at the house...I need to pick up a couple of additional external drives fairly soon for backups, etc. but other than that, a nice quality, large monitor is top on my computer list...just need to convince my wife that she needs a MacBook and I can give her my old one and move forward !  Of course, she's perfectly happy using her iPad most of the time and is hinting that she wants one of the new ones.  Her's doesn't have cell service so she wants that capability when we're out on the road in the RV!

[RossCumming]

I think I am torn between these two spec's at the moment (having all but eliminated the Air now);

 

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 3.1GHz Dual-core Intel i7 with Retina Display

Originally released March 2015
13.3-inch (diagonal) Retina display; 2560-by-1600 resolution at 227 pixels per inch
16GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
512GB PCIe-based flash storage
720p FaceTime HD camera
Intel Iris Graphics 6100

 

Or,

Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.2GHz quad-core Intel i7 with Retina display

Originally released May 2015
15.4-inch (diagonal) Retina display; 2880x1800 resolution at 220 pixels per inch
16GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Intel Iris Pro Graphics

[TBonz]

For me, given a choice between those two specific systems, I'm not sure which I'd choose...Probably would go for the smaller screen and extra storage.  

[RossCumming]

Hey TBonz, thanks for the info, really interesting to read your experiuence with your 15" and great know the spec for giving a benchmark.

 

To be honest, I have completely ruled out the new Macbook. As gorgeous as it is (and it *is* gorgeous!), it would be a luxury item for me (one I can't afford!). Having just looked at the UK site, the only upgrading available to me is to change the processor from 1.1GHz to 1.2Ghz dual core and SSD from 256GB to 512GB and not sure the processor improvement is good enough for a long-term tool.

 

One of the considerations I haven't mentioned so far is my partner, also a photographer who would also be a user, has a congenital eye problem (Duane's Syndrome) so, the smallest screen I could feasibly go for is 13" to make it easier for her. This is also a major consideration for a retina display being a "must have" item.

 

Ironically, like you, it is her I have to convince that we need to replace the two Windows monsters with a tool that actually works efficiently, and will contiinue to work efficiently during the time we have it. It annoys me that I will effectively have to scrap two laptops because at 5+ years old they just cannot handle the latest software updates without a serious drop in performance.

 

I think you are pretty well sorted in what you want yourself and agree that using the laptop in conjunction with a decent monitor in the house is well suited.

 

I guess if I had thought more carefully at the time, I could have considered this too and bought a higher end 13" or 15" MBP with the 27" monitor instead of the iMAC 27" at the time. This would have given me just one system to set up and maintain instead of potentially haveing to set up home networks etc to sync the two together.

 

Anyway, aside from choosing the correct model, my biggest challenge is convincing her we *need* one :-)

[TBonz]

I love my 15" but it would be nice to have smaller when traveling...I'm thinking my MBP has a few years left in it anyway...I expect I will make a change then and look towards setting things up...not sure if I'll have the monitor by then or not, but would plan on it if not.  

 

One, small system - as long as she can see it well enough - would definitely be a better travel choice than 2 big older systems, especially if they are that old already...5+ years from any computer is pretty good service from my experience...You're probably getting to a point where the hardware may experience issues as well in addition to them getting behind the technology curve.  

 

I have a bag that I take on every trip we take.  It has my computer, my iPad, chargers, etc. and my "travel" disk.  I use it as a temporary backup of images that I download while on the road.  Images get dumped to my system and then backed up to the travel disk immediately afterwards.  It is mostly in case of system failure vs. loosing the bag, but in some cases, I move it to a different bag on the way home just for additional safety.  

[RossCumming]

OK, final update, I went ahead and bought the 15.4" MBP Retina with new Force Touchpad. So far it is a lovely piece of kit, easy to use and a joy to type into. I find the keyboard nicer than the BT one with the iMac, and that was already a nice keyboard.

 

Now just need to start loading all the software and configuring up to how I want it to work and start to give it a workout. Here's hoping for a long happy relationship with it :-)

[Thumper]

Nice score.   I am curious to see what you think of the Force Touchpad.    Apple has definitely followed Wacom on their pressure sensitive tablets, and I am glad to see that starting to broaden past just a few manufacturers.   I LOVE my Retina displays.  I am quite spoiled by them now.  I won't even mess with any photos now unless it is on my MBP's.  

[RossCumming]

Well so far (24 hrs!) I haven't quite yet worked out the Force pad! Give me a week or so once I have LR & PS installed and o get a chance to try it out. As a "normal" click touchpad it has a really nice feel. I haven't over-pressed it at all yet; in fact you wouldn't know it had that additional function it is so well engineered. I am looking forward to getting some of my images onto it to see how the Retina display compares to my iMac (non retina).

[TBonz]

As an FYI, I ended up choosing to pick up the Apple wireless (Bluetooth) mouse.  I actually use both the touchpad (not the new Force Touchpad) and the mouse, but find the mouse a bit easier for me to use when editing photos.  Otherwise, I pretty much move between them constantly - whichever one I find my hand going towards, I use !  Congrats on the new box!  Keep us posted on how it works out for you!

[Thumper]

As an FYI, I ended up choosing to pick up the Apple wireless (Bluetooth) mouse.  I actually use both the touchpad (not the new Force Touchpad) and the mouse, but find the mouse a bit easier for me to use when editing photos.  Otherwise, I pretty much move between them constantly - whichever one I find my hand going towards, I use !  Congrats on the new box!  Keep us posted on how it works out for you!

The Magic Mouse is a kick to use.   I thought it would be a pain, but it is actually pretty cool.