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Computer for photography…
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Hi all, it has been a while since I posted on this site, so hello again..
I have been away from photography for a few years but have now got myself an entry level Nikon. I haven’t been doing much with it other than snaps of family, but I want to get back into landscapes if the weather ever improves. I have a sony viao laptop that is next to useless, so I need a new computer to work on images.I have looked at some and the iMac looks good, but the price is putting me off as I am a mature student these days.
So the question is how much would I need to spend?
I see laptops for sale around the €500 mark, but are they suitable for say using lightroom and maybe photoshop in the future?Any advice would be welcome..
Thomas
It really is your lucky day :)
http://www.adverts.ie/laptops/dell-inspiron-1525-laptop-adobe-cs4-lr3-included/1220981″ onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
if going for a laptop i would go with something with a 17″ monitor at least, running lightroon and photoshop i would recommend 8GB ram for editing large files, ram is cheap so when buying you can always upgrade later.
phillip
If you don’t need to edit photo’s on the go get a desktop as it will save you money and things will run smoother than on a desktop
i wouldn’t invest €480 in that laptop that was suggested even first hand. you shouldn’t require 8 GB as 3GB should suffice.I use a vaio laptop the vpcee3eoe and its fine and if its the virus protection that apple computers provide
you can download linux software which is free and virus hacking free.You could always build your own desktop or get peats to build it for it will end up a lot cheaper.
This laptop would probably shuite with €1 left over http://www.harveynorman.ie/psk32e-01g006en.html” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
Thanks for the help folks. I need to get something soon before I lose the plot with my laptop and bounce it off a wall..
One more question.. Is the iMac screen a good one for photography purposes?
I am drawn towards the iMac even if it kinda beyond my price range at the moment, but I don’t want to buy cheap either and have to replace it again.Thomas..
Do you want a desktop or laptop?
I bought a Macbook Pro 15″ laptop in Nov. I love it. It’s brilliant for processing photos.
In Dec I built a custom desktop pc. I built it myself, so it’s a very high spec for much cheaper than any shop would supply.There are plenty of people who can help you build a custom PC around your budget that will do what you need.
Ideally, I would like a desktop. I like the idea that I would have a permanent set up to work on photos and other stuff. The iMac looks like the one I would choose if I had the money. I am a mature student these days, so money is tight. I will know if I can afford it in the next few weeks.
If I cant get the iMac, I will go for a laptop. Something like this might do the job. http://www.harveynorman.ie/vpceh2h1e.html” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;I’ll have around 500 to spend and maybe get the iMac at a later date.
I have been away from photography for a while so I’m out of touch with what I should buy. I am not sure on what I should be looking for.
Thanks for the replys,
Thomas
I have been looking at the iMac and wondering whether it would be worth saving for – they are pretty expensive. My only concern is the glossy screen which doesn’t seem the best idea for photo editing. Does anyone here use an iMac for photo editing/viewing?
Depends on what your looking for. You can load photoshop onto any pc running windows 8, but speed will vary considerably.
It can take up to 20-30 seconds to open a photo on my old entry level dell. this gets tiresome after a while.Regardless of your computer i would recommend 2 items to add to it that I currently consier a necessity if your going to spend any length of time editing photos:
1. a good monitor. You have a camera that takes super high res images, and/or you are stitching imgaes to make high res panoramas. you will have a tough time viewing the overall image on a small 19″ monitor. I recommend a 23″ widescreen hi def monitor at a minimum. Dell have some great offerings at pretty awesome prices. I currently have the Dell 2412m which is perfect, not too small, not giant so im craning my neck, and has a decent panel.
2. An SSD. Most people wont really care about this but after installing one in my laptop i have saw the following benefits:
-boot up times of less than 15 seconds.
-shutdown times of about 5 seconds.
-Photoshop (elements) opens in less than a second.
-Any photo i have currently opened in PS opens in less than a second.Note: if you are going to add an SSD to your PC, you had better avoid modern Mac’s, MacBooks etc. The latest incarnation have customized hard drives with a heat sensor built in. if you replace the hard disk yourself the heat sensor wont be present in the pc anymore and the pc fan will be on full throttle forevermore.
Also if cost is a factor then note the following:
I purchased a dell laptop,
-i5 2.3GHz CPU,
-8 GB Ram,
-256GB SSD,
-backlight keyboad,
-8 cell battery (proven 8 hour battery life),
-ergonomic wireless keyboard and mouse,
-24″monitor and
-3 years warranty for about 1600 euros.This is still less than the price of a Macbook Pro with half the ram, no ssd, no monitor and only 1 year warranty.
The laptop itsself is a vostro, which has a magnesium (metal) body so its good and solid so arguments about it being plasticy and flimsy are redundant.
Im not saying apple computers are not great, they certainly are, ive owned one at one stage, but im saying your money will go farther and you will have much more choice with a windows based system. They both will do pretty much the same thing so it comes down to what style you like, and how much money you have to spend.
I;ve had 2 laptops,in each case the density of the image varied from top to bottom.this is true of all the laptops I.ve viewed in dealers also.For the past 3 years have had a HP Slimline with 19″ Iqon display.If I ere you I’d go wih Fquihen above,regards Bob
I built a PC in Dec –
Intel Core i7-3930K 3.20GHz S2011 12MB
MSI X79A-GD65 (8D), Intel X79, LGA2011, ATX, DDR3
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 MHz CL9 16GB-Kit
Corsair Carbide Series 500R, Black, ATX
Corsair Hydro Series H100
Corsair Enthusiast Series Modular TX750M, 750Watt
OCZ SSD Vertex 2 240GB 8,9cm (3,5″)
Seagate 500GB MomentusXT Hybrid SATA3
ASUS ENGTX480/2DI/1536MD5
LiteOn iHBS112-37
MS Windows 7 Pro 64bit SB-Version EnglishI added 2x 1.5TB disks too, that I already had, in a mirrored config for photo storage. I already had two HP LP2065 monitors.
Cost of PC was about 1,800.
You can get a slightly lower spec’d Desktop PC here for less than half that price at approx €650. The Graphics card is perfect for photo editing and you will need to add a monitor to it but other than that it has an Intel i7, 12GB RAM and a 1.5TB HDD.
I bought one and it will run anything you could possibly throw at it quickly and easily. Very quickly and easily including HD Video Editing.
Feck you anyway Ballyman, that’s some offer. You have me thinking now and I promised herself I wouldn’t buy anything else. :lol: :D
Dave.
Thats a coincidence :) I just bought (its being built as we speak) an XPS 8300 with the i7, 16gb, highest graphics card, 24in monitor etc…
Discount including the vouchers was too much to turn down tbh… I better use it well now that its ordered :)
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