Advice in 2014

[JPlendPhoto]

Hello everyone.

I’m a photographer who has been looking at 27” iMacs a lot lately and I have decided to buy one later this year. The reason for waiting is money, although I could buy on now if I wanted to, and the possibility of Apple releasing an updated iMac later in the year.

I was just wondering if people expect Apple to bring out an updated 27” iMac later this year? Also as a photographer, what specs do you think I should go for?

Thank you very much.

 

[yjchua95]

Hello everyone.

I’m a photographer who has been looking at 27” iMacs a lot lately and I have decided to buy one later this year. The reason for waiting is money, although I could buy on now if I wanted to, and the possibility of Apple releasing an updated iMac later in the year.

I was just wondering if people expect Apple to bring out an updated 27” iMac later this year? Also as a photographer, what specs do you think I should go for?

Thank you very much.

The updated iMac will only come around autumn/fall.

My only advice is buy the max you can afford.

For the 27", buy with just 8GB of RAM and upgrade yourself later. Apple charges exorbitant prices for RAM upgrades.

If you're on a budget, go for a Fusion drive. It performs almost as fast as a pure SSD without the crazy prices of one.

 

[Georgio]

Yep as a photographer go for the 27" in whatever spec you fancy at the time (3TB Fusion drives are good).
As has already been said Apple charge silly money for their additional RAM, so go with the stock (currently 8GB) and add more (8GB Crucial is good) when you get the machine.

If you're looking to retouch then set aside some money for a graphics tablet. Wacom Intuos are good though pricey.

Also seriously think about your backup solution; ideally you want an external raid with a minimum being Raid 1 for redundancy. Don't know about your throughput but I would suggest 6TB as an absolute minimum (Raid 1 = 3TB).

 

[blanka]

As a photographer, you should start with your screen, preferably a decent hooded display with AdobeRGB and 10+ bit depth.
So start with a Dell U2713H or something like that, and then either connect a Mini (Generic photographers) or a Mac Pro (if you are a 1000-shot 36mp wedding tiger or sports photographer).
2.6 Quad Mini and Base Pro don't differ much on speed for photography. Both can do 1000MB/s in "disk" speed, very important for your big temp files, both do 13000+ on Geekbench and both offer USB3 for fast external storage.

And get a Wacom Intuos Large. Don't spend money on a smaller one.

 

[JPlendPhoto]

I am looking at SSD, 256GB, instead of a fusion drive and then get external drives later. Also upgrading RAM myself makes sense.
I had not considered graphics tablets, I’m not into retouching at the moment so I’m not sure if I would benefit from getting one.
Blanka, if I could afford an iMac it would be better to go for that than a Mac Mini, right? Better overall performance with a good quality screen in the iMac?

 

[yjchua95]

I am looking at SSD, 256GB, instead of a fusion drive and then get external drives later. Also upgrading RAM myself makes sense.
I had not considered graphics tablets, I’m not into retouching at the moment so I’m not sure if I would benefit from getting one.
Blanka, if I could afford an iMac it would be better to go for that than a Mac Mini, right? Better overall performance with a good quality screen in the iMac?

Personally, I went for pure-SSD setups myself because I want pure speed.

My 21.5" iMac has a 256GB SSD and my 27" has a 512GB SSD.

The screenshot attached shows the speeds of the 256GB in my 21.5"

 

[Georgio]

SSD's give the best speed no doubt, but they cost and currently fusion drives offer the best speed with the best reliability.

As a serious photographer a graphics tablet is a must, how are you going to select areas, draw paths etc,? With a mouse, lol.

Your set-up should be mouse primary hand, tablet pen other hand for best workflow. I've worked this way for 20 years and it makes for fast, efficient work. Btw you don't need a big tablet, people that say you need an A4 or larger tablet don't know what they're talking about; I use an A6 wacom tablet and the small size means that my hand movements are absolutely minimal.

Get a big tablet and it's like you're drawing a mural on your desk.
A6 is plenty big enough as the movement is proportional to your screen.

I am looking at SSD, 256GB, instead of a fusion drive and then get external drives later. Also upgrading RAM myself makes sense.
I had not considered graphics tablets, I’m not into retouching at the moment so I’m not sure if I would benefit from getting one.
Blanka, if I could afford an iMac it would be better to go for that than a Mac Mini, right? Better overall performance with a good quality screen in the iMac?

 

[Macman45]

I do similar stuff including music work. Mine is last years spec, but it holds broadly true for your potential purchase.

The specs :

27" iMac
I7 3.4GHZ
2GB GPU ( you have the 4GB option and I'd take it)
32GB RAM
3TB Fusion Drive ( you have the option for the larger SSD I'd take it)

With these specs your mac should be capable of eating all you throw at it, and should last you a good while too. I'm having to postpone my upgrade this year and wait it out with my " Old" iMac....but it does exactly what I want.

I did not have the large SSD option or the 4GB GPU when I bought mine, but would dump the FD in favour of the bigger SSD if I was buying now.

 

[yjchua95]

SSD's give the best speed no doubt, but they cost and currently fusion drives offer the best speed with the best reliability.

IMO, they're about as reliable as a spinning HDD, because the Fusion Drive still has a HDD drive. If the HDD drive fails, the SSD goes kaput as well because the Fusion Drive cannot operate off the SSD only.

 

[JPlendPhoto]

Wow, that’s fast! Going with the 256GB SSD makes sense by the sounds of it.

Well yes, I have used a mouse up until now, although maybe it’s time to move onto a graphics tablet. An A6 Wacom tablet sounds like a good idea.

I have been wondering this for a while now, what would I gain from going from a 2GB GPU to a 4GB GPU? I won’t be playing games on it, that’s what my PS4 is for.

 

[Macman45]

Wow, that’s fast! Going with the 256GB SSD makes sense by the sounds of it.

Well yes, I have used a mouse up until now, although maybe it’s time to move onto a graphics tablet. An A6 Wacom tablet sounds like a good idea.

I have been wondering this for a while now, what would I gain from going from a 2GB GPU to a 4GB GPU? I won’t be playing games on it, that’s what my PS4 is for.

It might help you in logic if you use multiple windows and a lot of FX stuff....only question I really have is the SSD size....do you have a lot of off Mac storage? 256GB is pretty small...I'd find it impossible to cope.

 

[keigo]

It might help you in logic if you use multiple windows and a lot of FX stuff....only question I really have is the SSD size....do you have a lot of off Mac storage? 256GB is pretty small...I'd find it impossible to cope.

actually 256gb is manageable if you only use it purely for OS + application only. And keep all the media file at external drive.

This is how I do it and it work great loading all my photos

 

[Georgio]

The only benefit for a 4GB GPU for you is the resell when you upgrade in a few years time. The extra memory on the GPU will not help Photoshop in any way.
The best way to maximise PS is fastest processor, maximum system RAM & either SSD drive or afusion drive.

Wow, that’s fast! Going with the 256GB SSD makes sense by the sounds of it.

Well yes, I have used a mouse up until now, although maybe it’s time to move onto a graphics tablet. An A6 Wacom tablet sounds like a good idea.

I have been wondering this for a while now, what would I gain from going from a 2GB GPU to a 4GB GPU? I won’t be playing games on it, that’s what my PS4 is for.

 

[Ak907Freerider]

Well I just got the 2013 with the 780m. I had the 775m 2gb for about 2 weeks before the 780m. I have to say it is a noticeable difference. Before the 780m I would have a wait on render times. Now it is so fast rendering it is so seamless while editing. I would deftinatly recomend the 780m. I haven't played games with it use ps3 for that. This is strictly a photo and video editing computer and a amazing one at that!

 

[Gregintosh]

The only benefit for a 4GB GPU for you is the resell when you upgrade in a few years time. The extra memory on the GPU will not help Photoshop in any way.
The best way to maximise PS is fastest processor, maximum system RAM & either SSD drive or afusion drive.

I would say expect to add $1 of resale value for every $10 you paid for that upgrade, so upgrading to "raise resale value" is really a bad investment.

 

[Georgio]

I can't see how the 780 makes such a difference over the 775, is this for photoshop or video?

Well I just got the 2013 with the 780m. I had the 775m 2gb for about 2 weeks before the 780m. I have to say it is a noticeable difference. Before the 780m I would have a wait on render times. Now it is so fast rendering it is so seamless while editing. I would deftinatly recomend the 780m. I haven't played games with it use ps3 for that. This is strictly a photo and video editing computer and a amazing one at that!

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It's exactly the same a options in a car, do you save the money initially and go with 'basic' options and therefore a lower resale value plus being harder to move on. Or do you spend the money and make it easier to sell come upgrade time.
Apart from that for photoshop, the Difference between a 775 and a 780 is not worth spending the extra bucks on as both cards will be blisteringly fast in a comparable machine.
The only benefit of the 4GB card is for demanding games (which you say you're not interested in on the Mac) and resale. That is it.

I would say expect to add $1 of resale value for every $10 you paid for that upgrade, so upgrading to "raise resale value" is really a bad investment.

 

[yjchua95]

Well I just got the 2013 with the 780m. I had the 775m 2gb for about 2 weeks before the 780m. I have to say it is a noticeable difference. Before the 780m I would have a wait on render times. Now it is so fast rendering it is so seamless while editing. I would deftinatly recomend the 780m. I haven't played games with it use ps3 for that. This is strictly a photo and video editing computer and a amazing one at that!

Same here.

And BF4 runs pretty smooth as well (Boot Camp) on the 4GB GTX780M

 

[Gregintosh]

I can't see how the 780 makes such a difference over the 775, is this for photoshop or video?



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It's exactly the same a options in a car, do you save the money initially and go with 'basic' options and therefore a lower resale value plus being harder to move on. Or do you spend the money and make it easier to sell come upgrade time.
Apart from that for photoshop, the Difference between a 775 and a 780 is not worth spending the extra bucks on as both cards will be blisteringly fast in a comparable machine.
The only benefit of the 4GB card is for demanding games (which you say you're not interested in on the Mac) and resale. That is it.

It's actually always easier to sell the lower cost base model than it is to unload a higher price upgraded model.

With Apple it works like this: the $1099 model will sell for $800 used, and the $1499 model will sell for maybe $900.

Why does it work that way?

#1 Most people who are buying second hand aren't after the latest and greatest and are looking for a bargain, and therefore, upgrades have less value to them.

#2 Because people buying 2nd hand tend to be budget limited (hence why they don't want to buy new) its a lot easier to find people willing to pay the base price than it is people who are willing to shell out big bucks for a 2nd hand unit. I have had this happen to me. When I sell a base model it moves fast, can usually dump within 24-48 hours and when I try to sell a high end unit I either have to lower the price to move it or it takes weeks or longer to find potential buyers (and even then only at a steep discount).

#3 When its time to sell, the differences are trivial because both models are going to be outdated and the new stuff is much better. So while right now its worth shelling out money for the better video card (if you need it), the two cards will be nearly indistinguishable from each other once compared to the new stuff that will come out in a couple of years.

I have been buying and selling Apple stuff for about 7 years now and have seen these dynamics played out. My conclusion: if you are going to get benefit from the upgrade then go for it. If you are upgrading only to "future proof" or "raise resale value" you are wasting your money.

Computer parts are never an investment. And an upgrade will never even pay for itself during a resale situation, much less help you profit from it.

 

[Georgio]

Funny that because over the past 20 odd years my experience with selling Macs has been completely opposite to yours.
In general people buying second-hand want a bargain, so they want cheap but just as importantly they want features.
So as an example, one of my more modern iMacs a few years ago was a base model. I had plenty of interest, usually to clarify that it only had 1GB RAM, small HD and basic GPU.
Then you'd get hit with a very low offer on the off-chance that you're desperate to sell which I never was.
Anyways, took me six weeks to find a home for that 'basic' model which frankly was a pain. Bought this particular one for £700 and I reluctantly sold it for £220 two years later.
Roll forwards to my last upgrade last May when I sold my top-spec 2011 i7 iMac; put it up for sale and within 6 hours I had a buyer.
I originally bought that Mac for £2200 and I sold it for £1670 exactly two years later.
So I'm glad I don't live in your neck of the woods...

It's actually always easier to sell the lower cost base model than it is to unload a higher price upgraded model.

With Apple it works like this: the $1099 model will sell for $800 used, and the $1499 model will sell for maybe $900.

Why does it work that way?

#1 Most people who are buying second hand aren't after the latest and greatest and are looking for a bargain, and therefore, upgrades have less value to them.

#2 Because people buying 2nd hand tend to be budget limited (hence why they don't want to buy new) its a lot easier to find people willing to pay the base price than it is people who are willing to shell out big bucks for a 2nd hand unit. I have had this happen to me. When I sell a base model it moves fast, can usually dump within 24-48 hours and when I try to sell a high end unit I either have to lower the price to move it or it takes weeks or longer to find potential buyers (and even then only at a steep discount).

#3 When its time to sell, the differences are trivial because both models are going to be outdated and the new stuff is much better. So while right now its worth shelling out money for the better video card (if you need it), the two cards will be nearly indistinguishable from each other once compared to the new stuff that will come out in a couple of years.

I have been buying and selling Apple stuff for about 7 years now and have seen these dynamics played out. My conclusion: if you are going to get benefit from the upgrade then go for it. If you are upgrading only to "future proof" or "raise resale value" you are wasting your money.

Computer parts are never an investment. And an upgrade will never even pay for itself during a resale situation, much less help you profit from it.

 

[mrsavage1]

It's actually always easier to sell the lower cost base model than it is to unload a higher price upgraded model.

With Apple it works like this: the $1099 model will sell for $800 used, and the $1499 model will sell for maybe $900.

Why does it work that way?

#1 Most people who are buying second hand aren't after the latest and greatest and are looking for a bargain, and therefore, upgrades have less value to them.

#2 Because people buying 2nd hand tend to be budget limited (hence why they don't want to buy new) its a lot easier to find people willing to pay the base price than it is people who are willing to shell out big bucks for a 2nd hand unit. I have had this happen to me. When I sell a base model it moves fast, can usually dump within 24-48 hours and when I try to sell a high end unit I either have to lower the price to move it or it takes weeks or longer to find potential buyers (and even then only at a steep discount).

#3 When its time to sell, the differences are trivial because both models are going to be outdated and the new stuff is much better. So while right now its worth shelling out money for the better video card (if you need it), the two cards will be nearly indistinguishable from each other once compared to the new stuff that will come out in a couple of years.

I have been buying and selling Apple stuff for about 7 years now and have seen these dynamics played out. My conclusion: if you are going to get benefit from the upgrade then go for it. If you are upgrading only to "future proof" or "raise resale value" you are wasting your money.

Computer parts are never an investment. And an upgrade will never even pay for itself during a resale situation, much less help you profit from it.

This has been my experience as well. If you buy upgrades to the mac, don't expect to get back that much cash from it. People don't care how much the upgrade cost, they just want the bottom dollar price for it. Ppl buying used are looking for bargains not top end hardware. The base config is usually the best value for re-selling on the second hand market.

 

[Tanax]

Funny that because over the past 20 odd years my experience with selling Macs has been completely opposite to yours.
In general people buying second-hand want a bargain, so they want cheap but just as importantly they want features.
So as an example, one of my more modern iMacs a few years ago was a base model. I had plenty of interest, usually to clarify that it only had 1GB RAM, small HD and basic GPU.
Then you'd get hit with a very low offer on the off-chance that you're desperate to sell which I never was.
Anyways, took me six weeks to find a home for that 'basic' model which frankly was a pain. Bought this particular one for £700 and I reluctantly sold it for £220 two years later.
Roll forwards to my last upgrade last May when I sold my top-spec 2011 i7 iMac; put it up for sale and within 6 hours I had a buyer.
I originally bought that Mac for £2200 and I sold it for £1670 exactly two years later.
So I'm glad I don't live in your neck of the woods...

So you lost 480£ (700-220) on the low-level Mac and 530£ (2200-1670) on the high-end. Other than the fact that your high-end Mac sold faster, tell me how going with high-end is better for resale-value since you lost more on the high-end?

 

[Georgio]

You said it yourself, the fact that the higher end Mac sold instantly whereas the lower spec one hung around and was a pain to move.
At the end of the day it's up to people to decide if they think spending extra on a machine is worth it for them.
In the case of the OP it was if the higher spec GPU would make any difference in PS which it wouldn't, so unless they also want to game on the Mac it's a pointless upgrade.

So you lost 480£ (700-220) on the low-level Mac and 530£ (2200-1670) on the high-end. Other than the fact that your high-end Mac sold faster, tell me how going with high-end is better for resale-value since you lost more on the high-end?

 

[mrsavage1]

So you lost 480£ (700-220) on the low-level Mac and 530£ (2200-1670) on the high-end. Other than the fact that your high-end Mac sold faster, tell me how going with high-end is better for resale-value since you lost more on the high-end?

Actually he probably sold the base mac for too high a value. If you sell any thing to high it definitely going to be difficult to sell.

The speed of a sale doesn't indicate something is good or not as resale, it indicates that your selling something above the fair market price.

Had he sold the base mac at a lower price that too would have got buyers immediately.

 

[Gregintosh]

This has been my experience as well. If you buy upgrades to the mac, don't expect to get back that much cash from it. People don't care how much the upgrade cost, they just want the bottom dollar price for it. Ppl buying used are looking for bargains not top end hardware. The base config is usually the best value for re-selling on the second hand market.

Yep.

I think Georgio's experiences are anomalies or maybe unique to his market.

I do know that if you look at eBay's completed auctions and talk to people who sell on Craigslist in the US, you will see that upgrades add very little to resale value.

I don't think anyone in the world including Georgio could show that if you spend $100 on an upgrade you will get an extra $100 on resale value.

The point I am making is that if you want to buy upgrades because you need them, do it. But if you are only buying upgrades to try to maximize your resale value you are throwing your money away.

 

[Georgio]

I never said or implied that you get your money back, my take on an upgrade is primarily you get to play with a better toy and secondly when you come to replace it, it's easier to shift because it is a better toy.

It's just up to the individual what they can afford, but as I always say you get what you pay for and that goes for Macs as well.

Yep.

I think Georgio's experiences are anomalies or maybe unique to his market.

I do know that if you look at eBay's completed auctions and talk to people who sell on Craigslist in the US, you will see that upgrades add very little to resale value.

I don't think anyone in the world including Georgio could show that if you spend $100 on an upgrade you will get an extra $100 on resale value.

The point I am making is that if you want to buy upgrades because you need them, do it. But if you are only buying upgrades to try to maximize your resale value you are throwing your money away.