MacBook Pro Performance

[Dave410]

Hey Gang,

This is my first post on MacRumors and I hope you folks can help me with a couple of questions. I've been a PC user since 1984 but I'm thinking about going to the Dark Side and switching to Mac, partly for the fun of learning something new and partly because the rest of my family uses Macs and I would be able to help them more if I was more familiar with the Apple ecosystem. Besides, Macs are cool.

First, I’m concerned about performance. I’m a photographer and I wonder about processing large image files on a laptop. Would a new, top-end 13" MacBook Pro provide acceptable performance* for processing RAW files from a Canon 5D3 in Lightroom using add-ins like Perfect Photo Suite and Nik? I travel for a living and I really like the idea of having just one computer to maintain, so I’m looking at the smaller MBP as my one-and-only machine. I would use it as a laptop on the road and then dock it to a large monitor and nice keyboard and mouse when I got home.

Second, if the performance is unacceptable and I have to go with both a desktop and a laptop, how difficult is it to synchronize files between two Mac computers? I did that for a long time when I had a home-built desktop and a Lenovo laptop and it worked just fine, but it was kind of a nuisance. Does Apple have a really good way to synchronize?

Many thanks,
Dave


* Someone may point out that acceptable performance is subjective, but the rest of you will know what I mean. I'm looking for "Wow, this is fast" instead of "Damn, this is slow."

 

[CaptRB]

Hi there....

I'm a still-life shooter, though I've also done trade show work. I shoot primarily Nikon D810, D800, Df, D500 (just added), but I also handle Canon files for post tweaking at times.

I have the new 13" Touchbar with 8 GB RAM. I'm running Lightroom and PS and also connecting to Dell 4K monitors.

Even with both programs open and RAW plus JPEG files in progress, the system is snappy. My desktop was a quad core i7, so I know what "snappy" is.

I even pushed 4K video to the external monitor and still had no issue doing post work.

With all of that said, I don't bother too much with RAW these days. I've learned how to handle WB and with LR and PS I only shoot RAW for backup, but often process the JPEG unless I make a serious error that requires pushing a RAW file.

The 5D3 is a terrific camera and the files are smaller than my D810. But how fast things go will also be the RAW converter you use. Nikon RAW files will open at various speeds depending on the software I use. Even my MacBook Air can open/handle the Nikon files well enough to work.

D810 file edited on the tMBP in about 20 seconds....

good luck,


R

 

[Dave410]

Wow, great image and thanks for the word. That is exactly what I needed to know. I also just heard from a Nikon D800 shooter on my photography forum who says his 2015 13" MBP also handles RAW files well, so that's more good news.

If you don't mind my asking, why did you only get 8 GB of RAM and which of the three processors did you choose?

Thanks again!
Dave

PS Like I said, great photo and cute little girl. I'm more of a travel/landscape photographer myself. Here's a recent image from a tour bus in Singapore. Not everyone was listening to the tour guide....

 

[CaptRB]

Nice shot...

I do mostly line-sheet and catalogue work. What this means is that I shoot for buyers rather than retail most of the time...

It's volume work

8GB is fine. In fact I can have multiple programs and plug-ins running without issue. This is the base 13" tMBP that sells for 1799.00 USD.

I use JPEG because RAW has no net value for this type of work. If I shoot something for a giant print, such as this...

Then I'll go to RAW for added detail. The dynamic range of sensors these days is such that JPEG will work fine much of the time, which also means that the 8GB gets even less of a workout.

Pumping up the 13" to higher spec brings it too close in price to the 15" in my view. At that point you may as well get the larger MacBook, though it does feel a lot bigger for travel.

Likely you already have a Compact flash adapter/card adapter, so now you'll just need a USB-C to USB adapter, which is only a few bucks.

Enjoy!


R

 

[Dave410]

Nice! Looks like demanding softbox work. What processor are you using with that 8 GB?

So far, my photography is just for fun and to preserve memories. Maybe someday somebody will pay me for it....

 

[47phones]

Beautiful pics in here guys! Great job.
Im also a photographer and wondering how to transfer my files from the 5dmkiii to my new mbp? I dont want to travel with usbc to usb adapter and a sd card adapter. The sandisk adapter is sold out. So any ideas?

Thanks!

Kind regards

 

[Dave410]

I use Compact Flash cards in my 5D3 because they are faster than SD cards and empty the buffer faster. The SD card slot stays empty so the camera doesn't look for one and slow down. In any case, to answer the question, I have a card reader at home, but I don't carry one on the road. (I travel about half the month, every month.) I just carry a cable in my camera bag and connect directly from the camera to the USB port on my Lenovo laptop. I don't know if they make a camera-to-USB C cable you could use with your new MBP, but that would solve the problem. Otherwise, it seems you would need your existing camera cable and a USB-to-USB C adaptor. Either way, you can skip the card reader.

 

[aevan]

Second, if the performance is unacceptable and I have to go with both a desktop and a laptop, how difficult is it to synchronize files between two Mac computers?

It's one of the best features of a Mac. You can AirDrop files between them (a wifi network transfer that even works without access to Internet), you can use iCloud Desktop & Documents sync which works great, and you can use built in screen sharing. Also, you can use Photos iCloud library to sync photos.

Of course, if you're using Lightroom, you can sync that via CC files, with any PC.

As for performance, I doubt you'll have any problems with MBPs

 

[CaptRB]

Hey...nice pics...

and to answer both posts, my MBP Touchbar is the base 13" 2.9 hz i5.

I handle processing either with the laptop or connected to a new Dell 27" 4K screen. Trust me, do not wast money on the LG monitor. The Dell is able to do all you need and you can get two (like I did) for the cost of the LG 5K.

For portrait work you can rotate the Dell displays, which is great to maximize screen real estate. Very useful...

When messing around I'll use SD cards or Compact flash. The Nikon shoots both, so one is a backup. The adapters are tiny. If you want a pretty slick SD reader, I just bought one of these tiny numbers...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CSG0OTU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This little USB TO USB-C Adapter looks nice and works perfectly....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015Z7XE0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I already had a card reader than handles all formats, so all I really needed was the tiny USB-C - USB adapter, but I like to buy extra stuff in case something gets lost.

I do NOT ever connect a camera to a laptop, except for tethering on a shoot with client present.

Any way....the bottom line is that the new MacBooks are very powerful machines for serious photographers and great for hobbyists (who are sometimes even more demanding!).

BTW...getting paid to shoot just makes it another job. The best part of shooting is doing it for yourself and friends...

R

 

[kwandrews]

Hey Gang,

This is my first post on MacRumors and I hope you folks can help me with a couple of questions. I've been a PC user since 1984 but I'm thinking about going to the Dark Side and switching to Mac, partly for the fun of learning something new and partly because the rest of my family uses Macs and I would be able to help them more if I was more familiar with the Apple ecosystem. Besides, Macs are cool.

First, I’m concerned about performance. I’m a photographer and I wonder about processing large image files on a laptop. Would a new, top-end 13" MacBook Pro provide acceptable performance* for processing RAW files from a Canon 5D3 in Lightroom using add-ins like Perfect Photo Suite and Nik? I travel for a living and I really like the idea of having just one computer to maintain, so I’m looking at the smaller MBP as my one-and-only machine. I would use it as a laptop on the road and then dock it to a large monitor and nice keyboard and mouse when I got home.

Second, if the performance is unacceptable and I have to go with both a desktop and a laptop, how difficult is it to synchronize files between two Mac computers? I did that for a long time when I had a home-built desktop and a Lenovo laptop and it worked just fine, but it was kind of a nuisance. Does Apple have a really good way to synchronize?

Many thanks,
Dave


* Someone may point out that acceptable performance is subjective, but the rest of you will know what I mean. I'm looking for "Wow, this is fast" instead of "Damn, this is slow."

No worries about it. I'm a passionate photographer as well. I have a LR library loaded right now with over 100k images on my 13" TB mid-level (2.9, 8G and 256GB). No problems at all. Most of my recent files are from 20-24MP sensor, mainly 1080p but some 4k thrown as well. It edits buttery smooth with Final Cut Pro X and does well with iMovie. LR is smooth as well, no issues. I also edit outside of LR with Luminar as a plug-in and use LR mainly as a DAM tool. Try the trial of Luminar, it's great so far...I actually love it. It also works with Photos.

 

[CaptRB]

No worries about it. I'm a passionate photographer as well. I have a LR library loaded right now with over 100k images on my 13" TB mid-level (2.9, 8G and 256GB). No problems at all. Most of my recent files are from 20-24MP sensor, mainly 1080p but some 4k thrown as well. It edits buttery smooth with Final Cut Pro X and does well with iMovie. LR is smooth as well, no issues. I also edit outside of LR with Luminar as a plug-in and use LR mainly as a DAM tool. Try the trial of Luminar, it's great so far...I actually love it. It also works with Photos.

What's the story with Luminar?



R.

 

[Dave410]

Many thanks, guys. Great information and great images. Much appreciated.

CaptRB -- Is there a reason you normally don't connect your camera to the computer? (And does "Capt" mean "captain"?)

 

[CaptRB]

Many thanks, guys. Great information and great images. Much appreciated.

CaptRB -- Is there a reason you normally don't connect your camera to the computer? (And does "Capt" mean "captain"?)

Capt. means captain. I was a yacht broker and professional sailor for 10 years.

I don't like to connect a camera because in VERY rare instances static charges can cause damage. I've seen it happen exactly once and I'd bet my life it would never happen to me. Still, I just don't do it unless I need to tether for a client who "must" see shots as they happen.


R.

 

[Dave410]

I don't like to connect a camera because in VERY rare instances static charges can cause damage. I've seen it happen exactly once and I'd bet my life it would never happen to me. Still, I just don't do it unless I need to tether for a client who "must" see shots as they happen.

Interesting. I've never heard of a static issue, but it makes sense. And yachts and sailing sounds like great fun. I'm a different kind of captain.

 

[kwandrews]

What's the story with Luminar?
R.

https://macphun.com/luminar
https://macphun.com/luminar/compare (LR vs. Aperture vs. Luminar) @ the bottom of this page is a link to download the TRIAL version.

Scroll down the page for the info. I use it as a plug-in/extension. They are working on a DAM as well for it. They listen to their customers and are active on the forums at https://photoapps.expert.

I've done some side by side edits with LR. Basically editing a copy of an image in Luminar and comparing, within LR, to the LR edited version. I'm able to pull out much more fine detail and the process is faster as well with Luminar - but you still retain full control.

This is the post I learned about it from at photo apps: https://photoapps.expert/forum/have-you-heard-about-luminar/19225#.WFoz4LGZNR4