Hi, I bought a refurb nMP for 1500 euro ( Belgium/no tax ).
It's just the 3.7, 256, D300, 12 ram, but what would you expect,
for 1500 euro's refurb and 2 years warrenty.
It's a long post, not very structured.
Starting with what I curently use, or we.
We shout Medium Format Digital Cameras that are 50px and higher.
I also shoot the Alpha's, but those files are not as heavy.
I also shoot Canon, but selling most of it. Medium format has come a long way,
the Alpha's are perfect now for jobs where the bulk of a medium format system is unpractical.
64gb ram, fast SSD expension, is what is mostly needed for now.
And opinions on High Sierra.
I start with what I mostly use and what for.
I have a cMP 1.1 still on snow leopard.
It has 32gb ram. It has the most printer profiles for my Epson Printers.
It it's main use, Is driving the printers.
When something works ...
Have spinners for back up of raw and client files.
Then I had and ebay project cMP 3.1, some time ago, very bang for buck.
But no warrenty ...
a lot of time goes to research and finding deals for things like a GTX 680 with bootscreen,
all ports working graphic cards and such.
USB 3 ( but demounting everything to put it to sleep is not as practical ).
So it had the GTX, a 43" IPS 4K monitor, but you can't login without an extra screen.
SSD's, even SATAII ... big difference but wasting most time in saving PSB projects,
but my bottleneck is still saving/opening those 3GB and more Photoshop files.
Still there are these tiny things you have to deal with, needing the extra screen, USB 3 ...
It's not the best Mac Pro, to get PCIe wild ... SSD's, more graphics power.
But amazing, for big series of medium format camera files.
The 64gb ram, and lot's of scatch disk space. Make It very good for that.
My maxed out Mac Book Air is faster then those cMP's, but the 8GB ram,
It get's stuck a lot working on those heavy raws and large PSB projects they turn into.
Working on 8 at the same time is riskey.
On the 3.1 ... I can have 50 - 100 files open, working on 2 different project
and matching the colors and all other retouch to get a coherent series.
But are on an internal LAN, they are just for that purpose I don't surf on them.
Each one is dedicated to some core function.
Printing/minor editing. mp 1,1
Major Editing. mp 3,1
The 5.1 is more interessing, again as another ebay project.
Refurb or with warrenty for 2 years, the bang for buck was not as attractive.
Would also be another tower, more noise/heat/footprint ...
So It became a 6,1 ... just the 3,7 Ghz Xeon, D300, 256GB, 12 gig ram.
I also needed something more portable to move around the studio,
that still has enough power to work these.
I would have to max out the ram.
Also for now, I will just to with an external SSD for the projects.
Or maybe 2. One for scratch, one for files.
Some TB2 and you can add a TB3 drive with the adapter?
( It won't be TB3 speed, but TB2 is much faster then USB 3 )
( TB3 SSD will probably be easier to find, than TB2 nowdays ... I did a quick search,
It should work with the apple adapter? And when I have a TB3 machine, It would do TB3 speeds ).
For the rest I don't know, something like a thunderbay ... seems practical over time.
But something that puts PCIe SSD in an enclosure, could be more interessing.
Monitors, It wil probaly move around a lot in the studio, and use bigger presentation monitors,
or smaller monitors whith better panels for color correction.
Also do people have experience with the nMP in high sierra.
It now has sierra, but one's I install everything. I rarely upgrade the OS.
Until It nees a format.
Apps and plugins, also profiles and passwords.
So my plan was waiting for the High Sierra release and then configure the machine.
It looks more interesing then Sierra and It would a little longer supported.
It mainly has to do Adobe CC. I also use capture one. Sporadic video.
This one will be used on the web more/compared to the cMP's.
As It will be used for presentations too, web and image banks or selecting with the client.
( The Airs can't do much of going through raw shootings and showing different options quickly in PSD/PSB files.)
That's about It.
Adding ram, and some more quick space SSD space, without losing to much money.
And High Sierra experience.
I was thinking starting with 2 x 16gb, and next month the other 2 x 16 gb.
Would be nice if the ram is compatible with the 3 4GB sticks that are in It now.
Maybe an USB Samsung external ... but if there is a TB3 SSD ... and the Apple capble works backwords too.
I would probably go for that.
Something like and SSD house for the future. Preferably faster pciE/not SATA ...
I have a tons of external drives, and 2 cMP's, that are nice enclosure for mass storage.
Back up.
I hope some advice can be given and quiestions answered.
I like doing research. But more in a hurry I would probaly miss things.
The 1TB to 4TB blades for a 1000 euro and more are not an option for now.
And I like OS Apps / Projects / and a scratch disk seperated.
256 Gb is small, but my Air is loaded with the apps I use.
If I have a shortage of space, It is more because of Flac and movies.
Thanks, and I'm very happy with the machine. I see It more as a Mac mini Pro.
Not tower workstation solution. I just didn't want another tower now,
mac 5,1 "hobby project" or a windows system ...
but I have two pretty capable towers already, and working on the 3.1 if my girlfriend is sleeping ...
she would love It if before a deadline, there aren't two towers blazing.
And I can still pull of some crazy edit sessions.
If I see the price of the Imac Pro, I don't think the New Mac Pro will be a steal,
I don't like Imacs, we have to many good screens and I hate glossy.
And I retire my macs to a different function, as long as they work.
I also like to keep, some older OS'es around, we work a lot with freelancers,
and I need to make sure they can integrate one way ore another,
even if they still use some old CSx Indesign whatever.
Use a protools device, that isn't supported in El Capitan anymore or something.
Lots of dedicated legacy stuff, is very high quilty, a lot of pro's, partime freelancers ...
just can't afford the latest and the greatest.
Including me, add the printers, medium format and full frame camera's with high end lenses,
screens, beamers, the photo studio ( lights etc ... and all add ons ).
Most tech is very matured anyway ...
Kind Regards
It's just the 3.7, 256, D300, 12 ram, but what would you expect,
for 1500 euro's refurb and 2 years warrenty.
It's a long post, not very structured.
Starting with what I curently use, or we.
We shout Medium Format Digital Cameras that are 50px and higher.
I also shoot the Alpha's, but those files are not as heavy.
I also shoot Canon, but selling most of it. Medium format has come a long way,
the Alpha's are perfect now for jobs where the bulk of a medium format system is unpractical.
64gb ram, fast SSD expension, is what is mostly needed for now.
And opinions on High Sierra.
I start with what I mostly use and what for.
I have a cMP 1.1 still on snow leopard.
It has 32gb ram. It has the most printer profiles for my Epson Printers.
It it's main use, Is driving the printers.
When something works ...
Have spinners for back up of raw and client files.
Then I had and ebay project cMP 3.1, some time ago, very bang for buck.
But no warrenty ...
a lot of time goes to research and finding deals for things like a GTX 680 with bootscreen,
all ports working graphic cards and such.
USB 3 ( but demounting everything to put it to sleep is not as practical ).
So it had the GTX, a 43" IPS 4K monitor, but you can't login without an extra screen.
SSD's, even SATAII ... big difference but wasting most time in saving PSB projects,
but my bottleneck is still saving/opening those 3GB and more Photoshop files.
Still there are these tiny things you have to deal with, needing the extra screen, USB 3 ...
It's not the best Mac Pro, to get PCIe wild ... SSD's, more graphics power.
But amazing, for big series of medium format camera files.
The 64gb ram, and lot's of scatch disk space. Make It very good for that.
My maxed out Mac Book Air is faster then those cMP's, but the 8GB ram,
It get's stuck a lot working on those heavy raws and large PSB projects they turn into.
Working on 8 at the same time is riskey.
On the 3.1 ... I can have 50 - 100 files open, working on 2 different project
and matching the colors and all other retouch to get a coherent series.
But are on an internal LAN, they are just for that purpose I don't surf on them.
Each one is dedicated to some core function.
Printing/minor editing. mp 1,1
Major Editing. mp 3,1
The 5.1 is more interessing, again as another ebay project.
Refurb or with warrenty for 2 years, the bang for buck was not as attractive.
Would also be another tower, more noise/heat/footprint ...
So It became a 6,1 ... just the 3,7 Ghz Xeon, D300, 256GB, 12 gig ram.
I also needed something more portable to move around the studio,
that still has enough power to work these.
I would have to max out the ram.
Also for now, I will just to with an external SSD for the projects.
Or maybe 2. One for scratch, one for files.
Some TB2 and you can add a TB3 drive with the adapter?
( It won't be TB3 speed, but TB2 is much faster then USB 3 )
( TB3 SSD will probably be easier to find, than TB2 nowdays ... I did a quick search,
It should work with the apple adapter? And when I have a TB3 machine, It would do TB3 speeds ).
For the rest I don't know, something like a thunderbay ... seems practical over time.
But something that puts PCIe SSD in an enclosure, could be more interessing.
Monitors, It wil probaly move around a lot in the studio, and use bigger presentation monitors,
or smaller monitors whith better panels for color correction.
Also do people have experience with the nMP in high sierra.
It now has sierra, but one's I install everything. I rarely upgrade the OS.
Until It nees a format.
Apps and plugins, also profiles and passwords.
So my plan was waiting for the High Sierra release and then configure the machine.
It looks more interesing then Sierra and It would a little longer supported.
It mainly has to do Adobe CC. I also use capture one. Sporadic video.
This one will be used on the web more/compared to the cMP's.
As It will be used for presentations too, web and image banks or selecting with the client.
( The Airs can't do much of going through raw shootings and showing different options quickly in PSD/PSB files.)
That's about It.
Adding ram, and some more quick space SSD space, without losing to much money.
And High Sierra experience.
I was thinking starting with 2 x 16gb, and next month the other 2 x 16 gb.
Would be nice if the ram is compatible with the 3 4GB sticks that are in It now.
Maybe an USB Samsung external ... but if there is a TB3 SSD ... and the Apple capble works backwords too.
I would probably go for that.
Something like and SSD house for the future. Preferably faster pciE/not SATA ...
I have a tons of external drives, and 2 cMP's, that are nice enclosure for mass storage.
Back up.
I hope some advice can be given and quiestions answered.
I like doing research. But more in a hurry I would probaly miss things.
The 1TB to 4TB blades for a 1000 euro and more are not an option for now.
And I like OS Apps / Projects / and a scratch disk seperated.
256 Gb is small, but my Air is loaded with the apps I use.
If I have a shortage of space, It is more because of Flac and movies.
Thanks, and I'm very happy with the machine. I see It more as a Mac mini Pro.
Not tower workstation solution. I just didn't want another tower now,
mac 5,1 "hobby project" or a windows system ...
but I have two pretty capable towers already, and working on the 3.1 if my girlfriend is sleeping ...
she would love It if before a deadline, there aren't two towers blazing.
And I can still pull of some crazy edit sessions.
If I see the price of the Imac Pro, I don't think the New Mac Pro will be a steal,
I don't like Imacs, we have to many good screens and I hate glossy.
And I retire my macs to a different function, as long as they work.
I also like to keep, some older OS'es around, we work a lot with freelancers,
and I need to make sure they can integrate one way ore another,
even if they still use some old CSx Indesign whatever.
Use a protools device, that isn't supported in El Capitan anymore or something.
Lots of dedicated legacy stuff, is very high quilty, a lot of pro's, partime freelancers ...
just can't afford the latest and the greatest.
Including me, add the printers, medium format and full frame camera's with high end lenses,
screens, beamers, the photo studio ( lights etc ... and all add ons ).
Most tech is very matured anyway ...
Kind Regards