Gear Talk > Processing & Publication

MacBook Pro??

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cmcollar:
Hello, everyone.

I've recently completed a fairly thorough search on this topic, but nevertheless forgive me if I missed the thread that definitively answered my question.

I'm looking at the other investments I need to make while I decide on the D850 or D500 and corresponding lenses and have decided I need to update my 6+ year old MacBook Pro and plan to continue to use Lr, Ps, etc., for processing.  It seems, based on my research, that many of you are successfully using the MacBook Pro to accomplish this, correct?  It also appears that for many of you the Retina display is adequate versus an auxiliary monitor. It also looks nearly split between the upgraded large internal SSD and opting for an external drive. Is this generally true?  I just want to make sure I make a wise purchase given the large file sizes I will be encountering.  I want to stay with Apple hardware.  Based on your responses, I may have a follow-up question or two. 

Thank you, as always, for your wisdom!

Birna Rørslett:
On a general note, upgrading the internal drive to the largest SSD one can afford is always highly beneficial. Plus maxing out the memory installed.

Never saw a Retina display that didn't strain my eyesight thus I much prefer adding external monitor(s), however this is a personal experience and may not apply to every one else.

pluton:
Using the native display of a high quality laptop is fine IMO for initial experiments and early fun, but---If you are picky about color rendering and particularly if you intend to make prints, plan on the eventual acquirement of an external hardware-calibrated display.
When I go back and look at the hundreds of prints I made using a pre-Retina Macbook Pro (on Epson pigment inkjet printers) before and then after I acquired a calibrated monitor, the early prints done uncalibrated are, frankly, pretty bad.  The prints made using the external calibrated monitor are utterly superior.
The matter of external drives is mainly a matter of available storage. With the relatively large file size generated by the D850, external storage may/will eventually become necessary.
I currently have a 2012 Macbook Pro connected to an NEC 27" display, with several external hard drives attached for storage.  The laptop's built-in display works as a convenient, if smaller and uncalibrated, second display.

CS:
Considering Apple's prices for internal SSD's, I would not look at the larger sizes they offer, but would opt for capacity in external units. My own personal preference for externals is to avoid sealed units, such as the WD MyBook, and similar units in favor of separate enclosures and hard drives where I can hot swap the drives at will in seconds.

cmcollar:
Birna / Keith / Carl,

Thank you all for your responses.  Very informative!

Regarding the comment about the prices for the internal SSD's, very true.  One gets into a very expensive laptop if you price in a 1TB or larger SSD.  In contrast, there are many Western Digital external drives in the 4TB size which appear at first glance to be compatible with the Mac OS for around $100. 

I assume that upgraded quantities of memory for the MacBook Pro is still a wise choice, correct?  Or is the standard 16GB adequate?

Finally, what about the screen size?  If I likely will opt for an external monitor, should I spec out the 13" model or 15" model?

Thanks again for taking the time to respond to my inquiry!!

Chris

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