Advise wanted on Canon Lenses and Macbook pro. :-)

Antrobus · Nov 18, 2009

Hi, I've been shooting with the same camera and lens for 2 years now (400D and a 18-55mm lens with only 0.9ft zoom) and I've started to get work through the photography I've produced. The reason I haven't bought another lens is because I was told the lap top was more important so I'm saving for a Mac Book pro so I can enchance my post edit skills, I've got the money for the macbook now but I'm feeling slightly embaressed pulling out my gear now I'm rubbing sholders with credible photographers.

The work I'm doing is mainly event photography - band gigs and club nights and I feel I'm ready to really step up my game... (I'm a mega newbie and don't even know how to find the links to ULR's to post pics. if you have time to look at my work please do - www.flickr.com/raymondantrobus)

What Lenses would you suggest for my Canon and is the Macbook Pro really the most important thing for good results?

Please help.

Ray.

Village Idiot · Nov 18, 2009

Antrobus said:
Hi, I've been shooting with the same camera and lens for 2 years now (400D and a 18-55mm lens with only 0.9ft zoom) and I've started to get work through the photography I've produced. The reason I haven't bought another lens is because I was told the lap top was more important so I'm saving for a Mac Book pro so I can enchance my post edit skills, I've got the money for the macbook now but I'm feeling slightly embaressed pulling out my gear now I'm rubbing sholders with credible photographers.

The work I'm doing is mainly event photography - band gigs and club nights and I feel I'm ready to really step up my game... (I'm a mega newbie and don't even know how to find the links to ULR's to post pics. if you have time to look at my work please do - www.flickr.com/raymondantrobus)

What Lenses would you suggest for my Canon and is the Macbook Pro really the most important thing for good results?

Please help.

Ray.

Lenses:
70-200 f/2.8L IS
70-200 f/2.8L
70-200 f/4L IS
70-200 f/4L
24-70 f/2.8L
24-105 f/4L IS
16-35 f/2.8L
17-40 f/2.8L
85 f/1.2L
15 f/2.8 Fish Eye
50 f/1.8

Just a few.

Most important thing for good results? Hardly. A MBP is a computer. It processes information. It doesn't take pictures for you. The software that you're going to most likely end up using will be available for Windows as well. The most important thing for good results is an understanding of photography, good glass, and good lighting.

DennyCrane · Nov 18, 2009

Mac notebooks do have great LCD screens... but my question is, are you going to be tied to a notebook for your editing? Personally, I'd prefer a larger LCD monitor connected to a tower. As long as you can correctly calibrate the monitor, you're going to be making the correct edits to your picture. I use a 42" 1080p HDTV as a monitor and after a lot of tweaking of the settings, I'm reasonably sure the calibration is where it needs to be. A notebook is great if you're going to be on the road a lot, and an Apple notebook would be tops in that case. But if you're working out of an office or your home... I'd consider a different solution.

Dao · Nov 18, 2009

A good lens will help you more on producing a good photo than a Macbookpro.

SpeedTrap · Nov 18, 2009

I would have to say I carry an old laptop for viewing and onsite backup, but I could never even consider editing on it.
The Mac book pro may have an OK screen on it, but it is nothing compared to a good full size monitor with correct calibration.
Something else to consider is the cost to repair. If you are working on a desktop system and a component fails, you can just get a new component, install it yourself and be on your way. When a laptop fails it is usually a time consuming and costly repair. I have a friend that just had to fork out a huge amount of money to repair a Mac book pro.

Village Idiot · Nov 18, 2009

DennyCrane said:
Mac notebooks do have great LCD screens... but my question is, are you going to be tied to a notebook for your editing? Personally, I'd prefer a larger LCD monitor connected to a tower. As long as you can correctly calibrate the monitor, you're going to be making the correct edits to your picture. I use a 42" 1080p HDTV as a monitor and after a lot of tweaking of the settings, I'm reasonably sure the calibration is where it needs to be. A notebook is great if you're going to be on the road a lot, and an Apple notebook would be tops in that case. But if you're working out of an office or your home... I'd consider a different solution.

You can connect them to an external monitor. I have a 30" HP monitor that I use with my MBP for photo editing.

Kylerood · Nov 18, 2009

Macs are overpriced status symbols in my opinion.

Get a fairly highend pc for around 700, slap snow leopard on it and call it good if you want mac os that much (i don't)

Windows 7 rules so hard...

use the saved money on a lens...

DOWN WITH APPLE

woo

Village Idiot · Nov 18, 2009

Kylerood said:
Macs are overpriced status symbols in my opinion.

Get a fairly highend pc for around 700, slap snow leopard on it and call it good if you want mac os that much (i don't)

Windows 7 rules so hard...

use the saved money on a lens...

DOWN WITH APPLE

woo

Meh...they're all just tools for the job. There's nothing worse than a fan boy though.

syphlix · Nov 18, 2009

Village Idiot said:
Meh...they're all just tools for the job. There's nothing worse than a fan boy though.

+1

iolair · Nov 18, 2009

Kylerood said:
Macs are overpriced status symbols in my opinion.

Get a fairly highend pc for around 700, slap snow leopard on it and call it good if you want mac os that much (i don't)

Windows 7 rules so hard...

use the saved money on a lens...

DOWN WITH APPLE

woo

Apparently (so they say), total cost over the time you own the machine is lower for Macs...
(I'm clearly not convinced, as I'm still running XP).

I'd choose a desktop for value for money and upgradability every time, unless my circumstances dictated I had to have the laptop. If you just want to manage photos and do some cleaning up and basic editing, go for an entry level machine and remember to budget for the software (Photoshop is the standard, but there are good cheaper and free alternatives).

For where you're going to be shooting, find a fast lens - for example the 50mm 1.4 (or one of the 1.2's if you're feeling wealthy) - which will let you keep shooting in low light.

Prometheus · Nov 18, 2009

Here's my $0.02 as far as computers go ... coming from a long-time computer geek.

There is absolutely no difference between "Mac" and "PC" now aside from what operating system is associated with what product. Ten years ago when Apple was using PPC processors, Apple was lightyears ahead of Intel. But now they've adopted Intel and eliminated that advantage. You're paying for the OS and the name when you buy a Mac. You solve that by putting Mac OS X on a PC.

Photoshop is available for Windows, too.

If you're REALLY on a budget, can't afford photoshop, etc. Buy a $500 desktop PC with a decent video card. Put Ubuntu Studio on it and be done with it. You'll have GIMP (similar to Photoshop), Inkscape (similar to Illustrator), Blender, etc on a Linux-based operating system which matches the stability of Mac OS X. All the software I just mentioned is FREE. The thing is the learning curve associated with switching to a new platform. Actually, I just remembered. Dell sells PCs with Ubuntu already installed - the original, not the Studio release. The only difference is you'd just need to download the (free) software yourself.

I use GIMP with the UFRAW plugin to process raw images. On a laptop from 2006 that matches speed with today's netbooks. I don't use windows, I use Arch Linux. It's not for beginners to Linux, but it's fine. Most of your "need" for a top of the line computer isn't real unless you're doing high-end video editing, 3D modeling, massive calculations, CAD, or if you just like playing the newest video games.

Remember, I'm a computer geek. Not someone that listens to whatever the salesman at the Apple store says.

ONE DOWNSIDE TO GIMP: No native CMYK support yet. You'll need to find a plugin for it.

I'm not trying to be all preachy about Linux, not at all. I'm just trying to say you don't need a $2000 Macbook Pro to edit photos.

DennyCrane · Nov 18, 2009

Linux is always a viable option. It's a Wild West option, but a lot of people appreciate the clean, compact OS without lots of crap built-in that they'll never use.

Inst!nct · Nov 18, 2009

Get the lens, a macbook pro has more appeal to someone that does design, but a properly calibrated screen for 30 people will do the same things for 2k cheaper

RyanLilly · Nov 18, 2009

I'll say right upfront, that I am a mac user and I am very happy with Apple, but If your choice is spending all of you money on a MBP, or on lenses, I wholeheartedly have to recommend investing in lenses. I would recommend looking into a cheap windows PC, and a low end IPS monitor, then spend the rest of that money on gear.

DScience · Nov 18, 2009

I worked for apple for several years as a Campus Rep at a university I went to. I have owned two mac laptops and currently use the Macbook right before the pro came out, the 13'' aluminum. It's amazing!

That said, i've been building and overclocking PC's for years and I build computers that will smoke any mac alive. So it's a trade off. Do I want peak performance, with A LOT of instability and chaos, and downsides, and ugliness and....well yea whatever comes with Windows OS.

I would never ever want to OWN a PC laptop. I mean, I would only ever invest in a mac laptop because there is just a world of difference. If you go desktop, might consider PC.

The laptop will do, but if it's your only resource I would at least get a 15''. I edited for months on my 13'' macbook until the HD filled up and now use my OCed PC.