Author Topic: Photography laptop (Read 5403 times)

zpyder · **on:** August 18, 2015, 15:28:06 PM

Photography laptop

on: August 18, 2015, 15:28:06 PM

Wasn't sure if this should go here on in photography.

I know laptops are pretty rubbish for photography stuff, crap screens etc.

But say you were in a situation where a desktop with a decent monitor is out of the question. What would you choose for a laptop? Something with a good screen (good viewing angles, contrast and colour rendition) but also able to process large full frame SLR images? Anything come to mind?

Eggtastico · **Reply #1 on:** August 18, 2015, 19:19:53 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #1 on: August 18, 2015, 19:19:53 PM

macbook

Clock'd 0Ne · **Reply #2 on:** August 18, 2015, 20:07:25 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #2 on: August 18, 2015, 20:07:25 PM

A Macbook is pretty much the best option, unless you can find a high-end laptop with similar quality of screen.

XEntity · **Reply #3 on:** August 18, 2015, 23:11:55 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #3 on: August 18, 2015, 23:11:55 PM

Mac book or find something with an IPS screen, you'll pretty much want 17 inch screen as well anything smaller can make Lightroom or photoshop a little fiddly...

zpyder · **Reply #4 on:** August 19, 2015, 09:28:29 AM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #4 on: August 19, 2015, 09:28:29 AM

Macbook is out of the question as all my software licences are windows based...unless you can transfer them...

At the moment work has given me an Alienware laptop that has been pretty great, though the colour rendition was a little on the cool side.

Reason for asking is, at some point in the next 6 months or so we'll be packing up and moving to NZ. So I'll be needing to have my own laptop for a while before we're settled and I can sort out my desktop.

Budget will likely factor in too!

Eggtastico · **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2015, 17:21:35 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #5 on: August 19, 2015, 17:21:35 PM

Quote from: zpyder on August 19, 2015, 09:28:29 AM

Macbook is out of the question as all my software licences are windows based...unless you can transfer them...

At the moment work has given me an Alienware laptop that has been pretty great, though the colour rendition was a little on the cool side.

Reason for asking is, at some point in the next 6 months or so we'll be packing up and moving to NZ. So I'll be needing to have my own laptop for a while before we're settled and I can sort out my desktop.

Budget will likely factor in too!

you can install windows on a macbook if needs be.

knighty · **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2015, 00:26:42 AM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #6 on: August 21, 2015, 00:26:42 AM

seams a bit drastic to swap to a mac just for photography (most of which I guess is just hobby stuff?)

dell outlet has some real bargains

http://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/InventorySearch.aspx?brandId=7&c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh

I've bought a few from there for people, dell reliability and warranty is top notch, plus the outlet prices are always surprisingly good I find

Serious · **Reply #7 on:** August 23, 2015, 11:03:32 AM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #7 on: August 23, 2015, 11:03:32 AM

Any laptop with a large high resolution screen should fit the bill. Most processors are fast enough to handle processing pictures and far more.

The only issue is if you will be carrying it around a lot. If so then weight may be an issue too. carrying a huge laptop 'in the field' with other equipment won't be nice. Having to move it every day would quickly become a chore.

Clock'd 0Ne · **Reply #8 on:** August 23, 2015, 12:08:47 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #8 on: August 23, 2015, 12:08:47 PM

Quality of color reproduction, gamma, etc are far more important than resolution for photography.

Dave · **Reply #9 on:** August 24, 2015, 21:41:33 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #9 on: August 24, 2015, 21:41:33 PM

Quote from: knighty on August 21, 2015, 00:26:42 AM

seams a bit drastic to swap to a mac just for photography (most of which I guess is just hobby stuff?)

dell outlet has some real bargains

http://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/InventorySearch.aspx?brandId=7&c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh

I've bought a few from there for people, dell reliability and warranty is top notch, plus the outlet prices are always surprisingly good I find

actually that is quite a good idea, am tempted to get one myself - starting uni in a few weeks and have quit my job/handed in my dell laptop to work... all I have is a battered 6 year old macbook + my desktop PC

Serious · **Reply #10 on:** August 25, 2015, 11:16:18 AM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #10 on: August 25, 2015, 11:16:18 AM

If you have the available space then a few laptops can now power a 4K external screen, wall mounted these don't take up much space so worth considering as an option.

zpyder · **Reply #11 on:** November 10, 2015, 19:11:11 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #11 on: November 10, 2015, 19:11:11 PM

Budget wise I guess I can't justify more than £1000, ideally more like 800...max.

With that in mind I've seen these two brand offerings, which seem half decent, reviews suggest that though the dell specs on paper sound good, performance is lacklustre compared to the acer...

http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/series/aspirevnitro

http://www.dell.com/uk/p/inspiron-15-7548-laptop/pd

Both IPS screens, with decent storage.

knighty · **Reply #12 on:** November 10, 2015, 23:04:03 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #12 on: November 10, 2015, 23:04:03 PM

honestly, spend £350, get something with a decent i5 chip in it and 8gig of ram.... an SSD if you want it to be quick

you'll hardly notice the difference, and you'll save £450

plus... those £1000 laptops will be £450 in a year so buy one then and you'll have 2 for the price of 1

zpyder · **Reply #13 on:** November 11, 2015, 10:30:59 AM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #13 on: November 11, 2015, 10:30:59 AM

If I were to do that I might as well keep my 5 year old toshiba. It's got an i7 and about 12gb of ram

Addmittedly the i7 is pretty pants and was a learning experience that fewer, more powerful cores is better than more but slower cores. It's pretty sluggish and has a terrible 1300x screen. And the battery lasts 10 mins. And it's a new replacement battery :|

I'm hoping that those £800 laptops might be £700 or less in a month or so around xmas...

knighty · **Reply #14 on:** November 11, 2015, 13:17:23 PM

Re: Photography laptop

Reply #14 on: November 11, 2015, 13:17:23 PM

format the one you have... does it have an SSD ? ssd for £60 in it and you're sorted

if you get a new one it'll be just as slow as the one you have once once you've installed everything you need etc.

News:

Author Topic: Photography laptop (Read 5403 times)