Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: ZagatoV12 on December 19, 2010, 04:19:08 am

Title: Leica M9 and the Apple MacBook Air
Post by: ZagatoV12 on December 19, 2010, 04:19:08 am
Hi There,

In an attempt to 'lighten' my load on photography trips I've invested in a Leica M9 and a new Apple MacBook Air as a field laptop. I find the combination very liberating and my back is grateful beyond words  :)

If anyone would like to explore this idea some more and save themselves some backache, I've put together a brief review of the 2lb 11" MacBook Air at the following link:-
http://www.theintuitivelens.com/equipment-reviews/11-inch-macbook-air-and-leica-m9-perfect-partners/

Does anyone else have any experiences they would like to share in their attempts to travel light?

Cheers

Mike
Title: Re: Leica M9 and the Apple MacBook Air
Post by: John Camp on December 19, 2010, 02:05:58 pm
I have the last model Mac Air. I looked at the new models, and though they are faster, haven't bought one because the upgrade doesn't seem important enough. (I only use mine for text-based work, and web browsing, with some peeking at photographs, while traveling.) One thing to keep in mind about traveling with a Mac Air is that while they are very small and light, you also have to take the power supply and cord, which are not small and light. I'd say that the Mac Air's power supply is one of the larger and heavier ones on the market. I have purchased a special nylon bag in which to carry mine, because of the size and the tangle potential. To keep the Mac Air small, Apple also has somewhat crippled it in terms of extensions. Mine (the older version) has only one USB port. The new one has two -- but I've seen reviews that say the two ports are so close together that they will not accept some brands of thumb drives side-by-side, because the drives are too wide. What this means in practice, for me, with my older version, is that I have to carry a USB port extender, which is even more "stuff." I have Photoshop on mine (CS4) but never use it, because the screen isn't good enough and processing is slow. I also have Lightroom, which I do use on it, and Lightroom seems to me much more compatible with this small computer, though, of course, the function is much more limited. The best use of the Air, IMHO, is as a web browser while traveling, and possibly for photo storage. But if you're involved in photography, you'll need another computer. The higher-end MacBook Pros can serve both as travel computers and as powerful desktop-replacements, but they weigh about three times as much, and traveling with them is just that much more weight. I have found that use of a lightweight roll-aboard makes a considerable difference in moving the weight around, if you primarily travel to places with hard surfaces -- airports, downtown hotels, etc.
Title: Re: Leica M9 and the Apple MacBook Air
Post by: jasonrandolph on December 21, 2010, 04:43:54 pm
One quick correction, John.  The new Air has one USB port on each side, so "crowding" is not an issue.
Title: Re: Leica M9 and the Apple MacBook Air
Post by: ZagatoV12 on December 23, 2010, 05:00:19 am
Yes, I can see what you are saying about the first version of the MBA. The newer model is much better. Also the power supply is much smaller than you think. It isn't the same size as for the other MacBooks and it's easily tucked away in the bag. :) If you read my article you can see that I was trying to balance weight, performance, size and battery life and, all in all, I still think it's a winning combination, though, of course, not perfect. I agree on the roll-aboard though - wouldn't leave home without it!