iMac Good Enough with a good monitor?

[Len Rothman]

My digital specialist is planning to work from home, rather than commute daily to my studio to save on gas.
Our files are from the 1DsMk2, and with layers are often 100Mb+ before we send them to the client.
We are now working on a MacPro 2.66Ghz with 7Gb RAM, using a LaCie 321, calibrated with the ColorEyes software and their X-rite puck and have had excellent results for what we do (Advertising photography).
We are considering a new or recently refurbished MacBook Pro or a new iMac and a good monitor, perhaps an NEC Spectravision II mentioned in another thread.
Will that be able to be calibrated from the MacBook Pro or iMac and can the MacBook or iMac handle the files we need for Photoshop work.
If not, would someone consider another configuration. Essentially, will we need a MacPro, like the one we have, or can most Photoshop work be done on the lesser models. We do not do a lot of intensive Photoshop work, mainly cleanup, sharpening, silhouetting, color correction, profiling, some retouching, background repair, etc. We are not into showing a 747 and 300 people landing on a wedding cake underwater…yet.
The software we would be using are Capture One Pro, Lightroom and Photoshop CS3
Thanks.
Len

[bob mccarthy]

My digital specialist is planning to work from home, rather than commute daily to my studio to save on gas.
Our files are from the 1DsMk2, and with layers are often 100Mb+ before we send them to the client.
We are now working on a MacPro 2.66Ghz with 7Gb RAM, using a LaCie 321, calibrated with the ColorEyes software and their X-rite puck and have had excellent results for what we do (Advertising photography).
We are considering a new or recently refurbished MacBook Pro or a new iMac and a good monitor, perhaps an NEC Spectravision II mentioned in another thread.
Will that be able to be calibrated from the MacBook Pro or iMac and can the MacBook or iMac handle the files we need for Photoshop work.
If not, would someone consider another configuration. Essentially, will we need a MacPro, like the one we have, or can most Photoshop work be done on the lesser models. We do not do a lot of intensive Photoshop work, mainly cleanup, sharpening, silhouetting, color correction, profiling, some retouching, background repair, etc. We are not into showing a 747 and 300 people landing on a wedding cake underwater…yet.
The software we would be using are Capture One Pro, Lightroom and Photoshop CS3
Thanks.
Len
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=203803\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

A imac with 4 gig of memory should work fine. The larger of the two screen sizes has a substancially better monitor. Whether it is up to your standard, you'll have to decide.

We use a mix of Mac Pro's and 24" Imac's around here but we're working on video, not stills 90% of the time. BTW, the new 8 cores are amazingly fast. Buy one for yourself and pass the 4 core on <G>.

bob

[Dansk]

The displays suck on the new imacs IMO. It fooled me when I previewed them at the Apple store so i bought one to use on my camera cart. Its fine for shooting but the display has a terrible gradient brightness problem and even with calibration it floats around in color. That said it has enough horsepower to run phase backs and 1ds systems tethered through Capture One without issue. I did max out the RAM 4gb which is low but it seems to run fine. I do proof resizing with CS3, and run a web browser, macmail, FTP client, itunes occasionally and Capture One all at once and it runs smooth so the hardware is up to snuff just the display that sucks.

[Len Rothman]

The displays suck on the new imacs IMO. It fooled me when I previewed them at the Apple store so i bought one to use on my camera cart. Its fine for shooting but the display has a terrible gradient brightness problem and even with calibration it floats around in color. That said it has enough horsepower to run phase backs and 1ds systems tethered through Capture One without issue. I did max out the RAM 4gb which is low but it seems to run fine. I do proof resizing with CS3, and run a web browser, macmail, FTP client, itunes occasionally and Capture One all at once and it runs smooth so the hardware is up to snuff just the display that sucks.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=203850\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Well, I did plan on getting a good monitor like the NEC or LACIE, and use the iMac monitor for tools, etc.
Since, however, I have to put the scratch disk on an external, and our files normally exceed 100+Mb in PS, I am concerned about horsepower. You are certainly in agreement with many others, including me, regarding Apple's monitors. We have a 24" Apple in the studio for capture, and it looks impressive to the clients (bright, etc), but for critical work you need sunglasses.
Len

[Len Rothman]

A imac with 4 gig of memory should work fine. The larger of the two screen sizes has a substancially better monitor. Whether it is up to your standard, you'll have to decide.

We use a mix of Mac Pro's and 24" Imac's around here but we're working on video, not stills 90% of the time. BTW, the new 8 cores are amazingly fast. Buy one for yourself and pass the 4 core on <G>.

bob
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=203834\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Is the 8 core that much faster for just still PS work, or would it just pay for video?

[jerryrock]

For processing power and versatility, the MacBook Pro is a better choice. I currently use a MacPro and sold my iMac to purchase a 15.4" MacBook Pro 2.5Ghz with 4 gigs of ram (2008 model).

The current line of iMacs have been cited for poor LCD panels and are difficult to calibrate/profile because of the tinted glass (glossy surface) covering the front of the unit.

The 2008 MacBook Pro and MacPro are currently the only Apple computers that can run Microsoft Vista 64 bit SP1, should you need to configure a dual boot system for those programs that do not have Mac counterparts. Vista64 can utilize all of the system ram and GPU power of the machine.

[bob mccarthy]

Is the 8 core that much faster for just still PS work, or would it just pay for video?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=203859\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

My rendering times were halved in Mac OS going to 8 core. When we switched to Vista (64) on the 8 core mac it halved again. This carbon/cocoa thing is killing me, I need native 64 apps!!!!

We're using Vista on 8 core mac's, seems silly, but works

Still, my quad cores are pretty darn fast, faster wouldn't make much of a difference with Photoshop. This assumed you load up the Mac with plenty of memory (we use 8 G min).

bob