Which MacBook Pro is best for photo editing?

Chipl95

Chipl95

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Hello all,

I'm starting a photography diploma in September and having a MacBook Pro is a requirement. The software the college uses is not compatible with Windows computers, which is a bummer. This brings me to my main question- which MacBook Pro will be best? Will the 13 inch model be powerful enough or will I have to get the 15 inch model? I can still get the 2015 model if I don't want the touch bar, and it also has more ports. The touch bar model only has the Thunderbolt ports, which would mean getting adapters for my cables and getting an SD card reader.

Thank you for your help.
 
15" would be better for a larger screen, but costs more, 13" more easily transportable - my daughter (not doing photography) uses 13" and it's perfect size - as do most of her class
 
You dont need power for photo editing, a 12” MacBook is more than man enough, you want a good screen and all recent MacBooks have those.
 
Wait. The mobile coffeelake cpu equivalent will be out end q3. 50% more cores and threads so 50% faster than the outgoing i7 model. 3x the processing power of the i5 models. A few perfect faster per core performance wise too.
 
andyred said:
15" would be better for a larger screen, but costs more, 13" more easily transportable - my daughter (not doing photography) uses 13" and it's perfect size - as do most of her class
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My Windows laptop has a 13 inch screen, which I love for the ease of transport. It's also a 2 in 1, which means I can use it as a tablet if I desire. If I was able to just use this computer, I would.

I hope I'll get enough for the 15 inch with my student loan. When I applied, the estimate said I could get a total of $11,600 Canadian dollars, with tuition costing $4,911 for the year.
 
Might be worth waiting until you start the course as the Apple Academic discount is worth having. Personally I use a 13" 2015 i7 MBP that happily runs Lightroom, Photoshop and FCP. I also have a i5 MPA that runs Lightroom and Photoshop just as happily, the only noticeable difference for most tasks is the screen.
 
Chipl95 said:
having a MacBook Pro is a requirement. The software the college uses is not compatible with Windows computers
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Thats strange and I would question it... what software are they using that isn't compatible with windows?

If it is absolutely needed look at a 15" model the smaller Retina screens are great but make some adjustments such as sharpening harder to judge...
 
PhilH04 said:
Thats strange and I would question it... what software are they using that isn't compatible with windows?

If it is absolutely needed look at a 15" model the smaller Retina screens are great but make some adjustments such as sharpening harder to judge...
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I'm going to send the program coordinator an email and ask exactly what software is being used. I spoke to a lady who works at the store I go to to develop my film who went to the same college for photography and she did say MacBooks are required. So it looks like I'll have to buy one.

As long as I get enough money with my student loan to buy it, I'm happy.
 
Contacting the program coordinator is a good idea. Confirm you do need a Mac and ask for the minimum spec. I can't think of any software that is Mac specific in the photography arena, unless you are going to do video, in which case Final Cut is . I would also wait before buying. the WWDC ( Apples developer conference ) is planned for around mid June ( according to rumours) It's usually here announcements about new Mac's is made. So you could pick up a bargain of a current machine once new ones are announced. Plus Apple offer discounts to students at the start of the academic year ( usually) .
 
You will find really good deals through the academic institution, so don't rush until you have checked them out.

Sometimes they will have to be ordered via the educational institution email address with your student number/code or their website direct and delivered to them, which is done to ensure that they are genuine academic orders. (there are other ways too, but you need signed paperwork from your department head etc)

My i7 MBP ordered this way is 15" and has performed admirably. Handles PScc, and Capture One well. You can get academic discounts on most software too, so listen carefully to your tutor who should be aware of all the deals they may have set up. You may even be able to log onto the academic institution's own licensed software and use that when logged in.

Smaller than a 15" is lighter and more mobile but compromises the image and for editing and all things photographic, you want the best screen possible.

If on a budget, you can even create your own screen 'hood' as seen on Eizo's and other top of the range kit. Black mount-board or black correx will eliminate external stray light on the screen, but is probably not necessary at entry level. You could wait for the next CPU iteration, but it might be better to get some hands on experience in advance, as there will be a lot to learn and a new CPU configuration is unlikely to help the price. The stuff you will be doing is unlikely to be cutting edge and at least if you are more practiced in its use ahead of the time, things will be more comfortable.

(Theres always a 'new' version coming with all electronic goods and photography equipment). But there will be a lot of advice available on existing kit and why do you want to be a 'real world tester' as it is usually a while until such new things settle down.
 
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Yes, talk to the College rather than taking what a former student understood. Many of the software packages in use are available in both Windows or Mac flavours, with some exceptions that are unique to one platform. Once you have an academic email address you are entitled to educational discounts that that place of learning has access to - educational pricing on laptops and Apple products, and access to software which may be free or significantly discounted for use whilst you are a student.

My MacBook is a 15" one I bought in 2013. Its still fast enough to handle extensive photoshop tasks, although I have upgraded the memory to max and fitted an SSD. The only think it hasn't got is a retina screen. Many modern MacBooks can't have memory extended afterwards.
 
Chipl95 said:
The touch bar model only has the Thunderbolt ports, which would mean getting adapters for my cables and getting an SD card reader.
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Don’t get too hung up on having only USB-C ports. Most cases you can replace the whole cable and ultimately having 4 ports you can plug anything into is better (at least IMO) than having a mix. USB B (standard or mini) to USB C cables are around £6 - £8 each on Amazon.

I won’t try to defend Apple for dropping the SD Card reader though.
 
Update- I went to the college open house yesterday and went on the tour of the photography studio and processing lab. While I was there I spoke to the coordinator and he confirmed that the MacBook Pro is a requirement because the servers used in this program are all Mac servers. He said any MacBook Pro made in the last two years will meet the requirements, so screen size and if I want a touch bar are both personal preference. If I can afford to, I want to get a 15 inch with a touch bar and upgraded RAM.

I also learned that I have access to 7 million dollars worth of equipment that I can sign out anytime I want to.
 
Chipl95 said:
Update- I went to the college open house yesterday and went on the tour of the photography studio and processing lab. While I was there I spoke to the coordinator and he confirmed that the MacBook Pro is a requirement because the servers used in this program are all Mac servers. He said any MacBook Pro made in the last two years will meet the requirements, so screen size and if I want a touch bar are both personal preference. If I can afford to, I want to get a 15 inch with a touch bar and upgraded RAM.

I also learned that I have access to 7 million dollars worth of equipment that I can sign out anytime I want to.
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Somewhat interesting response from the coordinator! I thought Mac servers (in a true sense of the term) were a thing of the past, let alone a scenario where you are required to provide your own device to connect to the college’s network servers.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doubting it, just surprised!
 
Neilc28 said:
Somewhat interesting response from the coordinator! I thought Mac servers (in a true sense of the term) were a thing of the past, let alone a scenario where you are required to provide your own device to connect to the college’s network servers.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doubting it, just surprised!
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You should doubt it’s nonsense
 
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