brought new iMac 21.5 4k

[dazzlers82]

Hi all just brought the above iMac was wondering do you guys think it will be sufficient for what i do.

I'm relatively new to photography so not editing thousands of pics a day, but i do use lightroom an photoshop but again I'm new to them too.
i kept the 8gb ram and 1tb storage an it has the 3.1 ghz i5 processor. Is this good enough for photography?? i was using a samsung r710 laptop before with LR an PS an was a bit slow.

 

[neil_g]

Hi all just brought the above iMac

sorry to hear that.

I'm relatively new to photography so not editing thousands of pics a day, but i do use lightroom an photoshop but again I'm new to them too.
i kept the 8gb ram and 1tb storage an it has the 3.1 ghz i5 processor. Is this good enough for photography?? i was using a samsung r710 laptop before with LR an PS an was a bit slow.

serious answer- it should do fine.

 

[dazzlers82]

thanks neil

 

[Kodiak Qc]

•
MACs are natively built to use multimedia applications rather than documents.
So any MAC should be well capable to support your ambitions at this point even
the mini! As you will progress, you will be able to determine what to upgrade… but
configured as it is, I think you're ready to go.

 

[dazzlers82]

i ask cos i keep reading people saying upgrade to 16gb etc etc but i thought by the time I'm ready for that ill want a new iMac anyway lol

 

[davidy233]

It's plenty good enough for photography, I edit photos and video every week on a 2013 iMac with 2.9GHz processor 8gb of RAM and a 1tb drive - more RAM will speed it up but it will run Lightroom and Photoshop at same time no bother

 

[neil_g]

•
MACs are natively built to use multimedia applications rather than documents..

maybe in the old days but not so much now. unless youre running something OSX specific like Final Cut.

same underlying hardware as any other PC.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

…i ask cos i keep reading people saying…l

•
For sure, some of these people did make the experience of insufficient performance
but one has to be working with videos, batch processing, complex imaging or else.

I rather guide my mentorees and students toward higher photo gear since those,
with MACs, like I, have great machines but entry level bodies!

 

[Kodiak Qc]

…maybe in the old days but not so much now….

You're right… ;-)

 

[neil_g]

Right… ;-)

yes it is.

if you think an apple machine has any magic hardware in it compared to any off the shelf hardware then you'd be mistaken.

 

[dazzlers82]

Thanks for all the replays guys makes me feel better lol, Kodiac I'm still new to photography I use a 70d body with tamron 150-600 lens, that's the best I have

 

[Kodiak Qc]

Thanks for all the replays guys makes me feel better lol, Kodiac I'm still new to photography I use a 70d body with tamron 150-600 lens, that's the best I have

I am of the opinion that your MAC is the best you have because it
will last you and support your progression much longer than the body

 

[ancient_mariner]

I am of the opinion that your MAC is the best you have because it
will last you and support your progression much longer than the body

Interesting. I'd expect a camera to be good and useful long after a computer either fails or (more likely) becomes obsolete. I'm not tied to any particular system BTW - own a Macbook and Dell, use windows, OSX and Linux quite happily - and haven't noticed photo software running better on either platform. If your computer has 8GB RAM and an i5 then the OS doesn't matter for Lightroom, Perfect photo suite etc. Something to be aware of with Macs is that, unlike most windows PCs, upgrading components can sometimes be impossible because stuff like memory and storage is soldered to the motherboard.

But if you're enjoying the Mac and using it encourages you to take and process more images then it was the right move for you.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

I'd expect a camera to be good and useful long after a computer…

My observation is relevant to the faster progress usually accomplished
by beginners in terms of photography as they will learn more and faster
there before they have to upgrade their hardware… PC or MAC!

 

[dinorock]

Is this good enough for photography?

bit late asking AFTER you bought it just messing yeah it will be fine.

 

[ancient_mariner]

My observation is relevant to the faster progress usually accomplished
by beginners in terms of photography as they will learn more and faster
there before they have to upgrade their hardware… PC or MAC!

Not sure I understand what you mean.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

Not sure I understand what you mean.

…they usually "outgrow" the camera before their machine!

 

[Merluza]

The good news is the machine will serve you very well for many years. The, possible, bad news is that you can't upgrade the 21.5, you need to specify the RAM you want before you buy, the 27" is a different matter. However I'm sure you'll find 8Gb is plenty.

 

[dazzlers82]

cheers guys i was tempted by the 27 but just haven't got the room to put it anywhere, but at some point i will end up with a spare room so by then it will be about time for whatever is new/better at the time.

 

[Dannyj1984]

You can upgrade the ram it's just not easy so apple don't give you instructions on how to do it. You can always get it done by a professional though if you like. I'd also consider a solid state hard drive and then use an external hard drive to store all your photos to work on. Keep the ssd as uncluttered as possible

 

[shreds]

You can upgrade the ram it's just not easy so apple don't give you instructions on how to do it. You can always get it done by a professional though if you like. I'd also consider a solid state hard drive and then use an external hard drive to store all your photos to work on. Keep the ssd as uncluttered as possible

 

[Andy Taylor]

You can upgrade the ram it's just not easy so apple don't give you instructions on how to do it. You can always get it done by a professional though if you like. I'd also consider a solid state hard drive and then use an external hard drive to store all your photos to work on. Keep the ssd as uncluttered as possible

You cannot upgrade the RAM on the latest 21.5" iMacs. The RAM is soldered on the logic board. You have to specify any additional RAM when ordering.

The previous generation 21.5" machines have replaceable RAM, but to do so, you first have to remove the logic board.

 

[IanAshworth]

You cannot upgrade the RAM on the latest 21.5" iMacs. The RAM is soldered on the logic board. You have to specify any additional RAM when ordering.

Didn't know that. Apple really have got everything sewn up (soldered on) to make the most £££ per purchase.

 

[neil_g]

You cannot upgrade the RAM on the latest 21.5" iMacs. The RAM is soldered on the logic board. You have to specify any additional RAM when ordering.

what he said.

for the avoidance of any doubt, step 8 shows the ram soldered to the board:

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+4K+Display+Teardown/51098

Key points:

iMac Intel 21.5" Retina 4K Display Repairability Score: 1 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)

• Cutting the tape to open the iMac isn't too hard (with the right tools), but it must then be replaced to complete any repair.
  
  
• The RAM is still soldered to the logic board—you're stuck with what you bought.
  
  
• The Fusion Drive connector is missing from the logic board, killing all hope of storage hacking.
  
  
• The CPU is soldered to the logic board, and cannot be replaced or upgraded.
  
  
• The glass and Retina Display are fused together, increasing the cost of replacement.
  

 

[Andy Taylor]

Didn't know that. Apple really have got everything sewn up (soldered on) to make the most £££ per purchase.

It saves them money but should be more reliable. The downside is that a faulty RAM chip means replacing the entire logic board.

 

[Dannyj1984]

On the Apple website it has an asterix next to the 2012-2014 21.5 inch model and says Not user removable, memory replacement must be done by a Apple store or authorised service provider.

So I am guessing you can upgrade but they will probably charge you and arm and a leg to do this. Ive just upgraded my memory on my MBP to 16gb (apple specify max of 8gb on their site) They charge £160 pound to upgrade to 16GB but the RAM cost me £64 from Crucial. So they charge £100 to take 10 screws out, unclip the old RAM and put the new one in, then replace 10 screws. Kind of p***es you off when you are spending £1k+ on the MacBook in the first place!

 

[neil_g]

I'm sure they can but it'd mean a new logic board at god knows how much.

 

[Dannyj1984]

fair enough ") I guess they want everyone to buy the 27" iMac, which is annoying as I don't need something that big lol. But I suppose the 5k screen will be future proof a little. We are thinking of getting another so we aren't sharing Can't decide between a 15" MBP or the 27" iMac. 15% student discount is attractive

 

[neil_g]

If it was me (and windowsmachines aside).. Macbook pro and a 27" dell ultrasharp ips.

 

[Andy Taylor]

On the Apple website it has an asterix next to the 2012-2014 21.5 inch model and says Not user removable, memory replacement must be done by a Apple store or authorised service provider.

So I am guessing you can upgrade but they will probably charge you and arm and a leg to do this. Ive just upgraded my memory on my MBP to 16gb (apple specify max of 8gb on their site) They charge £160 pound to upgrade to 16GB but the RAM cost me £64 from Crucial. So they charge £100 to take 10 screws out, unclip the old RAM and put the new one in, then replace 10 screws. Kind of p***es you off when you are spending £1k+ on the MacBook in the first place!

It isn't quite as simple as 10 screws - here's the iFixit guide:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2544+RAM+Replacement/16601

In addition to the RAM, you'll need some replacement foam adhesive strips to stick the screen back on.

Apple will only install RAM that is purchased from them and they don't sell suitable RAM for the 21.5" 2012-14 machines. A reseller may do the upgrade, but it really isn't worth the effort.

 

[Dannyj1984]

Sorry Andy I was talking about upgrading the RAM on my Macbook pro were it is literally taking the screws out, the back off, unclipping the old RAM and installing the new stuff. I agree it isn't worth all the hassle to try and replace RAM on an iMac.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Sorry Andy I was talking about upgrading the RAM on my Macbook pro were it is literally taking the screws out, the back off, unclipping the old RAM and installing the new stuff. I agree it isn't worth all the hassle to try and replace RAM on an iMac.

You could do that on the old design MBPs, but not the recent designs which have the memory soldered to the mainboard. Lack of user upgrades was what prevented me buying a new Macbook.

 

[Dannyj1984]

Ah that's sucks!! I knew macs used to be awful for updating hence me always building my own pc. I thought they had become a little more user friendly
I think it will be the 27 inch iMac then

 

[ancient_mariner]

Ah that's sucks!! I knew macs used to be awful for updating hence me always building my own pc. I thought they had become a little more user friendly
I think it will be the 27 inch iMac then

I would personally recommend a Mac Mini + decent quality non-Apple monitor, so that when one needs to be retired you don't end up junking the entire outfit.