mark_thompson9

<p>Hi Marc</p> <p>Thank you for the reply. My apologies in the lateness in getting back :-) I currently use Windows 8.1 64 bit and my processor is i52000u and runs at 2.2ghz. I have 8GB ram. Quite literally no idea what a 'scratch' drive is. I have two 500gb HDDs. I install everything on the C and use D for storage including all of my photos.</p> <p>The PC that I have is 'fine' for what I want to do but I want / need a PC that is dedicated to the job and on which I will keep all business / photography type things. I've taken on board what people have said here (Wouter especially) and have thought about my needs. I borrowed a Macbook Pro from someone (screen too small and system too expensive) and I've also done the laptop vs desktop comparison. Ideally a laptop with a good monitor is the way to go I've decided. And so with all that in mind I found <a href="http://www.mytoshiba.com.au/products/computers/satellite/p50/pspt2a-002001/specifications">this PC</a>.</p> <p>It's on a great special at the moment and I'll go and drop my money on it tomorrow depending on the feedback I get... so, with that in mind, is it good enough for the job? Twice as much RAM as I have, a 256gb SSD and an i7 processor. Am I right in saying that I add a decent external HDD through USB 3.0 and a good monitor and I'll be set?</p>

<p>Hi Craig<br> <br />Thanks for the response. I'll look into the i7 vs i5 debate but as I understand it - and as someone said above - it's not quite that simple I don't think. I'm aware that my current computer WILL work with LR but I want a dedicated PC for it, especially if becomes a business which I hope it will be.<br /><br /><br />I want it customised for the job and I will certainly have a look at Dell. When I looked at Dell earlier in the day I couldn't find a section where it allowed me to customise. Maybe this feature isn't available in Australia?</p>

<p>Thanks again for that.</p> <p>You've sort of confirmed what I was thinking for Macs really. I don't like the idea of a 2 in 1 either. And a Mac Pro is just waaaay out of my budget. There's something about a Mac Mini that doesn't sit well and I don't want a laptop so all in all, I've already ruled it out but would've reconsidered if there had been compelling reasons.</p> <p>So I've taken all of your advice on board and I can't seem to find any OEM systems that do the job that come for the same price that I can custom build one for. As you say what I want can't possibly be out of the mainstream but whenever I look for specs that match what's mentioned above I get quotes of $2,000+ from the likes of Dell. Whether I'd just, as they say, looking for love in all the wrong places I don't know!</p> <p>I'll keep searching.</p>

<p>Hi Barry</p> <p>Thank you for the feedback. I should probably clarify with what I mean. I'm an experienced computer user and I've done things like add RAM etc before. I'm comfortable opening a PC up and I know what goes where. I've just been out of the game for a VERY long time and the technical specs of processors and the like are a bit of a minefield to me so what's been provided here is very reassuring.</p> <p>I was also under the impression that a custom built PC for the specific job would be a better way to go than off the shelf as that's generic. I will certainly have another look around for off the shelf and see what I can dig up. Any recommendations would be very much appreciated :)</p>

<p>I've just gone through and added all of these components to a well known Australian components shop and it's come in at $1,384 without delivery! I realised that I also have to add a wireless network card and once that's it it'll come out at nearly bang on the $1,500 budget.<br> <br /><br />If you lived closer I would be taking you out for beer, good sir!</p>

<p>Thank you Jos, thank you Wouter.<br> You have both helped enormously and I feel so much more confident in going forwards now. I understand a lot more and it also allows me to do more research as initially the more I read the more confused I got. This has put me into a place of knowing and I really do appreciate the assistance. What a great forum this is.<br> I just have one more question... how would this set up compare to the entry level imac? I'm not fussy about brand and I could easier learn a new system and well, they just look cool ;-) I know the specs aren't the same and Macs are <em>generally</em> more reliable but is it worth it? I'm not asking for a Mac Vs PC debate but I'm just interested in the best bang for buck.<br> Also, not in the US... Australian dollars - so worth even less!</p>

<p>Hi everyone<br> The reason I've put this into the beginner section is that I don't really know too much about computers. I know how to operate a Windows PC and I'm just learning Lightroom and Photoshop. The problem is that my current computer is not quite cutting it. It's an i5 processor with 8 GB ram and 2x 500gb hard drives. It's adequate but not spectacular and I find myself putting off editing batches of photos because it's just a little laggy in doing what I need.</p> <p>So with that in mind I need a new PC - I need a desktop PC including monitor / keyboard / mouse etc. My budget is approximately $1,000 although I could probably stretch that to $1,500 if it was going to get me so much more. I understand I need an i5 (or equivalent) at least 16gb ram and at least one SSD?</p> <p>Aside from that I'm fondling around in the dark of the web and not really getting anywhere. I know not to buy straight off the shelf (Mac aside) so I'm obviously going to have to go either custom build - either by doing it myself or paying someone else to do it. Labour will take away some of the budget available for parts so I'm really hoping to do it myself if I can source the relevant parts. I don't imagine it's too difficult if I have all the pieces in front of me.</p> <p>The problem is that when I look online at custom building PC sites I'm presented with such a list of options that I get terrified of ordering the wrong things and wasting my precious budget. So some general guidance on actual pieces of hardware to purchase and what's essential and what's not would be most ideal. As I understand it, key components:</p> <p>- RAM (at least 16gb) - Is there different types of RAM?!<br />- Processor - I know there's Intel i3-i5-i7 but I have no idea what the AMD equivalents are and I know that even some i5's are better than others for example. I've read good things about AMD for those on a budget but what exactly am I looking at and what should I be paying?<br />- Hard drive / optical drive - What's the difference? How I know what to purchase and what's the best way to set up for Lightroom use?<br />- Graphics card - No idea on this one. I know it's not super important but still no idea if I can just chuck the cheapest in there or not?<br />- Case / Keyboard / Mouse / Monitor / Cooling Fans etc, etc - what else do I need and do these things matter?<br /><br /><br> Any help would be so appreciated.</p>

<p>Hi all<br> <br />My name is Mark and I currently reside in Australia although originally from England. I've recently made the decision to try and go professional. I've been at this for a while although for a few years it's been a 'snap and see' type scenario rather than a definite aim at anything specific. I've shot in jpeg until very recently and right now I'm trying to figure out the best work flow and combination of applications to do the job.</p> <p>I've been asked to shoot a Wedding in about six months time so I'm eager to learn more about portraiture as well as how to make sure I get the results I'm after more often than not. I shoot with a Nikon D90 and have four lenses, all Nikkor. 18-105mm, 70-300mm, and a 40mm macro prime and a 50mm.</p> <p>What I hope to gain from membership to this site is knowledge (already frightened by how many terms I don't understand!), inspiration (already intimidated by the vast number of quality photographs here!) and friendship. Most of all I hope to connect with others just starting out on the professional journey - I started a blog which sort of charts my progress and I hope one day will act as a bit of portfolio. I'd love to get the URLs of other bloggers who are attempting this. People who have questions, experiment daily and find that conversing with others in a similar position helps to increase confidence.</p> <p>My site at the moment is <a href="http://longroadphotography.wordpress.com">Long Road Photography</a>.</p> <p>I really look forward to getting to know people here.</p> <p>(Oh and since this is a photography forum, here are my two most recent shots. I could've found my 'best' but I guess this is all about snapshotting where I am at this particular moment.</p> <p><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/414/19361529873_7433ce96a5_b.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/529/19904597192_290e1f07ac_c.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Best of luck.<br> I think I can relate a little as I remember trying to make this choice when I started not too long ago. I found that the more I read the more confused I became and the more stressed it made me about making the 'wrong' choice. In the end I went for a Nikon D90 with a couple of lens' (I made the mistake of thinking that purchasing a 300mm would suddenly make me the world's best wildlife photographer - oh how naive I was!)<br> It's great that you have an idea of what you wish to work towards as this makes it a lot simpler. When I started out I didn't know what I enjoyed taking photos of and so my shots were very hit and miss. I obviously had strong areas but these weren't necessarily what I enjoying shooting - I found out after some experimentation.<br> As someone else has said, composition is everything and the basics will get you far. Once you have that knack down you'll develop your own tastes and once you nail that one shot you'll find a spark that'll make you just want to shoot and shoot.</p>

<p>I'm in the same place. I've been taking photos for a few years and I'm had some (very) limited success but now I'm trying to step it up a notch. I've gone from shooting jpeg to shooting RAW and I've downloaded trials of Lightroom, Photoshop (excellent value at $10 p/m sub if I feel I can get to grips with it) as well as Capture NX2 which is a more advanced version of View NX.<br /><br />So far I've found Capture NX2 to be a really great place to start. The only reason I'm thinking of ditching it is cost vs use. If I want to eventually become a full time professional - which is my aim - then I want to start how to I plan to continue so Lightroom and PS seem the logical (if difficult and frustrating) choice for me. Capture NX2 seems an extra expense that I just don't need if I'm getting LR and PS.<br> But if you're just starting out and not thinking of all the bells and whistles then give Capture NX2 a go. It's helped me enormously in overcoming the newbie mistake of 'Up saturation!' and blast people which is a trap I quickly fell into. Lots of likes on Flickr didn't really help me in that regard.<br> With that being said, if you're shooting in jpeg you can also consider some of the free online tools such as picmonkey and ipiccy which were good to me also for a while.</p>