Brian

I know exactly what you are going after. You see, I was one of those kids…back in 1986. In reality, any rebel body 6MP or more is fine. I’ve bought stuff used from KEH.com and B&H Used Store. What you really should be looking at is the lens choices that the students will be using. I started with a Minolta X-370 and a 50mm f/1.7 Lens. (Yes, Minolta liked to be different, it was a 1.7 and not a 1.8 lens.) I’d recommend getting 35mm 1.8 or f/2.0 lenses, with the crop-factor that puts the FF equivalent to 56mm with Canon Crop Bodies. (Focal Lenght x 1.6). If any students are shooting with a Nikon Crop Body, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens Same thinking, different manufacture Also, having a flash for those low-light situations is also something that students need to learn. Oh, another thing that needs to be taught, is controlling DoF between f1.8-f/22, which makes a 50mm 1.8 Prime essential. (And I’m a Zoom Guy.) In todays world, kids can produce great photos in low-light with their phones, so it’s tough to purchase all the equipment that is needed to compete, especially if you are using old Rebels from a few years ago. As far as publishing, I’ve had things in yearbooks with a 50mm 1.8 lens, so it’s quite possible. It’s also really easy to be able to zoom and not think; if they only have access to kit zooms of the 18-55 Variable Aperture Class, since they are used to your L Glass, their results will be mixed. More-so than before. So to answer your question, any Rebel or Nikon D3000 (and above is fine.) I would recommend models that have a decent amount of Focus Points though. That might help things in the AF dept.

I’m so jealous, you can go up to 128GB of RAM. What I would do is purchase this Crucial 64GB RAM kit from B&H. Remove the existing RAM, install the Crucial RAM into the slots that the Apple RAM currently resides in, then move/install the Apple RAM to the current empty slots. When finished, you will have 72GB of RAM to play with. Big difference between 8GB and 72. Yes, you can install it yourself. It takes about 5 min or so. Lots of YouTube videos demonstrating the process.

I’m not a fan of Corsair Power Supplies. While they are very common, when they die it takes months for them to be replaced under warranty. Lots of unanswered emails…their customer service just sucks. The Video card choice is a bit “Meh” as well. You really want a MSI NVIDIA GTX 3070 8GB and those cards are going for $1500 all by themselves these days. Photoshop LOVES that card Even though that PC is close to $1500, it’s like a $500 PC a few years ago. Prices are still insane. Everything else is ok for the most part. In reality, your budget needs to be around the $2500 mark and getting the Video Card I recommend is tough. While things are “better,” COVID and the ships stuck off the coast of Los Angeles are still messing with supply and prices. Things are double / triple in cost than what they should be.

D850 Questions... Post in the Gear Talk section of Ask Brian. Color Checker... That's a Small Color Chart that software detects and then tries to make the best educated guess on what the colors, contrast and white-balance should be. It's not necessary. What is necessary is a set of physical test prints to compare your screen to. Not only in terms of color but overall brightness as well. The rest? It's just gadgets and gizmos for you to blow money on. Photography is full of them...all dedicated to "Take YOUR Photography to the NEXT LEVEL!!!" (*ahem* part with your hard-earned money. )

The first thing you need to do, is look for the Display Panel Type under the Technical Specifications. IT’S GOTTA BE IPS or In-Plane Switching. Why is this so important and why do I jump-up-and-down about it? IPS Screens ensure Color, Contrast, Clarity and Sharpness from edge to edge. Which is kinda important for editing photos. You also get a larger viewing angle of around 170°. Unfortunately, these display panel types are tough to find on laptops. Why? Because for the very reason you are wanting a laptop: Portability. TN screens or Twisted Nematic, and variations based on this panel type are great for video games, using your laptop in a coffee shop or airport, watching a movie on a plane, etc. etc.; basically, they are good for everything BUT photo-editing. They are also much cheaper to produce, so manufacturers tend to use them. Combine that with Photoshop’s requirement of a dedicated video GPU AND VIDEO RAM, meaning you don’t want the CPU and regular RAM being used by the video card. Why? Photoshop will complain and run like a slug. Things like liquify and content aware use the GPU in order to work now. And as PS gets more and more fancier tools, the more it will rely on the GPU and dedicated video memory. Why? Speed. For the very reason that Bitcoin Miners use lots of video cards to compline things to get crypto-currency, Photoshop uses a video GPU as a performance boost for their fancy tools.

Nope. See this? That is not a IPS-Based Display. That screen is good for gaming, not photo-editing. That said, it checks all the other boxes; though those dual graphics setups often confuse Photoshop. In order to use that Laptop for Photo-editing, you are using an external IPS Display and basically turning your Laptop into a Desktop.

Yeah, this is plausible. It sounds like you might have the wrong drivers installed. I'd un-do what you did and see if you can find older drivers. Just think, it's already broke. Nowhere to go but up from here. If you do find a solution, post it here, just in case if someone else has a similar problem.

Found this: https://support.wacom.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500006273501-Why-is-my-tablet-not-pairing-over-Bluetooth-or-not-showing-up-under-Bluetooth-settings-when-in-pairing-mode- ...and this: http://101.wacom.com/UserHelp/en/Wireless_ChangeConnection.htm Tablets have been Damien's thing. Personally, I've never used one. I'd try shutting off the Bluetooth in your Tablet first.

Yes. The cost about $30-ish. Here is a quick search on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=usb+to+m2+ssd+adapter&crid=230CLYJIRBE92&sprefix=usb+to+m2%2Caps%2C94&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_9 After your computer boots, then attach the USB Cable and your old drive should appear in "Computer." What drive letter, I couldn't tell you. It could be D or E, but you will see it. You might want to turn on "Show Hidden Files and Folders" just in case under the View Options. Then it's just a matter of digging through the folders on where your data is. I'd start in the "Users" Folder on that old drive and work your way down.

Find the latest version of your Video Drivers, download and install them. Windows is complaining that it can't find a program that's more than likely associated with your old profile. It happens. Yeah, you could fix it...but this is kinda a Brian fixes it thing. Like Damien does "Damien Only Edits." More trouble than it's worth over a forum. I'd personally just re-install your video drivers and controller software.

Here, buy this one: Dell XPS Special Edition You want 2 years of Dell Premium Support Of course, you can upgrade any item, like the CPU or RAM to 64GB; it all depends on how much money you want to spend. Now the next question I'm sure you will ask, "Do I need a faster CPU and 64GB?" You can never have enough Storage, RAM, CPU, Horsepower...Bigger-Better-Faster-More. Need 64GB? I'd recommend it. Especially if your camera has a lot of Megapixels. Like more than 45MP. OR if you are like my wife who always has 50+ Tabs open in Chrome, because... "They are ALL important!!" LMAO!! In 2022...I'd say 16GB is still the bare-minimum with 32GB really where you want to be for normal usage. 64GB is nice to have though. As far as CPU...sure if you can afford it, a Intel i9 won't hurt things. (The Middle Option for a few hundred more.) Again, it all depends on your budget. But trust me on that Video Card!

I don't trust Segate Drives. At all. Out of those three, I'd pick the SanDisk. This one has been on my Amazon Wishlist for quite some time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078STRHBX/?coliid=I2B8JPO02UWSG4&colid=IKOJW6U0I11M&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it I like the built in loop better than that fabric one.

Now putting in a 8TB in your old iMac is pushing it. But a 2TB? That was an upgrade option when you Mac was brand new. Thing with Apple is they like putting in minor stuff to make their hardware different. That's why you need the kit, we have to fool one of the proprietary sensors. Not a big deal, just something that we need to do.

2TB SSD Drive: Samsung EVO 870 2TB SSD Drive. You will also need one of these kits: OWC Hard Drive Upgrade Kit for iMac 27" That's what you need. One of each. Bottom Line: DO NOT PUT IN A TRADITIONAL SPINNING HD IN YOUR IMAC!! It's SSD or bust! It's 2021, almost 2022.

They are Bullshitting you. Here are the choices on the Apple Website: You see the 8TB storage with the letters "SSD" after it? Don't tell me that a SSD larger than 512GB doesn't exist!! I have a damn 1TB in this iMac that I'm typing this sentence on as of right now. F'ing Apple Genius Bar. I know for a fact, they aren't Geniuses, in ANY sense of the word. They probably don't have them in stock. Honestly? With such a Bone-headed statement like that, I'd cancel the appointment, find a local repair place that does iMac work and see if they can upgrade your HD. Bonus Points: See if they will allow you to bring in a Samsung SSD Drive for them to install. Granted, they won't warranty it, but at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have a decent HD.

There are none. Seriously. Apple Devices look better with Apple Displays. Unfortunately, there aren't any currently for sale less than $5000. "But Brian, I've seen some really nice 4K Displays..." Yep. Just wait until you hook it up to a Mac Mini and text looks blurry. It will not look like the Apple products you are used to. Here are my recommendations: I'd still buy an Intel-based iMac today myself.

Be forewarned, some older software / plug-ins might need to be upgraded if they are 32-Bit. Catalina killed all support for 32-bit software. It's 64-bit or bust! In addition, you will need to be running Adobe PS CC 2020 or 2021/2022 to work with Catalina. If you are still using CS6, PS flat-out WILL NOT WORK. Hell, I don't think it will install. Even though CS6 is 64-bit, the programing language that was used to create / compile the software is no longer supported in Catalina. So if you upgrade, you are upgrading your Photoshop as well if you haven't already. So with all things considered, this is a good time for a Fresh OS, Fresh Photoshop, etc.

You can still upgrade to Catalina, if you'd like. Do you know if you have any 32-bit Apps / Plug-ins? Well, things should be updated by now. High Sierra is getting a bit old at this point and if Apple can upgrade you to Catalina or Big Sur, now is the time to do it. I'd hold off on Monterey for now. Currently, I'm running the latest version of Catalina with Adobe PS CC. I'm expecting prices to moderate a little by the end of 2022, maybe 2023. Unfortunately, there will be a new reality; while the prices won't be triple as they are currently, we aren't going back to the cheap prices pre-2019. So that "$999 Special" might be closer to $1799 or $1999 in the near future. Granted, that's an easier pill to swallow than $4000, but still. 😐

Is this a Mac Monitor or a Windows Monitor? If it's a Mac, you may not be able to adjust anything. For a traditional / typical Windows Display, the slider to adjust brightness is in the Monitor's Control Panel on the monitor itself, it is NOT in the computer / OS. That's a Mac-way of thinking. Windows doesn't work that way. You are looking for something that doesn't exist.

Yes. Send it in. There are a couple of reasons: Prices are insanely high right now due to the chip shortage, so any extra life you can get out of your computer is worth it. You can not upgrade the HD yourself. RAM? Yes. That's easy to do and takes about 5-10 min. Hard Drive? Nope. You have to tear the whole damn iMac apart, starting with removing the screen then working your way down. It is VERY easy to do something stupid, like rip a cable off the board causing permanent damage if you aren't careful. Even I don't go inside my iMac. I'd get at least a 1TB SSD Drive, but since you are taking the time to upgrade it, might as well go ahead and get a 2TB SSD Drive, if you can afford it. People have a stupid love-affair when it comes to laptops. If you stayed Mac for the convenience, you are forking out A LOT of cash to get a "Mac Laptop that's good for photo editing..." Like $4200+ cash. If you went with a Windows Laptop, you will have to convert your files over to the Windows Format. When people go back-and-forth between the two worlds, Windows OR MacOS, they usually get bit and data gets lost. In my humble opinion, pick an Eco-system, MAC OR WINDOWS and stick with it. The problem is the prices of today. With COVID-19 and the chip shortage, unless you are prepared to spend $3000-$4000, you aren't getting a laptop for photo-editing. Yep, you read that correctly, I'm talking about Windows Laptops at the $3000+ price-point. For the first time in history, there is no difference in cost between a Mac or a Windows Computer. Well, a few hundred, but at the $3000+ price-point, it's not that big of a deal. Gone are the days of getting a computer for $999 that is going to be "Good Enough..." Prices are triple what they should be, maybe even more. My advice? I'd upgrade your iMac's HD, and then increase the RAM to 32GB yourself. What macOS are you running?

The difference is the interface type. CF cards are much bigger physically and the connector interface is way different. They are both Flash Based Media.

Yes, this is a SD card. The RescuePro Deluxe Software will work just fine. That said, you need to use a card reader in order to have the best shot at recovery. Do not use your camera to access the card.

Oh, one other thing, while the modular concept is tempting, it has been tried before. Unfortunately, none of these companies are still in business. So while it sounds like a good idea, the modular concept won’t do you any good if the company doesn’t stick around.

If it doesn’t have a dedicated graphics GPU with dedicated video memory, I don’t care how modular it is, Photoshop CC will not like it. Seriously. If you want to waste money, I take donations, I will put it to good use and spend it for you. if you want modular without problems, build your own PC and let go of the “Laptop” way of thinking. Or get one from some place that builds them, like Digital Storm. I know, portable, don’t have space, I prefer a laptop… I’ve heard them all. Laptops you get a good 4 years on the average if you buy it right. They are practically all crap today with planned obsolescence build right into them. Even fancy $4200 MacBook Pro Laptops.

DO NOT USE THE 15-PIN VGA PORT (aka D-SUB Port) with today's fancy flat-screens!!! VGA is analog and has been around since 1987. It was only meant for TUBE Displays up to about 20" or so. DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort are DIGITAL Connections. Meaning, think of VGA like an old VHS Tape. HDMI or DisplayPort, the two most common ports on new monitors today, as Blu-Ray DVDs on a High Def TV. So yes, the port choice DOES make a difference. HDMI / DisplayPort have better Contrast, Colors and are much Sharper overall. I've also found Digital Monitor Ports to be a bit brighter as well, probably due to a power upgrade in addition to video signal. There is a BIG difference between an Analog Display Port and a Digital one. As for the Difference between HDMI or DisplayPort? It's a wash, but I find that 4K Displays like DisplayPort better. Also, you can get all sorts of adapters with DisplayPort. You can buy a Display Port to HDMI, DisplayPort to DVI or even DisplayPort to VGA (Not recommended, again...avoid VGA in 2021.) That port is so versatile and the one I would use on my computer.