Brian

The Graphics Card / Video Card. Believe it or not, that is more important than the CPU speed with the current versions of Photoshop. You want to have a NVIDIA Card with 8GB or 16GB of dedicated Video Memory. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB of Video Memory is one of the cards that Photoshop loves to work with. Good luck finding one. Even more luck finding one that is less than $1500. COVID19 / Chip Shortage had really drove up prices. The reason that Photoshop needs to have a beefy video card is due to the fancy tools that are in today's Photoshop. Things like Content Aware, Liquefy, Lens Corrections, things like that...all of them primarily use the GPU and Video Memory. Which is why you want at least 8GB going forward. Also, things like Topaz Software also can be told to use the Video GPU and there is a noticeable difference in terms of performance with those software packages. For today's PC: i7 or i9 CPU 32GB RAM (Minimum) 64GB (Preferred) - This is especially true if you have or are thinking about getting a High Mega-Pixel Camera, such as a Nikon D850. 100MB Raw files can be a bit of a hassle with 32GB or less RAM. 1TB Main HD / Boot HD. If it's m.2 or SSD, doesn't matter, you want at least 1TB. Of course, you could get a 2TB model, but that drives up the cost. Power Supply to support not only the components / motherboard, but the video card. If you do get a NVIDIA 3070 or something faster, you will need a P/S to power it. 850 Watts is a good number to shoot for, though you may get away with a little less, like 700 Watts.

Regardless if it's a Mini or not. A M1 or M2 chip is still a M1 or M2. It's your money, if you have your heart set on the 24" M1 or whatever, so be it. Personally I wouldn't buy one right now. Again, if you do...MAX OUT THAT SUCKER. I personally would purchase a tricked out 27" Intel-based iMac if I had the money (and need) to buy a new Mac right now.

Apple is now releasing the M2 chip. Honestly? I'd hold off right now with the M1 or M2 Mac Chips. While interesting, we have enough issues with Photoshop as it is, and now you want to throw in new Architecture into the mix? If I had to buy a iMac right now, I'd start with the $2399 iMac and go configure things. Click on the "Quick and Dirty" configurations link in the above comment. Pay attention to this: If it was me, and my money, I'd stick with the Intel-based iMac in 2021/2022. If you configure the 27" iMac to my recommendations, it should last you about 7-8 years. You are just editing photos and playing with Photoshop. I'd recommend waiting until the Next computer, not this computer...the one AFTER this one to be the M-Whatever Macs. I'm sure they will be up to the M7 or M8 by that point. Also, with the M-whatever Macs, you need to purchase all of the expensive (and over-priced) items at the time of purchase. Everything is built onto the single chip, no upgrading ANYTHING after the fact.

Yes. They are backed up in iCloud, but the files themselves are still located on your Hard Drive. In a sense, you have three duplicates of the same files. One is where they are stored first. The second are the files that are located in your iCloud Account...and Third, those files that are in iCloud are then stored locally on your Hard Drive in the iCloud Folder. So what you will need to do is turn off Automatic Syncing and then clear the iCloud folders on the local Macintosh HD. Honestly? 500GB is just too small for a main HD these days. You are better off investing in a Thunderbolt G-Drive EHD and move all of your files there and work off that drive. That's what I do. Now, normally, if it was just a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 drive, working off an External HD would not be the best option. Thunderbolt 3 however, IS FAST. It's so fast that honestly? It feels like I'm working off my internal HD. Here is the Hard Drive that I'm talking about, and this seems to be the BRAND NEW release. G-Drive 12TB - Thunderbolt 3 Now, I will warn you...G-Drives aren't cheap. They aren't the "$99.99 Special" from a Big Box Store. But they are made of high-quality components and are Enterprise Grade, which is really what you want when it comes to storing your data. They also come with all of the cables that you need and are already Macintosh Formatted. So just plug it in and go.

It’s decent. If you are editing photos, then the 512 GB HD concerns me a little. Also, the light up keyboard, while a neat feature to have, might throw a color cast on the screen. So turn that off if you are editing. I’d also get a large external USB 3.1 or 3.2 drive to go with it if you are editing photos.

Actually, your current computer will choke on files from either camera. Keep saving. You will also need to plan for storage, a video card with its own GPU and dedicated Video RAM. See where I’m going with this? Case in point: My stupid Nikon D850 costed me so much friggin’ money. That camera body required new lenses, a new computer, upgrade the new computer to 64GB, plus a 12TB external HD to store my 100MB Raw Files. Keep saving.

I had to upgrade my iMac to 64GB of RAM to handle Raw files from my Nikon D850 which has a 45.1MP sensor. Honestly? The more RAM the better. For either the R5 or R6, 32GB would be the minimum, IMHO.

Oh, here is the Rocket Blower (Medium) that I’m referring to.

Check some of the latest threads. I’ve answered similar questions. Personally, I would still buy a Intel iMac as of right now. Let the other people be Guinea Pigs for the new Architecture. If you purchase a 27” based on my recommendations, it should last you about 7-8 years. If you are worried about getting a M1, there is already talk about the M2 Chip this Fall. You will NEVER win the “ahead” game. Unless you buy a new computer every 18-24 months. In case you are wondering, Mac Laptops are a complete waste of money, in my honest opinion. Check out the “Quick and Dirty Mac Configurations” in this group. It’s a Pinned Topic.

I’m out exploring the US at the moment, and cell coverage is spotty. So I can really reply this Saturday. Anyway, most dust / hair / dirt appears at f/11 or f/16. Does your camera have a cleaning mode? What make/model is it and do you have something like a Rocket Blower to blast some shots of air at your camera’s sensor. Let’s see some images in question first.

I’m not digging that laptop’s screen. Here is why: The Asus ROG of today is not the same as ones years ago. I find that this screen is “Meh,” meaning better than a TN Type, but not as good as a true IPS screen. To clarify, if you not only want accuracy and consistency, and are charging people good money for your services, you’d better invest in an external IPS display and calibration device if you go with this model. Plus, a 500GB HD doesn’t give me any warm-fuzzies either. 16GB is the bare minimum, too. I’n reality, you will only have 320GB or so to play with, after formatting , Windows, and whatever bloatware that is installed on it. New Laptops usually will have a 45 Day Lifespan, and then new models will hit the shelves. My advice: Wait. The chip shortage is forcing manufacturers to cut corners and features. Not to mention this whole Windows 11 TPM 2.0 thing, which adds to the hassle of buying a laptop/ desktop in 2021. I suspect and expect a new laptop for in 2025 for a lot of people, including ones just bought in 2021.

Ah ha!! So a full EHD, even a Time Machine Drive, can slow down a Mac’s performance! Good to know! Honestly? If everything is “fine” on your computer, there is no shame in formatting that TM drive and starting things all over again. Of course, if you are looking to restore things from a few years ago, this will cause an issue. This is just a thought.

Never mind!! That will teach me to look at stuff on my phone. You are talking about that horizontal dark line! That's sensor banding. This happens a lot with Canon bodies. Especially for sensors that are overheating with continuous long exposures, like for a Time-lapse sequence. See this thread, scroll down some...you will see some photos look almost identical to yours! How do you fix it? You don't. You send your camera to Canon and it will be repaired at around $500 or so to fix. Maybe more in 2021. That being said, I've seen this software package being recommended a lot, PixInsight, and you will need to run the Canon Banding Reduction Script. The program isn't free, though there is a free 45-Day Trial. So you will have time to fiddle and make sure that it's worth the money. If you are going to do more shots like this one, it seems to be way cheaper than spending $500+ with Canon Repair. (IF Canon actually fixes it.) I found this thread with a little bit of instructions on what I'm talking about: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/322183-north-america-nebula-canon-banding/

Here's one of my shots of the Comet from last year. I also caught one of Elon's Satellites:

You also have high clouds and it seems your camera is stationary on a tripod. If you want tack-sharp stars, you are going to need a star tracker and a special filter known as a Bahtinov Mask. The SharpStar2 by Lonely Speck is one of these filters. But with a Time-Lapse, you won't need a Star Tracker since you want the Milky Way to move along the Sky, but a sturdy tripod or Platypod with a solid tripod head is mandatory.

This isn’t a Canon / Camera / Lens problem. You can thank Elon Musk for this shit. You know that Starlink Internet that’s supposed to give internet access to remote parts of the globe? That’s one of those satellites. It’s only going to get worse the more satellites that he launches into space. You are just going to have to clone it out. Content Aware or the Patch Tool might be your friend on this one…or all 411 images.

It couldn't hurt. Especially if they are from YEARS ago. As for the speed, disconnect the Time Machine Drive and see if your performance improves. If it does, let me know and I will add it to my brain to help others. :)

This isn't a add more RAM or free up hard drive space or update to the latest OS, you have a physical hardware bottleneck that you can't get around. Sorry.

That's your problem. A traditional spinning HD is not as fast as today's modern SSD Drives. A "Fusion Drive" is the combination of a small SSD Drive, usually 32GB and a much larger traditional spinning HD, in your case around 2-3GB or so. The problem is, the MacOS decides what is installed on the SSD side of the HD, not you. The only thing you have access to is the slower portion of the drive. How much faster is a SSD Drive? It takes approximately 15 seconds for my iMac to completely boot up to a login screen from it being in a powered off state. SSD Drives are way faster. In reality, it's time for a new iMac if you want more speed. Here are my "Quick and Dirty" iMac Configurations. Now, I'm sure you will be asking, "Can I just upgrade the HD?" The short answer is Yes...but the long and more honest answer is, you will need to have it done by an authorized Apple Service Center, or a Computer Shop that has experience in doing this sort of thing. I wouldn't try it yourself.

How old is this Mac. What size screen is it? I've never seen a Mac come with a 3TB Main Hard Drive, though if it has a few years on it, 3TB is possible. As per our original conversation on FB, upgrading to Big Sur isn't going to improve performance. The MacOS isn't Windows; formatting and re-installing or upgrading has a negligible affect on increasing speeds. If your Mac is from 2013 or earlier, honestly? It's time for a new computer. Heck, ones from 2015 are also getting a bit "long in the tooth" at this point. So lay on more details, an inquiring mind wants to know.

I also think IPS-Like is just LG’s attempt at creating an IPS display, without having to pay royalties. So, when it’s all said-and-done, it should be fine.

Also, manufacturers have been doing a lot of bait-and-switch, due to the Chip shortage. So while you might think you bought a new PC with all the latest and fastest technology/chips, that might not be the case. In fact, some m.2 drives that are brand new perform as fast as one that is 94% full that’s been running for 3+ years, and it’s a brand new drive! The reason is, the manufacturers install slower components/ chip controllers / flash memory. The problem can’t be identified via a website and it affects things being advertised on reputable sites. So you might have to exchange that new rig or the HD that was installed. 2021 is such a mess when it comes to technology and you might not have done anything wrong; it’s just they way it is. Very much like you “almost” get a gallon of ice cream in the US now.

What are you trying to save and where? What type of storage medium are you using and is it internal or external? Also, how large is the document / image? Are you duplicating and flattening the image a lot? Is your image created with a High MP camera? How much RAM do you have. Need more info.

“IPS Level” bugs me a little bit. This display panel type has a wider viewing angle, is brighter (which may or may not cause problems with matching your prints,) and has better colors, due to the DCI-P3. But it’s not a true IPS Screen. Think of it like “Artificial Flavors,” it may taste like an Orange, and be the color Orange, but it’s not truly an Orange. That said, it is better than the TN Display Panels that you get with your typical laptop.