Brian

There is an old saying, you can buy a Tripod that has three things... Study Cheap Lightweight ...Pick Two. Meaning, you can have one that is study and lightweight, but it won't be cheap. Or you can have a cheap and lightweight model, but it won't be sturdy. For your situation, I'd recommend a set of Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 Aluminum Tripod legs and Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead. You could go with a Manfrotto XPRO Magnesium Ball Head with 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate to save some cash, but my vote is for the RRS BH-40. The cool part with the 055X Tripod Legs is the center column you can pop it all the way up and then set it to a horizontal mode, which would be great for shooting things on a table, or when you need to set your camera to shoot downward / horizontally. Plus, it's really sturdy and holds a decent amount of weight. The only part I do not like is the quick-release plate as I've owned both a RRS BH-40 Head and several Manfrotto Ball Heads. The Manfrotto quick release plate works decently enough, but there is a difference using a Arca-Type Plate System. So instead of changing your mind down the road and having to re-purchase a couple of quick-release mounting plates, my vote goes for the RRS BH-40 and pickup something like a ProMediaGear PBND850 Bracket Plate or better yet, a ProMediaGear L-Bracket for Nikon D850. Those two plates also have Canon equivalents and really mount to the camera body without twisting at all. My favorite saying when I recommend things is "Buy it Right - Buy it Once" for both Computers / Laptops AND Camera gear. The phrase of, "...it's just as good as..." really kills your wallet eventually. Believe me, I have the receipts to prove it. So before I start rambling on about lighting systems, I think the next thing you should do is make a camera purchase and let me know when you do. Then we can tackle lights.

It's no secret...if you want to make your images look better and be sharper when first exporting into ACR, you need better lenses than what you get with kit lenses. Yes, there is a difference between a pro-grade $1800-$2000 lens and one that is only a couple hundred dollars. For your situation, I'm having a bit of trouble deciding if you should buy a zoom lens or not. Zoom adds flexibility to be able to adjust for different size artwork. That said, a prime lens will always be sharper and since this is going to be in a studio-type of environment, you can control things by just adjusting where your camera is placed. Here are the lenses I would purchase if you did buy a D850: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR Lens - This lens is the latest version for traditional Nikon DSLR bodies. I was forced to purchase this lens due to my D850. The reason is two things. One, it has VR which helps counteract the camera shake when hand-holding a D850, the other is around the edges and corners, the image is sharper overall. With the older 24-70G, that lens was fine in the center, but complete crap along the edges with the D850. I had to always bump up my shutter speed to keep images sharp. So for cameras that are 24MP or less, you technically do not need lenses that have VR / IS for the shorter focal lengths, 14mm - 70mm, but once you go above 40MP, you really need them to have this feature. (40MP-60MP+) Especially if you want to use silly shutter speeds such as 1/60th or 1/100th of a second. (/end sarcasm.) Edit: One quick thought, if you do purchase a Nikon Z6 or Z7, please purchase a NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens to go with either of those Nikon Mirrorless bodies. That Z version of the 24-70 was designed for the Mirrorless bodies and is A LOT sharper than the classic 24-70 f/2.8G / 24-70 f/2.8 VR E lens. It's Nikon's sharpest 24-70 lens to date. For a Nikon Prime Lens, and one I think you will end up buying, is the new Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED Lens. That lens is Super Sharp and the compression from that focal length is very good for product photography. For the Canon equivalent, I'd pick the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens. Please be sure to purchase the VERSION II of this lens if you decide to go the Canon route. The orignal version was plagued with problems and I know several photographers both online and IRL that couldn't trust their version one 24-70 lenses on a gig. They just suck. Version II however, is the "fixed version" and is quite reliable. The other Canon lens I'd buy for your situation, as far as a prime goes, would be the Canon 135mm f2 L lens. Both the 100/105 & 135mm focal lengths are good for product photography and the Canon 135 is a sharp lens. I wish Nikon would update their super-sharp 135mm lens, but they seem to be more focused on Mirrorless now. Up next: Tripods.

Since you haven't specified an actual budget and are will pay "whatever it takes" that opens up a lot to interpretation. Bear in mind, when you purchase a certain brand, not only are you buying a camera body, you are also buying into a system of lenses. Both Nikon and Canon rule the roost in this regard, with Sony slowly catching up as time goes on. When someone asks this question, my 2nd answer is, try to find a local camera store to give a few bodies a test drive. Hold them. See what feels better in your hands. It doesn't have to be the exact camera model you will ultimately end-up buying, unless you have a camera store nearby that has pro-grade bodies on display. If all you have access to is a local big-box store that has consumer grade stuff, that will have to suffice. Normally, the pro-grade models just have more features and external controls, along with better weather sealing than their consumer-level counterparts. The pro-grade bodies also tend to be a bit heavier because the camera's frame is more robust. But the overall operation between consumer / pro worlds is similar; though you know when you are shooting with pro-grade stuff...and it's REALLY hard to go from using a Pro Body to a Consumer Body, as it feels like you are shooting with a toy when you do this. Anyway... Go thru the menu system. Poke around. Some people have no problems shooting with Canon bodies, or Sony models. For me, I'm a Nikon shooter as I can not stand Canon's Menu System of Symbols, I'd rather read text and menus. Sony's are a little more like Nikon bodies, but their menus are a bit more confusing. They really need to simplify things. So in terms of a camera body that has great resolution, can do video and would be great for product photography, I'd say a Nikon D850. Or if you are looking for something lighter, even a Nikon Z6 would work. Especially if you really want to shoot video. Even though my D850 does decent video, I honestly can say if I had to do it all over again, I would have bought a Z6. But my needs for travel and landscape photography are different than for your product photography. So please take that into consideration. For the Canon side, I'd have to recommend a Canon 5D Mark IV, which is a D850 equivalent. Believe it or not, your life will be much easier if you shoot video with your phone. You can edit video with Apps and won't have to use software to convert the video Raw files for something that can be posted on YouTube or FB. So if all you are looking is to provide Highlight and Items for Sale clips, a Smart Phone works really well. Next up, Lenses...

I agree with Damien. Honestly? Any camera that's 12MP or higher will suffice. So any of today's modern cameras will do. 24MP will be more than enough, and you could go as low as 16MP. Speaking of Megapixels, the more your camera body has, the better the lenses you will need to buy. Those don't come cheap. In addition, you will also need a tripod and tripod head, with a remote trigger, to take the sharpest photos due to camera shake. Yes, the higher the MP, the more camera shake becomes noticeable. So if you do use the camera hand-held, I usually recommend a shutter speed of 2-3 over the focal length of the lens. For example say you are at 200mm. Back in the film days or when camera sensors had less MP, you could get away with a shutter speed of 1/200th or 1/250th of a second. Now with a camera sensor that's 45MP or higher, I'd say that number needs to be at least 1/500th of a second, or use a lens that has Vibration Reduction / Image Stabilization to cover this issue. So let's talk cameras bodies first...

Also, you might want to go directly into the Control Panel in Windows. It's still there, just buried with Windows 10. Hit the Start Button and just start typing Control Panel. It should appear at the top of the column. Then click the down arrow towards the right and select "Small Icons." This way ALL of the control panel items will show up. Look for Display Settings or even a video card controller program. This is a really tough problem to diagnose, and a lot of poking around will be required. You might also want to reach out to the Manufacturer's Tech Support and see if they can point you in the right direction.

Sigh...laptops. What make/model is your laptop? You might have to poke around for any manufacture's Video Controller software to turn off adaptive brightness, it may not be a setting in Windows. Also, check near the clock to see if there are any video controller apps running. If you have software that over-clocks things, to get more performance out of your laptop, that could be causing this issue.

I was expecting around $1500 for a new computer, that’s pretty powerful. Maybe something like $1800. I think that’s pricing from 2016 or so, now everything seems to be way more expensive, due to COVID-19. So it looks like yesterday’s $1500 is today’s $2500. Oh well. Sign of the times. At least people can’t bitch about the cost of Macs, since current windows computers are right up there with them in terms of pricing. Eh, who am I kidding...people will still complain.

Well, this is a new thread. So I didn't realize that it was $3200. To me, that's still really high for what it is. $2432 (or around the $2500 mark) seems to be the new normal. Welcome to 2020. As far as the specs, it's fine. If you can afford it, buy it.

What video card? $2660?!!?! Holy Shit! COVID has really screwed with pricing. I wouldn't expect prices to drop that much. Companies are trying to recoup major losses to keep stock-holders happy. Now is not the time to be buying a computer, but high-prices are probably here to stay, unfortunately. People bitch that Macs are so expensive!

Well, taking still photos of acrylic paintings won't cost you much in terms of camera, you can do it even with a used body. The more important factor with product photography is actually a lighting system and background / backdrop that works for you. Now of course, good glass is still good glass, but you shouldn't have to fork out major $$$$ to get the results that you are looking for. I'm assuming something better than what a iPhone could take. The tricky part is video. That complicates things. Not only for stills, but for whatever video that you are trying to accomplish. Need more info on this. Plus, don't forget, editing video can be taxing on a computer when you edit, so we will need to keep things in perspective. Also, before I start rambling on, what kind of budget are we working with?

Oh, before I forget, this is what a Macro can do during a wedding: Susan Stripling Ring Shots Lots of those shots are at f/11 using a Macro lens. ISO probably starting around 4000 or so. SS is high enough to prevent shake, I'd start at 1/250th.

You were smart by getting a second 6D. Just remember to sync the Date and Time between ALL your bodies. This makes culling a bit easier. Plus, all of your extra batteries and stuff can be used in the rented body, so that's peace of mind. But I'm repeating myself. Sorry. I've been in all sorts of areas as a computer tech for my day job. I have shot Weddings in the same places you have. I get it. Well, never a school gym, (I have, for an event...not a wedding,) but have in a VFW hall with a drop ceiling with a leaky roof and wood paneling. Complete with accordion walls, which suck up light like nobody's business, bowling trophies in a glass cabinet built into the wall from the tournament in 1962, and huge orange water stains in the drop ceiling tiles due to said leaky roof. In reality, those places are tougher to shoot in, but on the flip side, fancy venues aren't always easy either. Bigger budgets sometimes mean bigger headaches, and dealing with bigger egos. For your situation, I'd still say a 5D MK3 or Mark IV is still in your future. I don't think you can buy a 5D MK3 new anymore, at least online from my small searches, but you could get lucky. In your case, I'd still opt for a 5D Mark 3 and a Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT Flash. That should cost the same as a single 5D Mark IV. Now while it pains me to recommend a $500 flash, having upgraded to a SB-910 and later a SB-5000 (the Nikon equivalent,) I can say yes, there is a difference between them and the models below them. For me, the Jury's still out for something like a Profoto A1/A1X flash and I'm not in the mood to spend $1100 either. Let me know how your wedding goes. Since the world has gone insane these days, and I have a Wedding to shoot at the end of the month, I'd like to hear about your experience. Especially with possibly wearing a mask due to COVID fears.

Daniel: "Yeah, but you knew karate..." Mr. Miyagi: "Someone always know more." -- The Karate Kid (1984) I also started back in the film days and developing B&W Film. Nothing like D-76 Developer to wake your ass up in the morning. Better than Coffee. LOL! Hell, I've been shooting with a SLR / DSLR since the Spring of 1986 and I'm still learning after all this time!! Cool beans!! You are right, that was easy! Phew!! If the Wedding is this Saturday, you have run out of time for rentals. Well, maybe if you paid extra for a rush delivery. That said, jumping into a 5D Mark 3 or Mark 4 cold during something like a wedding is going to be tough and I wouldn't recommend it. Just getting multiple bodies synced up together (including the date / time!!!! DO NOT FORGET THIS!!) Maybe you can borrow someone's 6D for a backup. Image-quality you should be fine and you will be used to the focusing system. The 5D3 and 5D4 are a big upgrade in terms of the focusing system and it will probably take a least a full weekend if not a month for the camera to feel like "Home." Yeah, that's the mistake people make with a Macro lens. Even though it could be used as a Portrait Lens, it has two drawbacks. One, the lens will automatically stop down when you get closer to your subject, so f/2.8 isn't always an option if you want Bokeh and stand too close. Granted, the lens is supposed to do this because you will find that it's easiest to learn using f/8 and the magic usually happens between f/11 - f/16, depending on what you are shooting. Two, it's a Macro Lens. It's meant for manual focusing so the Auto Focus will be slower than say a 24-70 lens. Again, it's supposed to be that way. Also, Macro lenses are extremely sharp by design, which doesn't always flatter a person's skin/face; in fact, a Portrait taken with a Macro lens might be "Too Sharp" or "Sterile" looking. Of course, if that's the look you want, say a cliche B&W photo of a really old guy with crazy hair and deep wrinkles and you want to really enhance those things, then a Macro will probably do the best job. Unfortunately, I think Canon stopped making the Canon - EF 100mm f/2 USM, portrait lens or at the very least, B&H stopped carrying it. Which is too bad, since I recommend that lens over the Canon 85mm 1.8, which is notorious for creating Purple Chromatic Aberration. Large scale or small scale, don't kid yourself...this shit adds up quickly. A camera body here, a flash there, more memory cards here, a new camera bag to hold everything.... Umm...Yeah. I've spent LOTS of money on this shit. *Sigh* Even though you have a 45 year old 70-210 lens that works well, it may not perform that well on a new body like a 5DMK4. So keep it in the back of your mind that a 70-200 f/2.8L IS Version III Lens could be in your immediate future. As sensors get upgraded with more megapixels, the older lenses just don't hold up in the Image Quality Dept. Of course, I hope I'm wrong, but the good news is that lens is on sale for $1800. Yes, keep the 6D as a Backup to the 5DMK3 or 5DMK4. That's what I would do. My D700 is my backup that sits in my bag.

Now that I've recommended a Canon 5D Mark IV, keep in mind you will have to budget for accessories, such as larger cards and batteries too. I do not recommend using a SD card and a CF Card with a Canon 5D Mark III at the same time. It slows writing to the CF card to a crawl. I'm not sure if they have fixed this with the Mark IV, but I'm thinking this rule still applies. The reason is, Canon likes to cut corners to save money. For them to use a certain technology, they have to pay royalties, and the standard SD slot probably doesn't have any and is public domain. The downside is if you use the SD card and CF card together in a 5D Mark III, the CF writing speed cuts down to the slower SD Card's writing speed. So if you are ever in a high-paced situation, please only use a CF card in a Canon 5D Mark III.

Shoot professionally in my book means you are above the skills of a amateur, or enthusiast, charge people money for your services, and produce consistent work over and over again. While ANYONE can produce a photo worthy of a cover of a magazine, or whatever...it's the Professional that can do it again and again. It's the Professional who can shoot in any lighting situation and deliver the final product to the client. No excuses. No "I specialize in 'Natural Light..." Bullshit. That just means you are terrified of learning how to use a flash and what correct modifier to use. Anyway, this will get me ranting and way off topic. Bottom Line, you are shooting Professionally since you are charging people money for your services. At the very minimum, that's what I would call a Professional. Anyway... Is this the version I or version II of this lens? How is your copy? Are you one of the few lucky ones that has a sharp version? Because if you do, great. The rest of the folks who used to own this lens can't trust it during a gig like a Wedding. So if you think it's off by a little bit, it's not you...it's the stupid lens. In fact, I know of a Photography Store in North New Jersey who would make their customers take home the lens for a weekend before buying. Why? 4 out of 5 lenses were complete crap and they got tired of refunds. The newer version, the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L VERSION II Lens fixed all the issues and is a find piece of glass. I just mention this because if you do buy used, don't every buy a used Version I of the Canon 24-70. There is probably a good reason that someone dumped that stupid lens. I'm a bit more than mildly nervous for you. LOL!! The problems is the 30D is a crop body, and there are limits to what you do, especially during a Wedding Reception, you just can't get wide enough. Trust me, I've been in this situation. Fortunately, you have a 6D. But your backup will be used by your daughter, not the best thing to have, especially if you are trying to have a consistent look to the photographs. It's always better to have the same sensor side with both a Primary and Secondary shooter. Keeps things consistent, which makes Post easier. Is this the Macro Lens? Or the Portrait lens? If Macro, Ring Shots and other special details. You will be at f/11 A LOT with the ring shots shooting a Macro Lens. So you will either need a High ISO camera or have a flash handy. Susan Stripling is well known for her Macro Ring Shots and she is always at f/11 or so with a ISO of 4000-6400. This is a drawback to your 5D Mark I, you can't go that high...but technology has greatly improved in 15 years. Portrait Lens version, it's the next step up from the 85mm focal length. Mostly portraits. Head and Shoulders shots, product photography, etc. Senior Portraits would also work. 85mm 1.4 or 1.2 will give you a "Dreamy 3/4 Bride Shot" while 100 or 105mm should give you a nicely compressed portrait that is sharp. Groom and Best Man standing together...100mm will work really well. OK. Here is my recommendation for your situation. You seem to be the type of person who uses their gear until it dies. So you will have more of a up-front cost than others who replace their bodies every 2-3 years. Since Weddings are in the mix, you are looking at a Canon 5D Mark IV body. At the very least, a used Canon Mark III body that's rated "EX" (or higher) shape. This is why I'm recommending a 5D Mark IV or Mark III. The Canon 6D, like the Nikon D600/D610 is known as a "Bridge" Camera. It's meant to give you a taste of the features of a higher-end body, while still being affordable to the masses. Unfortunately, your other body was a 5D Mark I, so the 6D seems like a huge upgrade to you. Just wait until you hold a 5D Mark IV or Mark III, there IS a difference. Trust me, my wallet has screamed in pain since I also shoot Weddings. I switched over to a Nikon D4s (from a D700) a few years ago and picking up any other body now feels like I'm holding a toy. Granted, my D850 isn't bad, but there is just something about my D4s, it's like a fighter jet. It just wants to shoot.

The Canon 5D Mark I or the "original" 5D was released in 2005. So yeah, I'm sure something internally has failed on the camera's motherboard; specifically, something is wrong with the power supply rails on the motherboard. It could be a bad chip or bad capacitor. Hard to say and Canon will need to take a look at it. Even if you purchased it in say, 2007, it could have sat in a warehouse for a few years or so. It's now 2020 and I'd say your 5D has had a very good run...and we are talking 15 years technology-wise! Even if it was a 5D Mark II, which was released in 2008, it's still a bit long in the tooth by today's standards. The bottom line is, it's not worth fixing and nothing lasts forever. So now we have established it's time for a new body and since you currently have two Canon bodies, that gives me an idea of what you should shop for. The two things I need to know is: Budget Lenses that you currently own. Also, are you shooting professionally or not? What do you shoot typically? What kind of light are you typically shooting in / times of day?

Remember, 24GB is the most that "Gamers" need when it comes to RAM. There really isn't a huge difference between 16GB and 24GB when it comes to video games and performance. That's why it's not 32GB. Of course, this could change next month. If you do get that laptop that I recommended, I would just go ahead and get 24GB. In reality, there isn't too much of a difference between 24GB and 32GB...except if you really bump up in MP on your camera. 16MP or less, 24GB is fine. 20MP Cameras should also be fine with 24GB-32GB. It's when you get to 45MP or above should you really be thinking around 64GB (or more.)

Who knows? I'm sure there will be another model to replace this model in a few months. That's the nature of laptops. You really can't "Future Proof" a laptop. Other than spending $1000 more than what you are comfortable with. Which is insane. That being said, the biggest obstacle when it comes to a laptop longetivity isn't the lack of HD or RAM or CPU power...it's the stupid batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries only last a certain amount of time and then die. Just like your Smart Phone only seems to last about two years or so, laptops also follow this pattern. Yes, even if you leave them plugged in all the time. The reason is due to the amount of charging cycles the batteries are rated for. Each time you plug in a device, whether it's for 5 min or 5 hours, that's "1 charging cycle." So if the battery is rated for 500 charging cycles, and hits around that number, battery performance starts to wain. That's why your phone battery lasts all day when you first get it, and a year later the maximum battery capacity is 80%, even though your phone says "100%." How laptops work is that it's always feeding off the battery, the AC power is just recharging the power being used. So unless you physically remove the battery from the laptop, there will always be wear-and-tear on the battery, it's just from normal use. Now I'm sure you are thinking, "...but I can just remove the battery! Problem solved!" Well, yes and no. Most new laptops today are practically sealed units. You can't remove the battery nor can you replace it. Why? It gets you back into the market sooner rather than later. Manufacturers don't make money if you keep your laptop for 8 years. They want you buying a new one every 18-24 months. Here is the dirty secret with High Megapixel cameras...you just don't have to worry about the laptop/computer, but the whole ecosystem. Memory Cards, Larger Hard Drives, Faster Computers, Better Lensex...my D850 cost me so much money!! Like spending $7000+ just to support it. I had to buy two new lenses, larger XQD cards, a 12TB HD and replace my iMac. Then I found out that 32GB wasn't "enough." I had to max it out to 64GB!! In reality, I probably shouldn't have bought the D850, but I was looking for a smaller camera than my D4s. Looking back, I should have picked up a Nikon Z6 and 24-70 f/2.8 S lens. Oh well.

COVID19 has screwed EVERYTHING UP, since everything comes from China. Not just the brands, but the individual components themselves that make up everything. When it come to laptops, i really like the Asus Republic of Gamers Line. In fact, Damien owns one of these laptops, and if I were to buy one today, this is what I would buy. (It's a new release, and isn't available yet, but I would look for that model on your side of the world.)

Yeah, it's much better to get a computer that comes with Windows 10 rather than trying to upgrade an older computer. If it runs Vista / Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10 will install. That said, things like drivers that are specific to your computer, like video card drivers and such, may not be available. In which case your life will become a bit difficult when it comes to dealing with your older computer. Windows 10 is so much better than Windows 8/8.1. It's what Windows 8 should have been.

By the way... Whatever you do, if you plan on staying with CS5, DO NOT UPGRADE TO CATALINA!! I don't care how much your Mac bugs you about it. CS5, CS6 and all the way up to PS CC 2017 are not Catalina compatible. At all. There are no work-arounds, no check-boxes or lists, Mac OS Catalina and the yet-to-be-released-MacOS-this-fall...called Big Sur, will ONLY work with Photoshop CC 2019 & PS CC 2020, and I'm not 100% sure about PS CC 2019 with the new OS at this point either. In reality going forward, if you purchase a new Mac in the near-future, you WILL have to upgrade to PS CC 2020. No ifs-ands-or-buts about it. Combine this with the new Processor with new Macs called ARM, I'm pretty sure CS5 won't even attempt to install. Intel CPU chips and Macs will be a thing of the past.

Yes, I do! For those who can't afford a fancy G-Drive, these WD Black Gaming Drives are very good as well. All you have to do is just reformat it to work on your Mac and that is built into the MacOS. I can help you out with that, it takes like 5 min to do. Just remember, when it comes to Backblaze, unless you have the really expensive plan, if you delete a file off the HD that is synced with BackBlaze, within 30 days that file will also be deleted from the Cloud Storage. So don't think for a moment that you can delete things off your HD and have them stored on BackBlaze's Cloud Storage. It will, but for only 30 days after the file was deleted locally.

Try the instructions found on this Web page. The CS5 crashing with Mojave is a common problem. https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-software/open-apps-mojave-photoshop-3684425/ Whatever you do, don’t uninstall / re-install it. Adobe will say it’s no longer supported and you will be forced to upgrade to PS CC.

The other thing that I see that is alarming is your external hard drive. The MacOS treats all hard drives the same. You NEVER want to go above 75% Full on any drive when it comes to a Mac, internal or external. You are really in the red zone with that drive. Time to cull and delete stuff or buy another external drive and move stuff to it.

I run CleanMyMac weekly and have been for the last 10 years. I don’t care what Apple says, it’s fine. Especially if you leave it at the default settings. macpaw.com.