Brian

Personally, I'd skip the Touchscreen / Flip around thing. They are a bitch to calibrate. If you did go that route, plan on buying a calibrator like the SpyderX Elite, so add a few hundred for the total cost. The problem is the US Tariffs for imports from China. All the computer stuff comes from China. So things are averaging $300-$500 MORE than they did last year, so your budget should be closer to $2000 these days. Since the manufacturers don't want to eat those costs, they are forwarding them down to the consumer. I will say this laptop seems to tick all the boxes, so it's not off the table. I would just try to calibrate it and see how that goes before the 14-Day return period expires. Have a set of test prints ready to use. If you can't get it calibrated, then return it. Here is a link to the SpyderX Elite on Amazon.

Yeah, that is bizarre. Though I have seen plenty of DOA things over the years. Since this camera is new, check the Firmware Level. The current version is 1.6. Here is the link to it on Canon's Website: Canon EOS R Firmware

What size is the card? What name brand is it?

Since you haven't gotten back to me, here is a Nikon D3500 two lens kit that's on sale. It's a good beginner camera setup for $400: Nikon D3500 Two Lens Kit.

Oh, the truth to this reasoning is that flash media doesn’t have an infinite amount of read/writes to the sectors that your data resides in. They wear out over time. Eventually things can corrupt while being written or areas will turn into read-only permanently without warning. That said, SSD Drives have come a long way but it’s still something to avoid using.

The VPN update is most likely the culprit. I’d contact their support and see if there is something that you have to configure/forward. I don’t have a lot of experience with setting up VPNs.

Yep. It’s probably a DNS / Name Resolution issue. While connected to your VPN, all of the Ethernet Traffic is going through the VPN and can’t find a local network folder. As soon as you disconnect, DNS resolves where the folder is. Is this shared folder on another computer or NAS?

Yes! Between the two, the more expensive one is a better buy. Not just because the CPU is faster, but the 8GB Graphics Card plays really well with PS CC. Getting a Graphics Card that performs well with PS is almost as important as the CPU chip. Between the two, I’m not a fan of a Fusion Drive and prefer a SSD. But it sounds like your choices are limited for now. I would also purchase a 32GB RAM kit to increase the RAM from 8GB to 40GB. RAM is fairly cheap now and a 32GB kit from Crucial.com should be around $150.

Yeah, you really don’t want to do that with a SSD Drive. Especially Defrag. Never-Ever-Ever run a defrag on a SSD Drive. In fact, Windows 10 won’t let you do it if it properly detects a SSD Drive. Doing it once won’t hurt things, but doing it over-and-over will be bad for the drive. Just let it delete your files to keep things tidy. It’s the secure-erase stuff is what really wears out the flash media cells.

You are right. Now for even more bad news, the Colormunki has been orphaned by the manufacturer and there will be no updates to the Calibration Software. That said, they do have a work-around and that is to use the i1Studio's Calibration software, which is compatible with the ColorMunki & Catalina. Here is the webpage with the details: ColorMunki - Don't Worry! Be Happy! Long term, I'm looking at getting the SpyderX Pro as I own a ColorMunki (and a iMac) and am in the same boat.

The very first question I am going to ask is, "What is your budget?" Photography, especially digital photography, has significantly lowered the costs, as each photo doesn't cost money, but it still isn't a poor-man's hobby. So I'm going to need a realistic budget that you are willing to spend and one that you might spend. For example, "I'm looking at $500 or so but can afford up to $1000." Something like that. Portraits and animals is a good subject to start with, and more than likely you will need a zoom lens in the 70-300mm range. Before we get to that, let's talk numbers.

First, THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS!!! LOL!! You have no idea on how difficult is is for people to leave Facebook. The addiction is real. Second, here in "Ask Brian" I have things pretty locked down. Only you or myself will be able to comment in this thread. This way I can keep things simple and not have to worry about a bunch of people trying to give you advice or post silly pictures. Now for your question...

Yeah, I've answered this many times in the Windows Section. Anyway, I own G-Drives. I have the now discontinued (12TB version) of this drive, and this is the latest incarnation @ 14TB: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1480233-REG/g_technology_0g10427_g_drive_pro_14tb_thunderbolt.html I like the fact that it's 7200 RPM and a Enterprise Class HD. That is Server-Grade / Heavy Usage stuff. Thunderbolt 3 is pretty fast and since you are editing video, the throughput on that Drive is very nice. So much that I actually put all of my images on my EHD, and even edit off of it. Because it's so fast, I don't notice any real difference in terms of performance working off a EHD than my internal HD. Sure, the my Mac's internal SSD drive will be faster, but I haven't been crippled by it. I'm also working with huge D850 files. Please note, that G-Drive comes Mac-Formatted. All you would need to do is delete the existing partition, setup a GPT Disk and use the Wizard to create a NTFS partition. Should take less than 5 min to convert, and you don't need any fancy software to do this, it's built into Windows. Oh, speaking of Windows, you will need a 64-bit version, but I have a feeling you know this.

It sounds like the "Image" file that the factory used to install on your HD didn't transfer correctly. Chances are there is nothing wrong with your HD hardware-wise, it's just possibly screwed up software. 40GB of "Others" storage file seems large. I have zero on my iMac. Though I'm still on Mojave and you might be on Catalina. Anyway, keep an eye on it. If it starts to grow, I'd back up your data and schedule an appointment with the Genius Bar and have them format your HD and re-install a fresh copy of the Operating System. Granted, this will be a PITA but long term, it should fix your problem.

Looks good!

Any updates @Caidasmama? Have you disabled Time Machine and waited a few min? Or is your HD still filling up?

Is it possible to stay under 2K with a iMac? Sure. But you need to have realistic expectations. Yes, an iMac with upgraded features will perform better than a stock model, but that increases your cost. As for "When does this Photography Stuff start earning money?" It doesn't. LOL!! Photography calls many, but selects very few. Very much like the Music Business, you can have a guy playing the Blues in a dive-bar making $50 a night, or the Justin Bieber's of the world singing "Oh Baby! Baby!...Oh Baby-baby!!!" and have pots of money thrown at them. It's not fair, at all. It's even worse if you are an official business who pays their taxes. On the flip-side, Cutesy Name Photography who charges $25 a session for 5 edited photos doesn't make money either. To make money in Photography, you need to be really good at marketing / business and networking. You. Need. To. Hustle and have a different way-of-thinking. Just having a FB Biz-Page or Website with a cute logo who HASHTAG LOVES-LOVES-LOVES their client's doesn't help, nor leads to long-term riches. I speak from experience. I've seen many "Businesses" rise and fall over the years; both online and in-person. Anyway...this is a whole other topic, back to the original question. Fortunately, Photoshop actually runs SLOWER on a iMac Pro than a regular iMac! Spending $4000-$8000 will give you LESS performance than a $2299 iMac with upgraded options. Why? Photoshop is not programmed to take advantage of the features that make a iMac Pro so fast. Now if you were using Adobe Premier to edit 4K video, THAT'S a whole other story. For PS? Save your money. When I recommend things here in "Ask Brian," I have a 7-8 year time-frame in mind. I hate wasting money on this sh*t. The impulse buys or my favorite, "It's just as good as..." NEVER work out. Save up and buy the quality item. The one that you want. Even if you have to wait another 6 months. Your computer will last another 3-4 years if you buy it right the first time. Now, I get it. I'm not made of money either. It's taken me a LONG time to get where I'm at, and with the US-Tariffs from China, all the computer hardware prices have risen $300-$500. Fortunately, Apple has maintained their prices, though they were high to begin with. Let's talk numbers and what you are looking for. What is your MAX Budget? You want a iMac or are sticking with a laptop? I will say this, a 21.5" iMac is a complete waste of money. They can't be upgraded after the fact (easily) and contain slower items (motherboard, hard drives, video cards, etc.) that make them a glorified iPad. So they are off the table as far as i'm concerned.

The guy ad Best Buy does not know what he is talking about. Or, more than likely, he only knew what Best Buy sells, and that's pre-configured iMacs only, which usually have the standard options. I'm currently running a i7 CPU in my iMac as I type this. Yes, Apple has never been inexpensive. Even from the first Macintosh from 1984, and that debuted at $2495 (or $2499) which in today's money is about $6,176.46! That is the average price of a just-released Macintosh Pro. (Or somewhere in that price-range.) Anyway, what is the difference besides familiarity? A closed system. Apple is in control of everything and what they say...goes. If they say we are enforcing 64-bit software for their new Operating System, software developers better have a 64-bit coding in the works. Basically, you play by Apple's rules or you don't play at all. Apple has been about the "Customer Experience" since the beginning. Some people balk at that level of control and want choices, others don't mind. I fix Windows Servers and Computers / Networks / Printers all day long. When I come home, I just want my computer to work. The internet is the same. Photoshop is the same, I just don't have to screw around with staying on top of updates, worrying about malware and trojans an all that, my computer just works. (Yes, Macs are not 100% immune to things like this, but since the Mac Operating System is based on a version of Unix, it's tougher to write them. Plus, Macs are as prominent as Windows computers, so if you are looking to catch a lot of fish, you aren't going for the rare kind, you want the masses.) Yes, there is a quirk every now and then, as Macs are slightly different with their versions of software, like Microsoft products, but they are minor. My wife, who is an Accountant, can't stand MS Excel on my Mac. It's just slightly different and she has to remember the Mac-specific shortcut keys that don't exist on a Windows Computer. That said, she is a professional numbers person and I get it. For me, I don't go into deep into Excel as she does, so for me it's "fine." The other benefit, is the lack of hardware choices. That's right: Benefit. Meaning that since there is only a certain number of hardware devices in Apple's line-up, video cards, motherboard chip-sets, etc. etc. it's easier for software companies to develop things for Apple. When you only have 5 video cards to program for, instead of 100's or more, things are just easier. That's why I get so angry at Adobe when they screw up PS. They have programmed for Apple since their existence, they should know better by now. Anyway, I'm going to start digressing. The other nice thing is when it comes to repair. Apple, or an Apple Authorized Service Center are the ones fixing your computer. Not some HS kit at Best Buy (Geek Squad) who receives very little training and has a screwdriver toolkit off the sales floor. I speak from experience. I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS WAY-BACK-WHEN. Fortunately, I was in an Authorized Repair Shop and went through official Apple Hardware Training before I fixed the higher-end things. With the Tariff's today, it's actually a bad time for people to purchase a new computer. They cost $300-$500 MORE now than they did from a year ago. All the stuff comes from China (components, parts, cases, power supplies, etc.) Fortunately, Apple's prices have remained constant. Of course, they weren't cheap to begin with. Switching back to a Windows computer is going to be a bit of pain-in-the-ass, as the file formats are different. You will need to purchase some translation software in order to write to a NTFS Partition, or use a FAT32 thumbdrive and manually move stuff over. Keep in mind, this translation software is not 100% bullet-proof. So don't get rid of your Mac for at least a year, just to make sure you have everything. Now it comes down to the cost and how much you want to spend. With a Windows Computer, you are looking to spend between $1200-$1500 for something decent. Plus add the cost of a monitor, which is around $300-$500, depending on what you get and the size. So call it $2000 or so. That's right up there with stock Apple iMacs! Remember those Tariffs that I mentioned? Last year's $500 models are today's $800-$1000 models. The "Cheap" ones of today are the really cheapie ones from last year, which expect to only last 12-16 months. Apple wants you to "Go Big or Go Home." Do not ever think about buying a 21.5" iMac...THOSE ARE A WASTE OF MONEY. It's the 27" iMac or nothing when it comes to their desktop line. Even a base model $1799 27" iMac is a better deal than a high-end 21.5" $1499 iMac.

I’m still on Mojave, if that tells you anything. I’d wait a few more months, probably 1st quarter next year. Also, besides PS, you will need to upgrade any 32-bit software, and this really includes older calibration software. So you might have to upgrade your calibration device as well. When it’s all said and done, your mileage may vary. You can hurt yourself if you run with scissors. Upgrading to Catalina is a one-way proposition. I know the FOMO is strong and Apple keeps bugging you to upgrade, so if you do and use your camera professionally, then upgrade after 100% of your clients work is delivered. This way you can afford a month or two of possible headaches / problems / downtime.

Damn. I'm having trouble finding hardware in that price-point. The import Tariffs from China has increased ALL of the prices at least $300-$500. Today's $800 laptops are last year's Sub-$500 laptops. Desktops aren't much better. Honestly? It's better that you save up a little more money, say between $1200-$1500, you will have a much better configuration. Otherwise, you are just throwing $800 away, professional or not.

Unfortunately no, I'd skip that model. The display is a FHD and not IPS-based. Since you will be editing photos, a IPS screen ensures that colors and contrast are consistent from edge-to-edge. IPS laptops are tough to find but I did have a member find one, that is in your price-point.

I answered your very same question in another thread... "I’m just to write an article about these two new 16” MBP laptops. Yes, there is a performance difference from your current laptop, and between the two, the 2.3GHz ($2799) model is the better deal. Not only do you get double the HD capacity, you get a better video card as well. The important thing is to upgrade the RAM to 32GB in either model. I would also upgrade the Video Card to the 8GB Version. MBP laptops are sealed units and upgrading after the fact is damn near impossible. Unfortunately, Apple’s price on RAM is insanely expensive. The configuration that I’m recommending, with AppleCare should bring the cost to $3700 or so; I realize is an expensive pill to swallow. Apple wants you to “Go Big or Go Home” more than ever, especially with any model that has the "Pro" added to the title." if you do decide to go with the lower MBP model, I’d still get 32GB RAM which adds $400 to the cost. So if you still want to pursue a MBP, I can give you my recommended configuration. If you want to go with a 27" iMac, I can do that as well. Just let me know.

Personally, I do not like laptops for photo-editing and prefer a desktop. There are many reasons and one of these days, I'm gong to write that article / FAQ. Let's start with the primary item: BUDGET. Mac laptops are very expensive to say the least, and you will get more horsepower & longevity out of a desktop. So how much are you looking to spend?

Hmm. That's a weird one. 500GB is really large. By any chance, is this Mac OS Catalina and have you been using Time Machine? My best guess is what's happening is Time Machine is creating snapshots of your HD and instead of putting them on an External HD like it's supposed to, it's storing them on the Macintosh HD. The Mac OS doesn't know what to do with them so it's putting them in the "Others" section of the HD. Some info here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204015

Answered this in another thread. Convert it to a GPT Disk in order to go above 2TB. (A 64-bit Windows is required to accomplish this.) You do know that Windows 7 is being abandoned by Microsoft this January 14th? You might want to think about upgrading to Windows 10 64-bit in the very near future.