nMP Quad vs oMP Hex for Photoshop

[monokakata]

For panos, I use MF glass mostly. 35/1.4 AiS and 20/2.8 AiS They seem pretty good even after all these years.

I had that 35/1.4 in 1969 or 70, and kept it until a few years ago. What a lens it was. The 28/2.0 was pretty nice also. I got an early 20/3.5, again I think around 1969, and I used it right up into this century. All those lenses were quality builds, as well as quality optics. The focus never got wonky, and they weren't babied.

 

[PJNanook]

I had that 35/1.4 in 1969 or 70, and kept it until a few years ago. What a lens it was. The 28/2.0 was pretty nice also. I got an early 20/3.5, again I think around 1969, and I used it right up into this century. All those lenses were quality builds, as well as quality optics. The focus never got wonky, and they weren't babied.

I still have a bunch of AiS lenses but don't use them too many regularly. I also have all the F series Nikons that I have used professionally. Didn't use the F but if I could find a pretty one, I would complete the set. (at least until the F6 gets cheap) F2AS w/MD-2 MB-1, F3HP w/ MD-4, F4s and a F5.

In addition to the above I have a 85/1.4, a 135/2.0 and a 180/2.8 ED. I have some others as well but those are the stars. Just can't let them go. They do work on my D800 and I use them occasionally. Did not have the 28. Never really saw in that focal length. The AF stuff is nice but you can't beat the feel of a MF Nikkor. You felt like it was something.

 

[sidabet]

I already had a quad 2010 Mac Pro. As you said an upgrade to a hex plus a decent graphics card is a third of the price of a quad nMP.

I went for the upgrade to my existing oMP because a lot of the time its faster than a quad nMP and when its not I really don't think you would notice the difference in the real world. I also prefer the all in one package of the oMP.

If I was starting from scratch then it would have to be a nMP with the hex option.


2010 Hex 3.3
HD 7970
Samsung Pro 512GB sata3
Usb 3.0 PCIE
12 GB

 

[ozbimmer]

I already had a quad 2010 Mac Pro. As you said an upgrade to a hex plus a decent graphics card is a third of the price of a quad nMP.

I went for the upgrade to my existing oMP because a lot of the time its faster than a quad nMP and when its not I really don't think you would notice the difference in the real world. I also prefer the all in one package of the oMP.

If I was starting from scratch then it would have to be a nMP with the hex option.


2010 Hex 3.3
HD 7970
Samsung Pro 512GB sata3
Usb 3.0 PCIE
12 GB

If Geekbench is used as an indicator of CPU performance, then the oMP with a 6c 3.3 (W3680) would be faster than a 4c nMP in multi-core test (6c 16,083 vs 4c 14,536). However, the reverse would be true in single-core test (4c 3617 vs 6c 2806). Thus, depending on the applications you use, 4c nMP might be a better option. Also the CPU could be upgraded if more cores are needed in the future.

Given that this thread is about Photoshop, then possibly the 6c oMP is more cost effective now. Further enhancement such as dual GPU support in PS CC might tilt the balance towards the 4c and 6c nMP.

 

[PJNanook]

Thanks everyone for the input.

I am going to watch the feedback from the new release of Photoshop CC. It may be the game changer. I saw the tests from macperformanceguide and will hopefully see more on the real world Photoshop thread here on MacRumors.

 

[dmax35]

Sometimes I hear my MBP softly crying.

D800 files are nothing vs medium format.

 

[Killerbob]

I know... 175MB RAW files from the Mamiya.

 

[PJNanook]

D800 files are nothing vs medium format.

I think my computer would just say no.

Then again it does chug away at this 8-10 frame panos.

 

[PJNanook]

Hey dmax,

A King Air is a very nice camera support. Wish I had one.

 

[dmax35]

Hey dmax,

A King Air is a very nice camera support. Wish I had one.

It gets me to where I need to go fast vs driving.

 

[PJNanook]

It gets me to where I need to go fast vs driving.

It is still a good trip from ANC to the 48 even in that. Don't know if you have the range without a stop. Still quite a bit faster than driving the Alcan.

 

[monokakata]

Didn't use the F but if I could find a pretty one, I would complete the set.

I only have one left and I'm attached to it, even though it's in rough shape. It's black (from back when black cost $20 more) and has the modification for use with the 36 exposure motor drive. I can't remember what happened to that motor drive.

I'd be surprised if there weren't some pretty ones on eBay.

I keep putting my F5 on craigslist here on the Big Island but never have any takers, even when I say that the price is negotiable and I'll toss in a couple of lenses. I don't have any particular attachment to it.

While we're on unusual lenses, I had the 1000 f/11 mirror. That was a beauty, though obviously slow. Tri-X and Acufine to the rescue! And pistol grip. Or tripod, which I still have -- a Linhof. I was willing to hand-hold it at 1/1000, and got some good shots out in the Solomon Islands, at least one published.

I'll shut up now.

 

[PJNanook]

I only have one left and I'm attached to it, even though it's in rough shape. It's black (from back when black cost $20 more) and has the modification for use with the 36 exposure motor drive. I can't remember what happened to that motor drive.

I'd be surprised if there weren't some pretty ones on eBay.

I keep putting my F5 on craigslist here on the Big Island but never have any takers, even when I say that the price is negotiable and I'll toss in a couple of lenses. I don't have any particular attachment to it.

While we're on unusual lenses, I had the 1000 f/11 mirror. That was a beauty, though obviously slow. Tri-X and Acufine to the rescue! And pistol grip. Or tripod, which I still have -- a Linhof. I was willing to hand-hold it at 1/1000, and got some good shots out in the Solomon Islands, at least one published.

I'll shut up now.

I picked up my F5 with a lens and a SB26 on craigslist for next to nothing. Many of the cameras I used were courtesy of you tax dollars so I have to pick up examples because the ones I used they made me give back.

That 1000 f/11 is not too common. Speaking of Tri-X, the one thing I really miss with digital is the whole experience of B&W. It somehow seemed more real. It got to the essence of something without all the distracting color. That being said, I miss Kodachrome as well.

My wife and I will be in your neck of the woods soon. On Oahu for a few and then get the heck out of there for the Big Island. The wife wants to see the memorials on Oahu. I used to have to go for business and can take or leave it. The Big Island is somewhere I always wanted to go. Any suggestions on things I should do there?

 

[wildmac]

That 1000 f/11 is not too common. Speaking of Tri-X, the one thing I really miss with digital is the whole experience of B&W. It somehow seemed more real. It got to the essence of something without all the distracting color. That being said, I miss Kodachrome as well.

I miss the feel of B&W, a bit, if I wax poetically I sure do, but in reality? The ISO ranges we get these days on digital blow film away like mad, so when push comes to shove, digital is a good thing. I also don't miss paying for film. I do miss my F4s's though.

But if you really like B&W... Sony is supposed to be developing a B&W 4/3 camera, something that should be a reasonable price, at least compared to the $8k Leica one.

But back to the thread here...

We are getting a few more interesting details. It appears that Adobe will be optimizing PS for the nMP (what better way to suck in new subcribers), but for LR, there are two different reports now, and it doesn't appear LR always uses more that 4 cores.

Considering I'm going to try to milk my PS 5.5 for a few more years, and just update LR, I think I'll be fine with the Quad/300 with the boosted memory.

 

[PJNanook]

But back to the thread here...

We are getting a few more interesting details. It appears that Adobe will be optimizing PS for the nMP (what better way to suck in new subcribers), but for LR, there are two different reports now, and it doesn't appear LR always uses more that 4 cores.

Considering I'm going to try to milk my PS 5.5 for a few more years, and just update LR, I think I'll be fine with the Quad/300 with the boosted memory.

I am leaning toward the a 6/32/512/D500 when I get around to ordering again. I use Photoshop CC as well as CS6 so I should get some boost. I use Topaz and Nik filters and have heard nothing on how they work or what updates are planned. I got Lightroom with the CC deal but I never done anything with it. I am stuck in my workflow of Photo Mechanic and Photoshop with the filters above. I have been using PS since v 2.5 so it is difficult to move to Lr. I tried Aperture but I was just so slow that I went back to the familiar.

 

[analog guy]

photogs--
did any of you seriously consider a late-2013 iMac (27", i7 3.5) as an alternative to the nMP?

pricing works out to ~$1,800 lower vs a 6-core/d300 nMP if one factors in the included TB display.

 

[PJNanook]

photogs--
did any of you seriously consider a late-2013 iMac (27", i7 3.5) as an alternative to the nMP?

pricing works out to ~$1,800 lower vs a 6-core/d300 nMP if one factors in the included TB display.

I did not really consider the iMac. I really, really hate the glossy displays. I already have two IPS displays, one of them a better NEC PA series.

The delta for me between the iMac and the 6/32/512/D500 is about $1000.

 

[analog guy]

I did not really consider the iMac. I really, really hate the glossy displays. I already have two IPS displays, one of them a better NEC PA series.

The delta for me between the iMac and the 6/32/512/D500 is about $1000.

yep...point taken. in terms of performance, today, the iMac comes damn close with most non-video tasks. it may even be better/faster in some regards.

i'm still struggling a bit with the issue. haven't gotten my nMP yet and must confess the 27" iMac has been cranking through stuff for me quite well (have a 2nd display attached).

i definitely want the nMP...but for photo & audio work today the iMac is pretty darn good. i suspect it will be more future-proof (though will likely involve more cost to get the performance gains as i'm still on CS5, so it will force my hand at some point). i wish i could test them side-by-side.

(the additional $800 was for a refurb TBD.)

 

[PJNanook]

yep...point taken. in terms of performance, today, the iMac comes damn close with most non-video tasks. it may even be better/faster in some regards.

i'm still struggling a bit with the issue. haven't gotten my nMP yet and must confess the 27" iMac has been cranking through stuff for me quite well (have a 2nd display attached).

i definitely want the nMP...but for photo & audio work today the iMac is pretty darn good. i suspect it will be more future-proof (though will likely involve more cost to get the performance gains as i'm still on CS5, so it will force my hand at some point). i wish i could test them side-by-side.

(the additional $800 was for a refurb TBD.)

I do see the economics but have been looking at the daily macperformanceguide updates. With the latest updates to PS CC I think (hope) I will see a performance upgrade over the 4c iMac especially since they are now using the two video cards in the nMP. I don't see how going to the 4c nMP would be a major step up. That is one reason that I have been swayed to the 6c nMP.

Based on digital lloyd's test, if only I could afford an 8c. Not to mention another 32GB of RAM

 

[analog guy]

I do see the economics but have been looking at the daily macperformanceguide updates. With the latest updates to PS CC I think (hope) I will see a performance upgrade over the 4c iMac especially since they are now using the two video cards in the nMP. I don't see how going to the 4c nMP would be a major step up. That is one reason that I have been swayed to the 6c nMP.

Based on digital lloyd's test, if only I could afford an 8c. Not to mention another 32GB of RAM

yep. my orders are for the 6c nMP (i run VMs constantly, so i pretty much needed 6c as a minimum), so i agree with you.

that said, i'm not on CC (resistance to subscription model) so i stand to get less of an improvement and perhaps none at all vs the iMac...at least for right now.

not sure if 32 v 64GB RAM will be a practical limiter for me in the next 2-3 years (iMac v nMP limits).

 

[PJNanook]

that said, i'm not on CC (resistance to subscription model) so i stand to get less of an improvement and perhaps none at all vs the iMac...at least for right now.

I caved and went with CC when they came out with the $10 deal. I have a CS6 suite but mostly PS. I do like the regular updates to PS.

 

[analog guy]

I caved and went with CC when they came out with the $10 deal. I have a CS6 suite but mostly PS. I do like the regular updates to PS.

yeah, $10/mo is not a bad deal, but i just dislike not owning something at the end of it all.

if one's situation changes (e.g., no longer using these apps daily) or if adobe decides to just jack the prices, then one may be left without any way to even open files.

for someone whose livelihood depends on the apps, it makes more sense--but even then, some just prefer owning vs renting.

i may do a cs5/cs6/cc comparison on the PS test. i could run it on the MP3,1, late-2013 27" iMac i7....and maybe one day soon the nMP.

btw, was $10/mo for 1 app?

 

[PJNanook]

yeah, $10/mo is not a bad deal, but i just dislike not owning something at the end of it all.

if one's situation changes (e.g., no longer using these apps daily) or if adobe decides to just jack the prices, then one may be left without any way to even open files.

for someone whose livelihood depends on the apps, it makes more sense--but even then, some just prefer owning vs renting.

i may do a cs5/cs6/cc comparison on the PS test. i could run it on the MP3,1, late-2013 27" iMac i7....and maybe one day soon the nMP.

btw, was $10/mo for 1 app?

If I decide to quit then I might do a batch convert. Right now, owning CS6 I don't see where I would have trouble opening files. I don't think that the format is changed, just different feature set. Might change though. I had trouble with the renting concept but the new features and support broke me down.

For the $10 you get PS and Lr.

 

[keigo]

If I decide to quit then I might do a batch convert. Right now, owning CS6 I don't see where I would have trouble opening files. I don't think that the format is changed, just different feature set. Might change though. I had trouble with the renting concept but the new features and support broke me down.

For the $10 you get PS and Lr.

$10 per month and 1 year will cost you $120 and after 3 years $360 and more years ahead.

It a never ending payment.

Plus should a day come where even $10 a month mean a lot to me. I got nothing after paying years to adobe.

Make sense for those who make a living out of it and use it daily. But for hobby users, this does not work at all.

 

[analog guy]

$10 per month and 1 year will cost you $120 and after 3 years $360 and more years ahead.

It a never ending payment.

Plus should a day come where even $10 a month mean a lot to me. I got nothing after paying years to adobe.

Make sense for those who make a living out of it and use it daily. But for hobby users, this does not work at all.

i think the $10/mo is for 1 year only. after that it goes to the normal rate....and who knows what adobe will o in the future. that's my real issue--there's no longer-term guarantee.