What is the best current MacBook M1 for Photo and Video editing ?

[jwar1976]

Hi all, well the time I have been dreading has arrived, which is where the missus has fallen for my 2015 MBP and trying to get it off her is much like trying to get a bit of steak away from a tiger. So now I am looking at getting myself a new MacBook and I figured that it would be best to get one of the new silicone range for a bit more future proofing than the Intels Range.

It’s main task will be for photo editing on Lightroom / Photoshop / Affinity and various video editing and sound recording from external devices. I have heard rumours of some new models coming out soon, but that is as far as it goes.

if there are any Photographers / Videographers on here with a M1 MacBook, I would be extremely interested in hearing their experiences.

Many thanks

 

[ADGrant]

Hi all, well the time I have been dreading has arrived, which is where the missus has fallen for my 2015 MBP and trying to get it off her is much like trying to get a bit of steak away from a tiger. So now I am looking at getting myself a new MacBook and I figured that it would be best to get one of the new silicone range for a bit more future proofing than the Intels Range.

It’s main task will be for photo editing on Lightroom / Photoshop / Affinity and various video editing and sound recording from external devices. I have heard rumours of some new models coming out soon, but that is as far as it goes.

if there are any Photographers / Videographers on here with a M1 MacBook, I would be extremely interested in hearing their experiences.

Many thanks

There are only two M1 MacBook models, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. Performance wise they are almost identical but the MacBook Pro does have a more robust cooling system (i.e. a Fan, Heatpipe and Heatsink), therefore under extended load it will be somewhat faster.

The more significant advantages of the MBP are the better screen and much better battery life. It is also equipped with a Touch Bar which many would consider a disadvantage.

Both MacBooks are much better than the Intel equivalents they replaced. The last Intel MBA had an underpowered Intel chip and a comically bad cooling system. The low end Intel MBP was better but it's cooling system and CPU were much weaker than the higher end 13" Intel MBPs (which are still sold).

 

[jwar1976]

There are only two M1 MacBook models, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. Performance wise they are almost identical but the MacBook Pro does have a more robust cooling system (i.e. a Fan, Heatpipe and Heatsink), therefore under extended load it will be somewhat faster.

The more significant advantages of the MBP are the better screen and much better battery life. It is also equipped with a Touch Bar which many would consider a disadvantage.

Both MacBooks are much better than the Intel equivalents they replaced. The last Intel MBA had an underpowered Intel chip and a comically bad cooling system. The low end Intel MBP was better but it's cooling system and CPU were much weaker than the higher end 13" Intel MBPs (which are still sold).

Thank you for that extremely useful informatio, it looks like the Pro is definitely going to be the step in the right direction as while I mainly do Photography, I have been indulging more into video as well lately, due to the amount of requests I get for it, so the advanced cooling for CPU intensive tasks like editing and encodin, will come in handy.

Thanks again for the reply, it is appreciated.

 

[jz0309]

Hi all, well the time I have been dreading has arrived, which is where the missus has fallen for my 2015 MBP and trying to get it off her is much like trying to get a bit of steak away from a tiger. So now I am looking at getting myself a new MacBook and I figured that it would be best to get one of the new silicone range for a bit more future proofing than the Intels Range.

It’s main task will be for photo editing on Lightroom / Photoshop / Affinity and various video editing and sound recording from external devices. I have heard rumours of some new models coming out soon, but that is as far as it goes.

if there are any Photographers / Videographers on here with a M1 MacBook, I would be extremely interested in hearing their experiences.

Many thanks

Take a look at the link below. For what you're planning on using it for, get 16GB, PS is a RAM hog.
The 1 thing me personally would not want to do is use a 13" screen for everyday PS work ...


M1 Mac - real life photo SW experience

 

[OriginalClone]

Thank you for that extremely useful informatio, it looks like the Pro is definitely going to be the step in the right direction as while I mainly do Photography, I have been indulging more into video as well lately, due to the amount of requests I get for it, so the advanced cooling for CPU intensive tasks like editing and encodin, will come in handy.

Thanks again for the reply, it is appreciated.

Good for photo and video editing. Video editing in premiere can be iffy sometimes (running out of application memory with beachball) unless you're on the latest version that supports M1 natively. The only problem is that version doesn't work with intel plugins. I edit photos in Lightroom and PS. Can't wait too see the performance the M1X will bring. I have both and the Pro is a better machine imo. If you're doing anything somewhat intensive the air will slow down under loads, the Pro fan just kicks in and continues to chug on. Unless you need now you should wait a few weeks and see what may be coming.

 

[jwar1976]

Take a look at the link below. For what you're planning on using it for, get 16GB, PS is a RAM hog.
The 1 thing me personally would not want to do is use a 13" screen for everyday PS work ...


M1 Mac - real life photo SW experience

Thank you for the link, I will take a look. In all honesty I don’t use PS everyday, I only use it when needed for things like cloning out objects, healing etc.

Good for photo and video editing. Video editing in premiere can be iffy sometimes (running out of application memory with beachball) unless you're on the latest version that supports M1 natively. The only problem is that version doesn't work with intel plugins. I edit photos in Lightroom and PS. Can't wait too see the performance the M1X will bring. I have both and the Pro is a better machine imo. If you're doing anything somewhat intensive the air will slow down under loads, the Pro fan just kicks in and continues to chug on. Unless you need now you should wait a few weeks and see what may be coming.

Thank you very much for that information, I don‘t need it urgently so will wait and see what the M1X comes up with and then decide.

 

[jz0309]

Thank you for the link, I will take a look. In all honesty I don’t use PS everyday, I only use it when needed for things like cloning out objects, healing etc.

I do my photo work on my iMac, the MBA is my backup and travel computer so for that it’s good enough for me… and my eyesight has not gotten better with age ?

 

[Boil]

Thank you for the link, I will take a look. In all honesty I don’t use PS everyday, I only use it when needed for things like cloning out objects, healing etc.

Thank you very much for that information, I don‘t need it urgently so will wait and see what the M1X comes up with and then decide.

At this point, I would definitely wait for the newer M1X (or whatever they actually call them) models, and a larger screen (16" model). Also, get the maximum RAM available, because you are not going to be able to add any later. SSD space, I would go for at least a TB; no one wants to have to drag an external drive around all the time!

 

[jwar1976]

I do my photo work on my iMac, the MBA is my backup and travel computer so for that it’s good enough for me… and my eyesight has not gotten better with age ?

I will eventually more than likely be buying an iMac next year after I get my Canon R6 or R5, but know what you mean about eyesight. Currently for when I do editing when away from home, I use a 2018 iPad Pro, which is great but cannot replace a Macbook

At this point, I would definitely wait for the newer M1X (or whatever they actually call them) models, and a larger screen (16" model). Also, get the maximum RAM available, because you are not going to be able to add any later. SSD space, I would go for at least a TB; no one wants to have to drag an external drive around all the time!

Yes I will hold out, now that it will soon be autumn and winter, model shoots will be dropping and so my only photography will be bands and Rugby, providing of course there are no more lockdowns or restrictions. So the plan is to get a new MacBook before the year is out, and then new camera next year, then a iMac. Completely agree with the external hdd, my camera kit bag can get heavy enough at the best of times.

 

[deeddawg]

Take a look at the link below. For what you're planning on using it for, get 16GB, PS is a RAM hog.
The 1 thing me personally would not want to do is use a 13" screen for everyday PS work ...

13.3 or 16" - neither is ideal for everyday PS work, but the 13.3" is definitely lighter and smaller for when portability is important.

I use my M1 MBP open and attached to a 27" QHD display. Tons of screen real estate, and LR takes advantage of the dual display.

I will eventually more than likely be buying an iMac next year after I get my Canon R6 or R5, but know what you mean about eyesight. Currently for when I do editing when away from home, I use a 2018 iPad Pro, which is great but cannot replace a Macbook

Think very carefully about how you will span your workflow across two separate machines. Speaking from experience, keeping photos, files, and libraries synchronized between a desktop and laptop becomes rather a pain in the azz.

I use my M1 MBP with a CalDigit TS3+ thunderbolt dock and a 27" QHD monitor and the MBP display open. Apple Magic Keyboard & Trackpad. Works very well, my files are all on one place whether at my desk or on the go.

Yes I will hold out, now that it will soon be autumn and winter, model shoots will be dropping and so my only photography will be bands and Rugby, providing of course there are no more lockdowns or restrictions. So the plan is to get a new MacBook before the year is out, and then new camera next year, then a iMac. Completely agree with the external hdd, my camera kit bag can get heavy enough at the best of times.

Per other advice, definitely get plenty of SSD - and if you choose an M1 do go with 16GB RAM. Not sure PS / LR necessarily need 32GB if such a thing becomes available on the next models, but see what the pricing looks like.

 

[dandeco]

Yeah, since the performance on the current M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is nearly identical, I opted for the Air, the 8-core graphics 512 GB SSD model configured with 16 GB of RAM, and it edits video REALLY well as a result. The advantages I also found of buying the Air over the Pro was the lower price, its' portability, the fact that I would eventually just use when when I am on the go (as once a higher-end Apple Silicon headless Mac desktop comes out I'll be getting one of those some time next year) and also the lack of a Touch Bar (I thought it was cool on the Pros I tried out at stores, but I don't know how well I would've adjusted to it.)

 

[deeddawg]

Yeah, since the performance on the current M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is nearly identical, I opted for the Air, the 8-core graphics 512 GB SSD model configured with 16 GB of RAM, and it edits video REALLY well as a result. The advantages I also found of buying the Air over the Pro was the lower price, its' portability, the fact that I would eventually just use when when I am on the go (as once a higher-end Apple Silicon headless Mac desktop comes out I'll be getting one of those some time next year) and also the lack of a Touch Bar (I thought it was cool on the Pros I tried out at stores, but I don't know how well I would've adjusted to it.)

Having owned a 2020 Intel Air and an M1 MBP - the 110 gram weight difference doesn't affect portability - it is not noticeable in general practice.

Touchbar - as a FYI for folks it's possible to set the touchbar to display the quick keys / hot keys as the default- and even rearrange them if you wish. Sure, it's not for everyone, but I've also seen that a lot of folks aren't aware they can change/customize the setup to suit their preference. See SysPrefs->Keyboard

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Fishrrman prediction:
If you buy an m1 MacBook Pro now, within 3 months you are going to be a very unhappy man (after the MacBook Pro 14" and 16" models hit the shelves)...

 

[mario0]

For me as content creator all current M1 MacBook don’t work because the RAM is limited to 16GB and I need at least 32GB or better 64GB.

 

[pshufd]

I'm working on my first instructional video right now. It's transcoding to the final product on my M1 mini and it just finished. It's so nice that all of the tools I used were either provided in the operating system or with free Apple software. I like using the mini as I have it hooked up to two displays and it has better cooling than either M1 MacBook. I really want a larger screen and I do not want the TouchBar. So I am waiting patiently for the new stuff to come out. I am using my 2015 MacBook Pro for mobile and my son has borrowed my 2014 MacBook Pro.

 

[dmccloud]

For me as content creator all current M1 MacBook don’t work because the RAM is limited to 16GB and I need at least 32GB or better 64GB.

Not sure why you'd need that much RAM unless you're doing a LOT of 3D modeling or 8K video. I have an M1 with 8GB RAM and I use it for video editing (both 1080 and 4K content) and don't run into any issues using it for that purpose. In fact, it takes me longer to upload the finished videos than it does for FCP to render the final product, even though I have gigabit internet.

 

[meson]

Not sure why you'd need that much RAM unless you're doing a LOT of 3D modeling or 8K video. I have an M1 with 8GB RAM and I use it for video editing (both 1080 and 4K content) and don't run into any issues using it for that purpose. In fact, it takes me longer to upload the finished videos than it does for FCP to render the final product, even though I have gigabit internet.

You haven't seen my wife batch edit a photo session. I'm not convinced there is any amount of RAM that will keep her from thrashing the internal storage.

 

[mario0]

Not sure why you'd need that much RAM unless you're doing a LOT of 3D modeling or 8K video. I have an M1 with 8GB RAM and I use it for video editing (both 1080 and 4K content) and don't run into any issues using it for that purpose. In fact, it takes me longer to upload the finished videos than it does for FCP to render the final product, even though I have gigabit internet.

I do a lot of work in Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects. Therefore 16GB RAM isn't enough and you need at least 32GB RAM.

 

[BlueTide]

Having just edited, graded and mastered a short film on MacBook Air...

• It's quite fine...
• ...but the memory will run out if you're not careful
• Difference between Pro and Air is minor

At this point of AS-transition, I'd rather take something that is cheap or wait till they get the next-gen CPUs AND GPUs out.