If I was going Pro, and I had a spare room...

DampCat

DampCat

DampCat

Soldato
Joined
26 Feb 2007
Posts
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Location
Leafy Cheshire
...what would i put in it?

My boss is looking to install a "digital darkroom" (his words) in his house and wants an idea of gear to use. I'm guessing we should go with 3 levels of Budget so he can decide for himself how much he wants to spend.

So i guess,
Photo Printer:
Budget
Middle
Top End

Monitor
Budget
Middle
Top End

Monitor Calibration Kit
Budget
Middle
Top End

Software
Budget
Middle
Top End

What other stuff would he need? Be comprehensive; pay review is coming up ;)
 
Is he going to be taking any photos in there?

If so a light tent and some flashes would be a good idea.

And everyone knows software is free :p ;)
 
You can do the whole thing with a Macbook/Lightroom/PS CS4 + Sofa or Mac Pro with triple monitors + Adobe Suite, Lightroom, Final Cut Pro.
 
Yeah i'm thinking more along the lines of printing and calibration really, rather than the software. I just tacked software on as an after thought!
 
Got to be some sort of Mac + Lightroom/Aperture + Photoshop setup.

Anything from £800 for a 13" Macbook to £5k for a 2.93Ghz 8 core 16 thread monster Mac Pro with a range of iMacs and lower Mac Pros in the middle.

Unless he is going hard, hard core a iMac would do I'd imagine with a nice set of backup disks.

Raymond uses a 2.93Ghz 24" iMac for his wedding work which he gets paid, I have a 2.66Ghz Quad Mac Pro, about £600 more for non-paid work. However I use the MP for CAD etc.

Oh and that new dell U2410, 10 bit panel. One of the best photographers panels out there IMO. Any panel that isn't a TN would be fine for his work, huge range of decent stuff out there.

As for monitor calibrators, I have a Eye-One 2 calibrator which I got for £90... the Lacie (which uses the same hardway) Blue thingy is £300 but has the best software about.

We really need a budget tbh, he might want the 30" Dell or Apple monitors for the workspace or something ridiculous.
 
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Phate said:
Dude any jobs going at your place?
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I dont work in photography, I just work with people who are into it ;) I do statistics. Sorry mate! :(

Cheers C_R. I've linked him those monitors and Calibrators. Any thoughts on printers?
 
DampCat said:
I dont work in photography, I just work with people who are into it ;) I do statistics. Sorry mate! :(

Cheers C_R. I've linked him those monitors and Calibrators. Any thoughts on printers?
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I know, I'm asking if theres any work going :p
 
Designed for this stuff? Mouse, keyboard, monitor, photoshop layout and shortcuts are the same across both platforms. I'm not anti mac at all, I love their aesthetic design but in terms of everyday use and productivity windows and mac are identical.
 
DampCat said:
...what would i put in it?

My boss is looking to install a "digital darkroom" (his words) in his house and wants an idea of gear to use. I'm guessing we should go with 3 levels of Budget so he can decide for himself how much he wants to spend.

So i guess,
Photo Printer:
Budget No idea
Middle Epson 3880
Top End Epson 9880 or Epson 11880 if you want to be really silly

Monitor
Budget Dell 2408WFP
Middle NEC Spectraview Reference 2690
Top End Eizo ColorEdge CG221

Monitor Calibration Kit
Budget Spyder3Express
Middle i1Display 2
Top End Spyder3Studio SR

Software
Budget Adobe Lightroom 2, Adobe Photoshop CS4
Middle Adobe Lightroom 2, Adobe Photoshop CS4
Top End Adobe Lightroom 2, Adobe Photoshop CS4

What other stuff would he need? Be comprehensive; pay review is coming up ;)
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Other stuff I would consider;

Print profiler
RIP software
D50/D65 viewing booth
Technical Cutter
NAS with plenty of storage

That lot should keep him busy. :)
 
Cheers guys :) I've ripped off everything you've suggested as my own knowledge and expect a payrise sometime soon ;)
 
DampCat said:
Probably mate ;) i'll forward myself the internal vacancy list and catch you on MSN later :)
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Sounds mint
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Cheers dude :)
 
A budget would be good.. Then we can decide if he needs to waste his money on a Mac because it's what everyone thinks you need in a photography editing studio :p
 
olv said:
Designed for this stuff? Mouse, keyboard, monitor, photoshop layout and shortcuts are the same across both platforms. I'm not anti mac at all, I love their aesthetic design but in terms of everyday use and productivity windows and mac are identical.
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Adobe was first released for mac as I recall.

If they are so much the same why do people not switch back to windows?

I think people with 20 years in the industry who stick to macs have a reason to.

Edit: I use both [constantly] and macs are better tbh.! :)
 
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Concorde Rules said:
If they are so much the same why do people not switch back to windows?
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Why would people constantly switch back and forth between two products that offer the same in terms of functionality? It would make no sense.

The reason that there has been a shift towards macs recently is purely down to marketing and brand image which Apple are brilliant at. I bet that 90% of the their customers don't even know or understand why they went a mac, they just do :p
 
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