choice (hopefully)...opinions please!!!!

hschlessphoto

So, by the end of this summer, I hope to have acquired one of two things. Either a D300 or a MacBook Pro (laptop). They both cost the same, but obviously are for different uses. I need the space on the Pro over the MacBook I have now since I am now shooting in RAW and it is just a better computer overall. Also, it would be better for school. The D300 is obviously, well, a D300. I don't think much needs to be said.

Opinions would be greatly appreciated..thanks!

Cameron

How about a D300 and an external hard-drive while saving up for the Macbook Pro?

hschlessphoto

while this does seem like the sensible thing to do, at the age of 16 I have no steady income. All of that is in the summer and, while it is large (I caddy), I could end up spending at leasy half of my earnings on the computer. Also, I have a thing where i NEED to have all my photos on my computer. they are backed up to an external hard drive, but I just like having them all on my computer.

Cameron

hschlessphoto wrote:

while this does seem like the sensible thing to do, at the age of 16 I have no steady income. All of that is in the summer and, while it is large (I caddy), I could end up spending at leasy half of my earnings on the computer. Also, I have a thing where i NEED to have all my photos on my computer. they are backed up to an external hard drive, but I just like having them all on my computer.

Understood.. However, I'd caution you that if you're going to be shooting RAW only now, you'll fill up any laptop hard drive very quickly. I too like to have all my photos on my computer and I do, on my desktop... I tend to keep the last year or so of photos on my laptop with the rest easily accessible on my desktop or external backup drives.

In the end, decide what you want the most. If I were choosing between the two, I'd probably choose the D300 which would be a big step up from the D50. However, if your computer is very very old, processing those D300 images wouldn't be that enjoyable.

PineapplePhoto

How about you tell us what you will be doing and why do you need a Macbook Pro and/or a D300 instead of let's say: a Macbook with external harddrive, an ibook, refurbished Macbook Pro... OR a D40X, a D80, a D200 (used)?

I mean, back when I was 16, I do not think I "knew" what I needed... I rather knew what I wanted... what do you plan on studying in college? what do you plan on doing with photography?

Robinivich

Having recently spent my computer funds on a 40D upgrade from my XT, more or less the same kind of jump, you can tell what kind of decision I made. Right now I backup to DVDs, and have an 80gig portable hard drive along with the 80gig drive on my laptop.

Space is already a squeeze on the laptop, always has and always will be, but if you're careful filtering which files are keepers and which aren't, 80gigs can go a long way. I also use smugmug, so I have a few gigs backed up there already, which makes a nice variety of data storage. Just remember, people pictures, trip pictures, and event pictures, you'll typically keep, everything else, I'd only say keep it if you see it as a nice addition to your galleries. I've taken probably near to 500 macro shots with my 40D to date (focus bracketing, exposure testing, adjusting flash, bloopers, uncooperative bugs, etc), and only some 10 of them made it to my smugmug, there's just no reason to hang on to the ones that don't make the cut. 10 files over a few weeks is below average, but you get the idea, this is not a rate of picture taking that's going to run out of hard drive anytime soon.

I couldn't tell you at your age just how important your budgeting is to you, if you're asking for advice on how to spend fun-money, or if the laptop side needs to be looked at in practical terms as well. That's something you'll have to answer. Myself, I'm perfectly happy storing and processing my 40D's images on a laptop that's close to 4 years old.

nightspidy

What I did...
I recently upgraded to a 30D and bought a MacBook Pro myself. I would not suggest keeping all of your pics on your hard drive, you are going to be out of room fast, especially with the photoshop type programs being used and other things you may wish to do with your laptop.

I burn all my pics to a CD and I back them up on a LaCie 250GB Rugged All-Terrain Triple Interface Portable Hard Drive from B&H.

Lightning fast MacBook Pro + safe pictures = happy girl = problem solved.

nightowlcat

The Maxtor 500GB drive is on sale this week for $120, has a 5 year warranty as well. I have one of these, a Seagate 500GB, as well as several enclosures with different size drives in them. The Seagate I also picked up for $120 on sale. That should give you more than enough space to store your photos and your iTunes

Moogle Pepper

I'd say save up for the D300, or get a D200 instead. When you get into college you can get an education discount on the macbook pro from apple.com. I am using the education discount when I finally order my macbook pro, as well buying one of their clearance items. That way, I will be saving a good $500.

Sell your macbook and any other item that you are either going to upgrade or don't need.

As for space, burn burn burn, or copy/move to an external hard drive!

mr peas

I also use 500gb external drives from both Seagate and Maxtor, they both work really well (when you first format them though, be sure format them to NTFS instead of FAT32 just in case you wish to put bigger-single-files over 4 gigs on them).

You say you have a D40? I say use that for now and save up for the better body as time comes along. What lenses do you currently own? Why not spend the doe on some good lenses instead of camera bodies, at least for now. The D300 is going to be pumping out huge files you probably wont even be using to its full potential (for huge prints or what not), and for those that you do need super huge files, you can always upsample them via Genuine Fractals or something.

So if I was in your position, I would buy some new lenses, a good computer, a cheap but reliable external HD and a whole bunch of little 4.7gig DVDs for cheapness and back up your files into them. That way, you'll have extra cash for yourself to use on gas or a brand spankin' new SmugMug account.

Wish you all the luck!