Im in a pickle!

clim920 · 08-09-2010, 12:21 AM

I have debated for awhile now, Would it be better to get a good editing computer for videos/photos or get a camera first and use my computer now which is only dual core but can still do it?

future_retro · 08-09-2010, 12:41 AM

Well with the small amount of context I would say the camera, but....

if you already have a nice camera and a capable computer then I'd go for lenses instead

If you run a small design agency or production company or something and already have a pro camera set up then investing in a nice computer system would probably be the way to go. You can build your own system with off the charts hardware specs for a fraction of the cost of a pre built and branded system

But if you don't have a camera in the first place then there's really no point in getting a computer for editing content which has no medium to be created with

Can you give us a little rundown of your current camera and computer set up?

**Ash** · 08-09-2010, 12:53 AM

What do you need to do with on a computer that a dual core cannot do?
Most PP software should be easily useable on a dual core - I've used PS CS3 on an old iMac PPC (not even an Intel single core chip) and it worked just fine...

future_retro · 08-09-2010, 01:01 AM

Originally posted by Ash

What do you need to do with on a computer that a dual core cannot do?
Most PP software should be easily useable on a dual core - I've used PS CS3 on an old iMac PPC (not even an Intel single core chip) and it worked just fine...

I can edit 14 Megapixel JPEG's (haven't tried RAW's yet as I only got the trial last night) in Photoshop CS5 on my [honestly pretty slow] Macbook Pro with a 2.26 C2D, 4 GB of RAM and a measly integrated GeForce 9400M

There's seriously not that much power there and it runs without a hiccup, and that's with it driving an external display as well as the notebook display

**Ash** · 08-09-2010, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by future_retro

I can edit 14 Megapixel JPEG's (haven't tried RAW's yet as I only got the trial last night) in Photoshop CS5 on my [honestly pretty slow] Macbook Pro with a 2.26 C2D, 4 GB of RAM and a measly integrated GeForce 9400M

There's seriously not that much power there and it runs without a hiccup, and that's with it driving an external display as well as the notebook display

Yeah, I even find my white Macbook dual core 2GHz slower than my old iMac PPC with CS3 - so there's something to be said about desktop speed compared to laptops...

lurchlarson · 08-09-2010, 01:09 AM

Originally posted by Ash

Yeah, I even find my white Macbook dual core 2GHz slower than my old iMac PPC with CS3 - so there's something to be said about desktop speed compared to laptops...

Apple down-clocks their laptops to save power and to keep-em cool.

future_retro · 08-09-2010, 01:12 AM

It's odd though, when using iPhoto I get a crash once every 5 minutes pretty consistently but CS5 runs silky smooth for hours, I can even leave it running and not notice it's there but iPhoto is usually a pain to multitasking when it's left open

future_retro · 08-09-2010, 01:13 AM

Originally posted by lurchlarson

Apple down-clocks their laptops to save power and to keep-em cool.

Wow the permanent scorch mark on my legs shudders to think what would happen if they didn't take measures to keep it cool

Alright I'm done threadjacking, I'm really interested to see what the OP already has in his arsenal

clim920 · 08-09-2010, 01:27 AM

I also game a bit to so.... And my graphics card is useless on the Comp.

Oh and my computer is

Amd athlon x2 64 6000+ 3.00

3gb ram

Garbage intergrated graphics.

No camera :P Looking to get into it. There will be a lot of video editing to so that factors in aswell...

Oh and the camera I want is the kx for 520./---

Pc I want is a

Custom-

4gb ram

Radeon 4850 512mb

Amd phenom 6 core 2.8 processor.

Also comes with x2, 24 inch lcd monitors

logitech g15 gaming keyboard

and logitech g5 gaming mouse

for 450$

future_retro · 08-09-2010, 01:44 AM

Well there really shouldn't be any question.

You can't take pictures without a camera, you can't take video without a camera, you can't take pictures or video with a nice computer. So if you want to take pictures or video, get a camera!

Any computer can do basic cropping and maybe even red eye, and spot touchup, a little saturation and such, but you need pictures in the first place.

As for video editing, about 2 years ago I edited a 15 minute DVD resolution snowboard film using Corel Video studio for XP on an old Celeron M notebook with 512 MB of RAM and I'm not even sure if graphics existed back when that thing was made, must have been 5 years old at the time.

So even if you don't have a cutting edge system right now, you can still use it as an outlet for your creativity, but you need material first.

clim920 · 08-09-2010, 01:49 AM

Originally posted by future_retro

Well there really shouldn't be any question.

You can't take pictures without a camera, you can't take video without a camera, you can't take pictures or video with a nice computer. So if you want to take pictures or video, get a camera!

Any computer can do basic cropping and maybe even red eye, and spot touchup, a little saturation and such, but you need pictures in the first place.

As for video editing, about 2 years ago I edited a 15 minute DVD resolution snowboard film using Corel Video studio for XP on an old Celeron M notebook with 512 MB of RAM and I'm not even sure if graphics existed back when that thing was made, must have been 5 years old at the time.

So even if you don't have a cutting edge system right now, you can still use it as an outlet for your creativity, but you need material first.

Well I have a pretty awful canon powershot a550 that i experiment with nowdays and its fun stuff.

icarus · 08-09-2010, 05:00 AM

Get the camera and don't look back!

**frooggy** · 08-09-2010, 05:38 AM

My computer is similar to the one you have now, just a better graphics card. Does CS4 fine, LR is good as well. Only 2gb ram on mine. Going to get 2gb more just waiting on a slickdeal. I would get a camera, but that does sound like a good deal on the computer. Especially with 2 monitors. If you get the computer how long until you could get a camera?

PS. Looking at newegg, I would probably get the computer 1st. I am assuming its a rig someone is just trying to unload for cheap. If you trust the person, a heck of a good deal. Unless it makes you wait on the camera for more then a month or 2.

johnmflores · 08-09-2010, 05:59 AM

Originally posted by icarus

Get the camera and don't look back!

Agreed. If the computer chokes on the K-x files, shoot lower resolution JPGs and lower quality (* or ** vs ***) AVIs until you get a computer that can handle more.

Since you are just starting out, you're not likely to take museum-quality shots, so the small sacrifice in quality will be less painful than the endless waiting/hard drive thrashing.

uccemebug · 08-09-2010, 06:20 AM

Originally posted by clim920

I have debated for awhile now, Would it be better to get a good editing computer for videos/photos or get a camera first and use my computer now which is only dual core but can still do it?

The camera's the thing, as others have said. If you can, though, make sure you've got a tolerable amount of RAM in your PC. RAM is cheap these days, you might be able to get up to 2-4 GB pretty inexpensively and add a few years to your PC. I did this with a crummy laptop that had a "travel" grade CPU and integrated graphics and it was fine for three years and change.

08-09-2010, 12:21 AM	#1
clim920 Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bc Posts: 31	Im in a pickle! I have debated for awhile now, Would it be better to get a good editing computer for videos/photos or get a camera first and use my computer now which is only dual core but can still do it?

08-09-2010, 01:27 AM	#9
clim920 Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bc Posts: 31 Original Poster	I also game a bit to so.... And my graphics card is useless on the Comp. Oh and my computer is Amd athlon x2 64 6000+ 3.00 3gb ram Garbage intergrated graphics. No camera :P Looking to get into it. There will be a lot of video editing to so that factors in aswell... Oh and the camera I want is the kx for 520./--- Pc I want is a Custom- 4gb ram Radeon 4850 512mb Amd phenom 6 core 2.8 processor. Also comes with x2, 24 inch lcd monitors logitech g15 gaming keyboard and logitech g5 gaming mouse for 450$ Last edited by clim920; 08-09-2010 at 01:41 AM.

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08-09-2010, 12:41 AM	#2
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	Well with the small amount of context I would say the camera, but.... if you already have a nice camera and a capable computer then I'd go for lenses instead If you run a small design agency or production company or something and already have a pro camera set up then investing in a nice computer system would probably be the way to go. You can build your own system with off the charts hardware specs for a fraction of the cost of a pre built and branded system But if you don't have a camera in the first place then there's really no point in getting a computer for editing content which has no medium to be created with Can you give us a little rundown of your current camera and computer set up?

08-09-2010, 12:53 AM	#3
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	What do you need to do with on a computer that a dual core cannot do? Most PP software should be easily useable on a dual core - I've used PS CS3 on an old iMac PPC (not even an Intel single core chip) and it worked just fine...

08-09-2010, 01:01 AM	#4
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	Originally posted by Ash What do you need to do with on a computer that a dual core cannot do? Most PP software should be easily useable on a dual core - I've used PS CS3 on an old iMac PPC (not even an Intel single core chip) and it worked just fine... I can edit 14 Megapixel JPEG's (haven't tried RAW's yet as I only got the trial last night) in Photoshop CS5 on my [honestly pretty slow] Macbook Pro with a 2.26 C2D, 4 GB of RAM and a measly integrated GeForce 9400M There's seriously not that much power there and it runs without a hiccup, and that's with it driving an external display as well as the notebook display

08-09-2010, 01:06 AM	#5
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Originally posted by future_retro I can edit 14 Megapixel JPEG's (haven't tried RAW's yet as I only got the trial last night) in Photoshop CS5 on my [honestly pretty slow] Macbook Pro with a 2.26 C2D, 4 GB of RAM and a measly integrated GeForce 9400M There's seriously not that much power there and it runs without a hiccup, and that's with it driving an external display as well as the notebook display Yeah, I even find my white Macbook dual core 2GHz slower than my old iMac PPC with CS3 - so there's something to be said about desktop speed compared to laptops...

08-09-2010, 01:09 AM	#6
lurchlarson Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Oregon, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 681	Originally posted by Ash Yeah, I even find my white Macbook dual core 2GHz slower than my old iMac PPC with CS3 - so there's something to be said about desktop speed compared to laptops... Apple down-clocks their laptops to save power and to keep-em cool.

08-09-2010, 01:12 AM	#7
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	It's odd though, when using iPhoto I get a crash once every 5 minutes pretty consistently but CS5 runs silky smooth for hours, I can even leave it running and not notice it's there but iPhoto is usually a pain to multitasking when it's left open

08-09-2010, 01:13 AM	#8
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	Originally posted by lurchlarson Apple down-clocks their laptops to save power and to keep-em cool. Wow the permanent scorch mark on my legs shudders to think what would happen if they didn't take measures to keep it cool Alright I'm done threadjacking, I'm really interested to see what the OP already has in his arsenal

08-09-2010, 01:44 AM	#10
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	Well there really shouldn't be any question. You can't take pictures without a camera, you can't take video without a camera, you can't take pictures or video with a nice computer. So if you want to take pictures or video, get a camera! Any computer can do basic cropping and maybe even red eye, and spot touchup, a little saturation and such, but you need pictures in the first place. As for video editing, about 2 years ago I edited a 15 minute DVD resolution snowboard film using Corel Video studio for XP on an old Celeron M notebook with 512 MB of RAM and I'm not even sure if graphics existed back when that thing was made, must have been 5 years old at the time. So even if you don't have a cutting edge system right now, you can still use it as an outlet for your creativity, but you need material first.

08-09-2010, 01:49 AM	#11
clim920 Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bc Posts: 31 Original Poster	Originally posted by future_retro Well there really shouldn't be any question. You can't take pictures without a camera, you can't take video without a camera, you can't take pictures or video with a nice computer. So if you want to take pictures or video, get a camera! Any computer can do basic cropping and maybe even red eye, and spot touchup, a little saturation and such, but you need pictures in the first place. As for video editing, about 2 years ago I edited a 15 minute DVD resolution snowboard film using Corel Video studio for XP on an old Celeron M notebook with 512 MB of RAM and I'm not even sure if graphics existed back when that thing was made, must have been 5 years old at the time. So even if you don't have a cutting edge system right now, you can still use it as an outlet for your creativity, but you need material first. Well I have a pretty awful canon powershot a550 that i experiment with nowdays and its fun stuff.

08-09-2010, 05:00 AM	#12
icarus Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Sault Ste. Marie, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 67	Get the camera and don't look back!

08-09-2010, 05:38 AM	#13
frooggy Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Harrisburg, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 104	My computer is similar to the one you have now, just a better graphics card. Does CS4 fine, LR is good as well. Only 2gb ram on mine. Going to get 2gb more just waiting on a slickdeal. I would get a camera, but that does sound like a good deal on the computer. Especially with 2 monitors. If you get the computer how long until you could get a camera? PS. Looking at newegg, I would probably get the computer 1st. I am assuming its a rig someone is just trying to unload for cheap. If you trust the person, a heck of a good deal. Unless it makes you wait on the camera for more then a month or 2.

08-09-2010, 05:59 AM	#14
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Originally posted by icarus Get the camera and don't look back! Agreed. If the computer chokes on the K-x files, shoot lower resolution JPGs and lower quality (* or vs *) AVIs until you get a computer that can handle more. Since you are just starting out, you're not likely to take museum-quality shots, so the small sacrifice in quality will be less painful than the endless waiting/hard drive thrashing.

08-09-2010, 06:20 AM	#15
uccemebug Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 962	Originally posted by clim920 I have debated for awhile now, Would it be better to get a good editing computer for videos/photos or get a camera first and use my computer now which is only dual core but can still do it? The camera's the thing, as others have said. If you can, though, make sure you've got a tolerable amount of RAM in your PC. RAM is cheap these days, you might be able to get up to 2-4 GB pretty inexpensively and add a few years to your PC. I did this with a crummy laptop that had a "travel" grade CPU and integrated graphics and it was fine for three years and change.