Is Apple's Mac Studio Worth it for Photographers?

[@bluebird6]

Can I ask your recommendation for a monitor? Thank you!!!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

The LG Monitors I have are no longer available. They do have newer models but I haven’t researched them but their high end models come with a factory calibration. Another option would be BenQ monitors, they are known for spot-on color calibration and quality builds and still cheaper than an Apple monitor.

[@nwtxd]

Out of curiosity what monitor do you have?

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

My model is no longer available, so you'll have to look at the newer models which I believe are very comparable to mine if not better. I've had really good results with both of these LG monitors. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XDY3TXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@eastendmedia27]

Thank great video.. Can you tell me the monitors that you use? I really don't want to spend $1600 for a mac monitor either. Thanks

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hey Ron, I’m sure Apple’s monitor is top-notch, but geez, you know it’s way overpriced. My model is no longer available, so you'll have to look at the newer models which I believe are very comparable to mine if not better. I've had really good results with both of these LG monitors. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XDY3TXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@LMActionsports]

I just switched from a 24 inch benq monitor 1440p, to the 32inch 4k LG Ultrafine which is 100% srgb and rec.709. Its an $800 monitor that are going for $300 on ebay as open box with factory warranty. I print all my work for my clients and use the canon prograf 1000 & 4100 printers. The color accuracy is spot on and the image is beautifully sharp

[@TheRoad.1]

Wonderful review. In dilemma to whether go with Windows PC or this one. And your review has been helpful in making the decision. Btw, you’ve a beautiful desk - is it customized or purchased online?

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Decisions, decisions… glad I can help! Thanks for noticing the desk. Yes, fully designed and then built by me. Man, I loved this project, from the drawings, to buying the materials, to the finish product.

[@shajinnambiar2000]

Now that m2max studio there what would you recommend at the same time imac m3

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I'm currently running an M1 MBP and quite happily I might add. Oh, did I mention I saved a ton of money that Apple would have otherwise... "stolen" from me had I upgraded to the M3. I'm not sure the performance difference between an M1 and M3 is worth the heavy cost of upgrading at this time. I'm sure there are exceptions with heavy demand software programs, but heck, I'm running FCPX creating 4k videos with tons of plugins and I'm still not bogging down with the M1.

[@angela-r]

Thank you so much for this. I've got a huge Apple Photos library on my older 2017 iMac (1.7 TB), and it is struggling on that. I can barely open / edit photos. I'm starting to think I need to upgrade to the Studio Max as I also do photo and video editing. I think from what I've seen, the Studio Max should handle this library? 😅

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

You’re welcome! It’s been well over a year for me and I’m still happy with my choice for my needs. I think you’ll be quite happy with the MAX.

[@randytesch7664]

I just took delivery this week (April 2024) of my M2 Ultra Studio, upgraded to 128GB unified memory and 2TB SSD. I didn't need a larger internal SSD, since I have 64TB of external drive space. My maxed-out iMac from 2012 has NEVER had any issues, but got too old to update the operating system and the photo processing software I use for my Hasselblads and Nikons. As a test yesterday, using Capture One, I set up a task to process a set of 156 RAW 50MP images from an external disk drive, sequencially and uniquely editing each RAW image (including crops as needed). The Capture One task then downsized each, converted each to highest quality JPEGs, and wrote each new image file back to the same external disk drive. This took 53 seconds - finishing nearly three 50MP RAW edits and conversions per second - all while reading and writing to the same external disk drive.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

That's a monster. I'd have to think you're a happy camper! Is it quiet? I always wondered if the ultra with those specs runs louder or much hotter than the max.

[@randytesch7664]

@@MarkHoudePhotography It is absolutely dead silent, and no warmth at all to the touch.

[@randytesch7664]

I only use the internal SSD to store programs, then using external drives to store multiple copies of my saved work. I wanted plenty of unified memory for added future-proofing, and to prevent SWAP from putting unnecessary wear on the internal SSD - since SSDs have limited write-cycles. When I bought my iMac in 2012, I maxed out the RAM to 32 GB, which I'm sure contributed significantly to its useful life to more than 12 years.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

@@randytesch7664 That's where Apple shines. The ingenuity behind Silent Fans is bar none. HP on the other hand... absolutely awful, terrible, obnoxious high RPM whining fans. I complain about the cost of Apple products, but the fact they design their machines with the end-user experience as an important factor is why they're the pinnacle of all things tech.

[@JoeTourist]

You could have saved yourself about 3 of those 4 hours restoring from your slow Time Machine backup drive by transferring peer-to-peer using a Thunderbolt cable between your old an new computers.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Ya know Joe, I had not thought of that! I was thinking about copying the Time Machine files to an SSD drive, then running the backup from the SSD. I’ll have to remember that for next time. I will say that the 4 hours was dramatically reduced as is often the case with these large transfers. Thanks for watching and for the great tip! 👍🏼

[@stevenelson7412]

Great review...I'm about to order one of these to replace my old trusty iMac.... What 32" Monitor are you using ? Like you I have no intention of buying the Apple monitor....

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks Steve. My LG monitors have been fantastic and came calibrated from the factory but I still recalibrated them although there wasn't much difference afterward. My model is no longer available, so you'll have to look at the newer models which I believe are very comparable to mine if not better. I've had really good results with both of these LG monitors. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XDY3TXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@Tvj_films8452]

this guy has editing skills and good sense of humor. You got a new fan!! lol.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Welcome aboard Etched Memories - cool name btw! I love it when viewers notice all the little details and work that goes into making a quality video. I really appreciate the kind words.

[@andregrenon5409]

Hi i see you have not apple studio display, how did your compare and what model do you use, thanks you

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hello Andre, there are several times in the comments where others have asked about my monitors. You can find links there for my two monitors. Thanks much for watching and happy shopping!

[@andregrenon5409]

@@MarkHoudePhotography i'm sorry Mark, can you provide the link, i read them all and i cannot find them thank you

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Sorry about the Andre. My model is no longer available, so you'll have to look at the newer models which are very comparable to mine if not better. I've had really good results with both of these LG monitors. Here's the link to my 32". LG has released newer models under this same build which can be found on Amazon. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XDY3TXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@marcusslade9804]

Am brand new to your channel, having found it while searching Mac Studio reviews. Ironically, after nearly two months of heavy deliberation and seemingly watching and reading every review I could get my hands on, I just ordered a base Ultra version with 2 TB SSD (still likely gonna take 3mths til its delivered). As a fellow photographer, more heavily into wildlife, and looking to update my 2015 27” iMac, I tipped over to the Ultra largely for two reasons: first, from reviews it seems that LR is one of the pieces of software that really is optimized for the M1 and can make more use of its CPU cores and secondly, though it is definitely more computing horsepower than I currently need, I felt exactly the same when I bought my iMac 6 1/2 years ago. Accordingly, if I can get another 6-8 years of use from it I will feel very well served. Though my iMac still works flawlessly, it’s amazing how much perceptually slower it is now…especially with LR. Gotta think the Studio will be transformative for me. Funny, I also just got a new iPhone 13 Pro, having come from a 6S and am playing with all the upgraded photo and video capability…it’s a revelation. Am going to do some panos with it too. Kudos on your content, production and sensibility…all very appealing.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Marcus, thanks for watching and commenting. It certainly adds value to this community! If you can justify the cost, I think you’re future proof for more than seven years with the ultra. I was really on the fence for the ultra but just kept thinking about a few camera accessories I’ve been wanting for a while lol. Patience is the hard part now, mine arrived a couple of weeks early so maybe you’ll see that as well. Either way, I think you’ll be really content with this box. I am getting over the sticker shock with each video I create and all the images I’ve processed. Thank you for the words of inspiration for my content. I put a lot of time into it, and really try to add value for viewers. As for the iPhone 13 Pro, do you plan shooting in ProRAW? I can’t believe how good the quality is. It’s still not going to beat my Nikon Z6 but man, it’s scary good quality for an iPhone.

[@marcusslade9804]

@@MarkHoudePhotography I do plan on shooting ProRaw and doing some comparisons…and want to start using it for video too. I am also a Nikon shooter (still with DSLRs…D850/D6) and while the 13Pro won’t replace any of that gear for my wildlife work, it does make a helluva case as a very competent add-on for other types of shots. It will be fun. Also, I nearly settled on the Studio configuration that you built but I really wanted that 2TB SSD so I talked myself into paying the further premium for the base Ultra model. Seems crazy at the moment but am hoping I’ll feel more relaxed about it later in the year when I’m used to the whole set up and have digested the expense. Ha. Now to create some decent images. Keep up the great work. your effort really shows.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Good stuff here Marcus, the D850 is such a great camera. I had a D500 I used for wildlife, I regret that I sold it, the Mirrorless just don’t perform as well for birds and quick motion. I still have my Nikon 200-500mm lens and for the money, I love it! I think the 2TB SSD was a smart upgrade. I had originally added that option too, then removed it. I have a Synology NAS with 40TB (lol) and also usually have several SSD drives attached so I convinced myself to go with the 1TB. Anyway, I can talk tech all day. Once you get setup and going, you’re gonna be like… “Heck Yeah!”. A friend of mine always convinces me, when spending money, he says” “it’s only coupons, and you’ll get more”. :-P That said, thanks again for supporting the channel, hoping to keep building community here and learning from one another.

[@arndtbc]

Hello, just found your channel. I was wondering you debated about going with a MacBook Pro or the studio when deciding what computer to buy. Is so what swayed you to the studio. Thanks, looking forward to checking out more of your content.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Both! Hey Brian, I previously owned a 2017 MacBook Pro which I still use when away from my desk. Although I don't do much heavy lifting with it anymore. I was using it as a desktop with an external graphics card and thunderbolt dock. It did okay, but the Studio is much more suited for my workflow.

[@jcxstar13]

Question for you. My 2019 Mac Pro lags terribly when I use 2 monitors. When I use just my XDR it works great and everything is fluid but when I use 2 monitors it gets super laggy and is very slow. Sliders don’t stay under my mouse as I slide. Have you edited using 2 screens and if so does performance take a bit at all? Would love to see a video of editing with dual monitors.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I had the same issue with my 2017 MacBook Pro. I ended up buying an external GPU and that solved the problem. I was able to use two monitors with no performance issues. I still have the card and box and should probably sell it lol.

[@prsearls]

I enjoyed this; I'll be buying the M2 Mac Studio shortly, mostly for what you are doing. Some fine photos, BTW. Looking forward to getting modern connections to replace those outdated ones on my old Mac trashcan. Might upgrade my old monitor too.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thank you, did you make a choice yet? It's such a large investment. I'm still very happy with my Studio. Quiet, smooth, and still performing very well!

[@prsearls]

All the M4 chip rumors on the net has me holding off until I get more info. I just upgraded to a Logitech keyboard (love it) and will likely buy a new 4K monitor before year's end. I also need a new 17" printer so I can get back into printing.

[@Tassaczek]

I bought m1 Air with 16BG - and it is enough for a photographer. I did over 1300 pictures on the last job, and LR is just super smooth. Retouching them in PS - is also, not a problem. I do not see a reason why I would buy anything faster.:)

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

... and you saved yourself some money! All of us have different needs and requirements and I'm glad to hear the M1 works for you. I needed the extra ports and graphics performance for video editing and attempted to future-proof, but from the research I've done, the M1 is a little powerhouse!

[@yungsookevinhong7943]

One thing I would recommend for future prove is the beef up the ram as much as one can for any new software may be high demand. because the Ram can be share and use by GPU. One thing which I alway look up my purchase is I should put in more ram. ps. I used to only purchase the base model.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Good advice for sure, especially with more machines these days not being able to be upgraded. So far, my Studio has been rock solid. It's been a little over a year now.

[@nassimabed]

Hey thanks for this! I was thinking about the ultra versus max question...

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

👍🏼 if it weren’t such a big cost increase, the ultra would be a fine machine, but it’s hard to justify the cost doubled. I’m 9 months in, and my Max is still performing awesomely!

[@jasonlee4274]

You said you got the Max instead of Ultra, but mentioned you appreciate the 64GB of ram. Did you get the Max and pay $400 to upgrade the memory? I’m deciding between Mac Studio Max and Ultra right now…

[@randytesch7664]

I just took delivery this week (April 2024) of my M2 Ultra Studio, upgraded to 128GB unified memory and 2TB SSD. I didn't need a larger internal SSD, since I have 64TB of external drive space. My maxed-out iMac from 2012 has NEVER had any issues, but got too old to update the operating system and the photo processing software I use for my Hasselblads and Nikons. As a test yesterday, using Capture One, I set up a task to process a set of 156 RAW 50MP images from an external disk drive, sequencially and uniquely editing each RAW image (including crops as needed). The Capture One task then downsized each, converted each to highest quality JPEGs, and wrote each new image file back to the same external disk drive. This took 53 seconds - finishing nearly three 50MP RAW edits and conversions per second - all while reading and writing to the same external disk drive.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Did you buy it yet Jason? I'm a bit behind here and catching up. I'm very sorry for the late reply. I got the Max and recall paying the $400 to upgrade. If you can swing it with the extra cash, go for the Ultra. But if it's any help, the Max hasn't let me down thus far. I'm using Final Cut Pro X and running some serious plugins (motionVFX) all while having Lr, Ps, multiple browsers, with multiple open tabs and two monitors.

[@jasonlee4274]

@@MarkHoudePhotography Not yet. I am hoping Apple announcing the M4 Macs at WWDC in a few weeks, ideally to be released shortly this summer :).

[@rickwilliamsphotography]

It's like Christmas in Spring! Nice! Now you've got me thinking because my iMac is 5 years old..............

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I gotta tell ya Rick, I thought long and hard about spending this money, and I was hot for the Ultra. I made two good decisions: I saved lot’s of money choosing the Max instead of the Ultra, and I’m saving so much time due to the performance of this machine. This whole SOC design (system on a chip) never appealed to me because you can’t modify or upgrade anything, but wow, the latency and performance makes up for it. I just hope the software companies don’t get too far ahead and use up all those resources. I need to get at least 7 years out of this box, at least that’s the goal I’m aiming for.

[@oskarverkamman8699]

Hi Mark, thanks for the great review. Do you mind me asking which monitor stand/arm you're using (4.30)? Many thanks, Oskar

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Oskar, thanks so much for watching! I absolutely love, love these monitor arms and this company's ingenuity. The company is Ergotech and you can find them on Amazon. Here's the link to my setup from the video. I also have a one-arm setup as well (not in the video). It's basically the same thing without the splitter. These arm's are so damn flexible. Simply grab your monitor with two hands and place it, tilt it, anywhere you'd like and BAM, you're done. You can go vertical too without much hassle. Good stuff and I've had them for years now trouble-free! www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HYXW3S1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[@oskarverkamman8699]

@@MarkHoudePhotography Many thanks!

[@SimonCartwright]

Hi Mark, thanks for the vid! I’m looking to upgrade from a late 2013 iMac, please can you tell me if you used Migration Assistant to transfer your Lightroom catalog and images? Any issues whilst doing it? Cheers

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Simon, the Lr stuff was really a breeze for me as I keep my catalog on an external SSD, while all my files (images) reside on a synology nas. You could easily copy the folder where your Lr Catalog resides, and then paste that folder in the same directory on your new machine. Be sure to make a copy, rather then moving so you have a backup during the migration. Do you keep your Lr images on an external drive or the MacOS drive?

[@SimonCartwright]

@@MarkHoudePhotography Thanks for the quick reply Mark! I too store most of my images on a Synology NAS, but I also keep the images I’m currently working on on the iMac’s HDD before archiving them on the NAS. Probably best if I move them onto the NAS too, and then copy the LRCat. I haven’t used Migration Assistant before so not sure if I’d chance it with the LRCat.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

@@SimonCartwright that’s probably a wise choice although I will say, I used a Time Machine backup from my MacBook and everything was flawless from a MacOS perspective. I think you’ll be fine doing it manually. Worse case scenario, if Lr opens for the first time and can’t find your catalog or files, it’s usually a simple means of pointing Lr to the new directory(s). Good luck and enjoy the studio. You’re going to love it coming from a 2013 Mac.

[@sejalgpatelphoto]

Mark, great video! I got to your channel by accident but I’m glad I did. Question, do you any plans on how you made the riser for your desk? That thing is awesome. If not any suggestion on what to search for so I can try to make one myself. Thanks. Sejal

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

So glad you found the channel Sejal, and thanks a bunch for commenting! I designed and built the entire desk and really wanted that riser (which I love!) to hide all my wiring. I should still have the plans and specs. I had thought of making a video of the process & construction, but figured I'd bore everyone lol. The slab is actually a butcher's block I bought at Home Depot, the riser was made from stock Maple boards I also bought at the hardware store and I had raw metal legs custom built to my specs. I used pocket hole screws throughout. I have all kinds of hidden gems in the desk from wiring tracks underneath that I routed into the wood, to surge suppressor outlet strips under the riser and two hidden slim draws for small items. It was a labor of love and fun as heck project to take on. If you're considering building a desk with a riser I'd be happy to share some photos and the plans I drew up for the project.

[@sejalgpatelphoto]

A video would be awesome someday, I bought my base butcher block desktop from IKEA and the legs are from IKEA but if you ever post the plans I would love to know how to build the riser.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Sounds good Sejal. It wasn’t all that difficult. Email me if you’d like and I’ll dig up some stuff that hopefully may be helpful for your project.

[@leobn2010]

Thanks v m for the informative video. Have you tried files that are double the size (z7 instead of z6 or similar: 45mpx and above)? Thanks again! Cheers!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Leo, I've done some of my drone photos that are 45mpx and I haven't noticed much of a difference. I've also done some very large Panos and Tiffs and I have noticed a difference there. Still performs well, but you can tell the machine slows down a tad.

[@simranbajwa9299]

I have the same laptop as you and need to upgrade as well. Do you think the base model mac studio is good enough just for PS and LR? I dont do any video work just edit photos. 64gb is nice but thats another $400 :/

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Simran, in my opinion, yes, I think the base model would easily suffice for PS and LR. Even the 32Gb RAM model would handle that very well. I myself considered just buying the base model and save the money, and as you mentioned, had it not been for the intense video editing, I may have just opted for the base model myself.

[@joeyfotofr]

The spotting in Lightroom would have sold me if I hadn't just gotten one... I can wait to get new Adobe everything that's not compatable with my super fast 12core 2010 Mac Pro...jt

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I hear ya there mate! I try not to give Apple any more money than I have to. I'm already disgusted at the cost of their machines, I can't imagine what they'll cost 6 or 7 years from now.

[@Hussein22]

thanks for the advice

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

You’re quite welcome!

[@thecoleandjohnshow7236]

Love my Studio box!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Me too, a year later and still purring along effortlessly.

[@mortenthorpe]

if you want performance, you should use other software; Capture One for photos, Davinci Resolve for video… and if you need it - Affinity Photo instead of photoshop

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Suggestions noted and appreciated! In particular - Affinity photo. TY!

[@gaiaimages8283]

Confused when you said at the end Your not happy with the cost but you love how it performs?

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Yeah, my love/hate relationship with Apple. It’s overpriced and everyone knows it, but what can you do. We keep buying, and they keep raising the cost. Have you seen the current MacBook Pro prices? My gawd that’s insane.

[@gaiaimages8283]

I guess though if you keep purchasing apple products it’s because they perform well? I’ve heard the new chip G3 is supposed to blow everything out of the water

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Up till 6 years ago, I was a windows/android guy. Always have been. Figured I'd give Apple a try back in 2017. I do love Mac OS and the stability, but at the going prices, I dunno if I'll continue buying newer apple products. I don't know too much about Google's G3 chip, but It will most likely still be inferior to Apple's A17 chip. @@gaiaimages8283

[@petertsolymosi]

Great video and review of this little powerhouse. I just upgraded from a late 2013 iMac 27 core i7 to the base Mac Studio and have to say it performs video and photo work as well as you describe. In Lr especially when adding various adjustments the speed is greatly appreciated.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Great to hear Peter. Thus far I’ve been happy with the performance. There has been a few times Lr bogged down but I don’t restart the studio too often, so a restart usually gets me back in business. Enjoy!

[@surflifeimages]

Thanks for the real world review.... As a photographer myself, every time I use the clone/heal tool in Lightroom Classic I cringe (Imac 27" 2018 - i5). It's getting worse by the day it seems. Running Lrc & Psd together is painful at best. Seeing the speed of the dust removal and no lag time is worth it's weight in gold for me. Again, thanks for doing a real world test on Adobe. I'll be going with the same system that you have.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks for the real world comment Mike. It certainly confirms that I'm not alone in cringing lol! I think you'll be very happy with the configuration I chose and if you were thinking about the ultra, just imagine all that money you'll save for more camera goodies or surfing gear! 😎 - Surfing under a full moon... that must be pretty awesome!!!

[@Tvj_films8452]

I'm not a photo editor. But why would lightroom eat up so much resource just to do a clone spot removal type editing? I use to do that in photoshop all the time and never had issues. Even with low performing computers.....

[@Seitenwerk]

You know what’s crazy: besides my MacBook Pro i7 6core i actually use my 3 years old iPad Pro (not the one with M1) most of the time for Lightroom. Now what’s crazy is that while the MacBook struggles as everyone experienced it when working with big files and many stamps or masks, the iPad runs absolutely smooth. Even with hundreds of masks and stamps it’s like nothing for the iPad, we’re my MacBook would already give me full fan speed and multiple second waiting time for each click the iPad just continues running as usual. I also edited 4K videos with the iPad and the experience is basically the same. It’s crazy how good apples chips are and I can’t wait to switch to an M1 Mac

[@2mancinema814]

@@Seitenwerk which ipad is it... i really would love to edit photos on lightroom.

[@Seitenwerk]

@@2mancinema814 iPad Pro 12.9 (3rd Generation). But Lightroom runs on any iPad and iPhone of course. I really like using it. Besides the performance of course it’s also the pen which works really good for any kind of adjustments. My current workflow is usually importing all images to my NAS by just plugging my card reader in (does everything by itself) and then the same to my iPad. Let everything sync to adobes cloud and while it does so I already start working.

[@chrisl6022]

Thank you 🙏🏽 for the great review … much appreciated it 🙏🏽

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

You're quite welcome Chris, thanks for watching and commenting!

[@karancricketer]

Only half way through this video , and I must say - You’re the kinda guy I’d actually subscribe and follow !! Good job ! Your subscriber count is very very underrated right now. You deserve many more digits right there!! Keep it up. Now back to your video 👍😊

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Wow, thank you Karan for those words! That's what keeps me motivated, I appreciate you taking the time to share this. Have an awesome day!!!

[@J.Byronphillipsjr]

Good stuff Mark

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Many thanks! 🙏

[@gdan8259]

It's been about six months, do you still have the same verdict on the Mac Studio?

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hey g Dan, that's a fantastic question. I was considering a 6-month recap video but up till now haven't found the time. Anyway, for the most part, it's still performing quite well, but not without its bugs lol. In particular, the Adobe apps will hang up from time to time and I'll get the notorious Beach Ball spinning and will have to Force Quit. Every time Adobe does an update I cringe - fix one thing, break two more. As for the overall performance and reliability of the Studio itself, it's been pretty solid for the most part. I rarely restart the machine (although I probably should). Instead, it sleeps when I'm not using it and I find that eventually, it gets wonky and needs a restart but that's pretty common. It still runs very quietly and to this day I've never really heard the fans ramp up - a silly thing, but man, I find fans so distracting. I've found since switching from my 2017 MacBook Pro, that I'm constantly running more programs simultaneously and I've just gotten so used to it that sometimes I will have to quit some programs for performance stability. It usually begins showing when I'm editing videos and it starts to skip frames but even so, I no longer use proxy clips so these are the original 4k imported clips and after closing, say two browsers with some 40+ tabs each (😜), I usually recover that performance hit - as I said, I've become complacent with memory management lol. I know this isn't the most helpful reply, but if you're considering whether or not to buy one, I'd still recommend it if a large portion of your workflow happens at a desk or office. Overall, I'm still very happy with my purchase, still making (interest-free) monthly payments lol, but I digress.

[@BellaCarmezia]

Do you happen to have an opinion on the Mac Mini upgraded to 16GB for a hobby photographer? I've been told the Studio will be overkill for my needs and saving $ to buy my son a gaming pc would be handy 😅

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Carmen, while I'm no expert on all things Apple, I had considered the Mac Mini for my own use prior to the Studio offering, but having an external GPU for my MBP, I figured I wouldn't get all that much more out of the mini and growing the YT Channel would require more power in the long run. I know there are folks using the mini (M1 Version) and getting really good results - even with video editing, so I'd personally think you'd be fine with a Mac Mini (M1) for hobby photography. The M1 Chip technology is so efficient, that I think you'll be surprised with the results, but even more important, having saved that money and being able to buy your son a gaming pc... well, now that's a win, win!!! GO FOR IT!!! Also, check out Miles channel "9to5Mac", I love his reviews. He's done one or two on the Studio vs. Mini. Also, on the technical side, The "MaxTech" channel might help you make up your mind. Good luck, I sure hope you can buy your son a nice gaming machine, that would be awesome!

[@mortenthorpe]

the macmini @16gb works just fine - using it dor Capture One, and on the aide Topaz’ AI suite of software. I can edit 50 negapixel inages from the Fuji GFX with almost no lag - there’s a bit, but maybe maximum 1-1.5 seconds on an edit with multiple adjustment layers

[@BellaCarmezia]

@@MarkHoudePhotography thanks so much!

[@MarcAndreLevesque]

The M1 mac mini with 16 gb of RAM will be more than enough for your needs. Unless you have a habit of batch processing and editing thousands of HDR photos with Photoshop you will never use the whole CPU capacity and even less the ram. An 8K photo in a complex Photoshop project will at worst use about 10-12gb of actual ram, and unless you really really mind waiting a second or two more, you will never feel the difference vs M1 Max/Ultra. The M1 mac mini with 16gb of ram is give or take the equivalent of a Ryzen58xx and the onboard GPU clocks about at the same speed as an Nvidia RTX 3600ti, and in some circumstances it will even beat a RTX3800 :) the M1 mac mini is a lot more of beast than its size let on! The number of cores in the mac studio is more needed for big and extensive video editing projects or 3d modelling rendering. As for the 32 gigs of ram it is nice (AND EXPENSIVE), but fact is, is that 99% of mac studio owners will never use more than 16 gigs lol ironically. Like I told Mark, the m1 mac mini will be more than enough but if you've got money to burn, you do you :) both are great machines but the return on investment on the mac studio in my books is very questionable­.

[@hej_paul]

"but you get a lovely sticker!" LOL

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

🤣

[@Hawtload]

If you want the fastest render/import/export times possible in LIGHTROOM, the Ultra is the ONLY way to go. If you don't mind waiting 2x as long for those tasks to finish, you can get literally any other M1 or better chip as long as you give it at least 16GB of RAM and 1TB of space

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I hear ya there. Time or money right? Are we willing to wait an extra few minutes and save a few bucks? It was a tough choice for me, but I've been quite happy these past 9 months with the performance of this beast!

[@Yourtaer]

I just went with the M2MAX base model with 64GB upgrade. In Blackmagic I get 2900/3400MB/s. So, a set of TB3 external SSD's in softraid or a "USB4/TB4" enclosure will get me 3K+ speeds for a scratch disk while OS and Adobe runs- from my main SSD. In Europe it's 230 € for 1TB, but 630 € for 2TB (1,5 TB extra) and... 1.380 € for 4 TB. For about 520 € I get 2 external (real) TB4 cases and 2 Samsung 980 2TB Pro NVME's... and they 'll run about 6K MB/s in Apple raid 0. That is... when needing these. I'll try out a few panorama stitches coming weekend (between 8 and 16 30MB RAW files of about 40MB each), and see where that gets me with 64GB of memory and 30 GPU's... :)

[@bruceclarkphotography]

Another well produced video, Mark and as you said it shows another side of your personality.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks Bruce, this was video was a little different but I had blast making it.

[@Stevexupen]

this guy's slapping game is tight!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I cracked up when I read your comment, that was fantastic. It's one of my better sound effects lol! 😛

[@brandonkendrick5525]

I just bought the same machine but LR is ungodly slow when importing, exporting or just switching from image to image. I switched from a computer I built a few years ago and I am just not seeing the performance that everyone is claiming but I’m not very apple savvy. Very frustrating. You still seeing the same performance? Wondering if recent updates have slowed down LR possibly?…. Idk. I’ve been scouring the internet looking for possible solutions but I can’t figure it out for the life of me

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hmmm, that doesn’t sound good Brandon. I did have a few instances where Lr would pull some of its BS and slow down, but it only happened a few times. Usually, I’ll optimize the Lr catalogue or do a restart. The Heal/Clone tool got slow a few times after the last update but it hasn’t been consistent so if could have been anything. If you haven’t already, I’d run the Mac Activity Monitor while your doing your normal workflow and see if the bloated Adobe apps are sucking up all of your resources and memory - adobe is great at that. Are you using an external drive for your Lr stuff? If so, check to see how it’s formatted. I was a Windows guy way before switching to Mac. One of the issues I ran into were my NTFS formatted hard drives. They didn’t perform as well and I had to use 3rd party software to read them on Mac OS for better performance.

[@nickgierus6377]

Great video, thanks. So good to see someone actually using the machine and not just benchmarking it. By the way, what are the two 32" monitors that you settled on? Thanks again 🙂

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks, Nick, that's good feedback. I had originally planned to do more "real-world" testing but wanted to be thoughtful of the viewer's time. Kinda wish I added some intense brush masking or a large HDR Panorama. Anyway, I've had much luck with LG's SRGB calibrated monitors. I had already owned them before the video but I believe they cost somewhere in the $500 range. Maybe not as good as a BenQ perhaps, but the color calibration from the factory was quite impressive. I did still borrow my buddy's color monkey but the end results were quite similar to the factory calibration. If you need more info just let me know.

[@nickgierus6377]

@@MarkHoudePhotography Thanks for such a helpful reply. I've ordered the same spec of Mac Studio as yourself and can't wait to get started. But what monitor to pair it up with seems to be a fiercly contested topic at the moment. But thanks again for your reply. Your videos a brilliant. Please keep going! 🙂👍

[@patriciapiasecki9405]

I think this video was fun, yet helpful & interesting to others. Gotta have fun too! All work can make a dull day!! LOL

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Absolutely!! I had a blast making this one ... Mom. 😎

[@richdie72]

Thank you for not posting useless benchmarks that mean absolutely nothing to me. I'm still waiting for my order but reassured as I ordered 64GB of RAM despite me being fairly sure that I'd never need it. I just assumed that in two years time, I'd rather still have an over powered machine than an underachiever. Any sign of the beach ball of death?... my current nemesis.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks, Richard. I planned to include more "real-world" examples using Adobe's software but wanted to be mindful of the viewer's time. After reading your comment, I wished I had included at least one more example. In my opinion, 64GB is worth the cost, I haven't seen it "swap" memory yet where I believe it borrows resources from the SSD, but more importantly, memory pressure runs low! You can't upgrade memory afterward, so It's just peace of mind, and there's nothing worse than living with a decision you'll regret for years to come. I think you'll be happy with that decision for sure! I share the same mentality as your "underachiever" philosophy, and if you're already spending that much money, what're a few hundred extra bucks. Did you go with the Max or Ultra? I've had the beach ball a few times, but only once it didn't recover while running Final Cut Pro and that was before they released the Final Cut Pro upgrade for the Mac Studio. I'm having one issue with Photoshop after exporting. When I try to open the file in finder after export, it locks up and I'll get the beach ball. But this is only when opening files located on my Synology NAS. It really sounds more like a network issue with the Photoshop App but I haven't had time to t-shoot it. Otherwise, this machine is pretty awesome!

[@richdie72]

@@MarkHoudePhotography went for the Max 1tb, upgraded graphics (no idea why) and 64gb RAM.... as I don't do video (at the moment at least). I have a 2017 iMac I5 with 32 gb Ram.... low memory pressure but the CPU is constantly maxed out, queue the fan noise and the beach ball. I have a Nikon D500 & a D850 but I just avoid using the D850 as it just melts my Lightroom. The Adobe products just seem horribly optimised. I still have a 5-6 wait for my unit and you know, I'm still that impatient (49 year old) child who wants his toys.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Ha! I hear ya on the impatience. After you make the decision and payment, you just simply want it! I think you’ll be quite happy.

[@RAnthonyphotos]

Hey Mark, really enjoyed your Yosemite series. I am actually looking to purchase the Mac Studio, ironically with same upgrades you went with (64GB, 1TB, & 32 core GPU). I have to ask, are you noticing a difference going from 24 to 32 GPU? Keep up the great job with your channel!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

I apologize for the late reply. Thanks for watching the Yosemite series, probably my favorite body of work. So it's been exactly a year this month with the Mac Studio - which also means it's now payed-off lol. I haven't had any regrets and still enjoy the performance of this machine. It's really changed my workflow for example, I don't worry anymore about having too many apps running at once, I no longer have to create proxy video files when making videos, and I'm happy to report, I haven't heard the fan ramp up once since I've purchased the box, and while that may not be a factor for some, it's still nice to have a quiet office space regardless. I'm a happy camper!

[@youperspective]

Hello from France and thanks for the video! I a a photographer and occasional videographer. Also considering the studio max, with the same RAM upgrade for extra longevity and potentially the 1TB SSD. I’m not too sure on that front as 512 could be enough for me as I always save my work in external drives but maybe 1TB would be safer as a buffer for larger video projects (I shoot with the canon R5)

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hello in France!!! So glad you took the time to comment. I'd say go for the 1 TB SSD. I can't remember exactly what the difference was aside from storage, but there were some performance differences between the 500 and 1 TB drives for these machines. All the best with your decision and thank you for watching and supporting the channel Youperspective!

[@swebilbo]

Great video, but the music is to loud....

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks! And thanks for the feedback. I had a few other viewers who mentioned that as well. Noted, and adjusted for future videos. 👍🏼

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks. And thanks for the feedback. A few other viewers have mentioned it as well. Noted with adjustments for future content. 👍🏼

[@rolandcsuka1829]

You have a very cool voice i think you dont need or not so much backround music Your videos are very simple and very informative and i search long ago a video like this from the Apple Studio Thank you so much Great from Germany(a hungarian man)

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks Roland! That’s really helpful feedback for me! I try to keep the videos entertaining and moving along while being informative so this is really good feedback. I appreciate the comments all the way from Germany! Btw, I tried learning the German language as I was planning a trip before Covid. Unfortunately, Covid ruined those plans. But, Danke! 😀

[@rolandcsuka1829]

@@MarkHoudePhotography Gerne 😃

[@christiannilsen2835]

24-core or 32-core? :)

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hey Christian, I went back and forth on that decision, but in the end, I chose 32 - piece of mind, & worth the extra cash. It's always the video hardware that bogs you down if ya know what I mean. Some tech reviews say you don't really need it, but my experience with video hardware - both Windows and MacOS, tells me to go big on the graphics - especially the built-in graphics. If you'll be doing a lot of video editing or RAW photo editing, and if you plan to keep your machine for at least 5+ years, then I'd recommend going with 32 core. Hope this helps, I do apologize for the late reply.

[@paulharrison8379]

Apple always put too little flash memory in their base model iPhones and Macs. I would recommend buying the base model of the Mac Studio but with 1 or 2 Tb instead of the default none upgradable 0.5 Tb of Flash memory. One additional advantage of buying a larger SSD that I discovered is that the larger Apple SSDs are faster.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Paul, you hit a soft spot for me. I couldn't agree more with the 0.5 Tb SSD. At this point in the game with SSD drives, that shouldn't even be an option. They really should have had a 1TB in the base model. I really wanted to opt for the 2TB SSD, but I was already over budget and had to give somewhere, so I went for the 64GB of RAM & graphics upgrade and settled with a 1TB. Wasn't easy, but Apple's upgrade prices are crazy. Overall, a great machine thus far and I haven't had any regrets with the options I picked.

[@furiousdoe7779]

Get a dust free camera from OMD Systems instead .

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Furious Doe, care to expound? I’m curious, I’ve been considering making a video for sometime now on dust spots. Do the Olympus cameras have some sort of tech for keeping dust off the lens or from getting inside the lens? These dust spots were all outside (on) my lens.

[@furiousdoe7779]

Mark .sorry for the delayed reaction. For dust on the outside i am surprised that you could see it. Most camera producers have problems with dust on the sensor . OM Systems or ex Olympus has a special system inside for that . Never had any problems and i have stayed a lot of times in desert areas .

[@furiousdoe7779]

I am waiting for some time … actually 2 years for the Mac Mini M2 … instead of the Mac Studio . I am a bit p…. on Apple who keeps suspending it.

[@tombic6373]

If you are satisfied with the Mac Studio, that's great. But why do you say "stay away from the Ultra?

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hey Tom, I'd say if you have the resources, then by all means go for the Ultra, it's one impressive machine.. It's just that it's so much more expensive, literally double the cost and from a photographer/video editor POV, The Max should handle quite nicely. Are you thinking about getting an Ultra or have you bought an Ultra?

[@tombic6373]

@@MarkHoudePhotography Mark, thank you for your helpful reply. Yes, I will order one soon. The seller is saying that Ultra will not be available until July. So, I plan to order an Ultra next week. All the best to you.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

@@tombic6373 Thanks Tom and enjoy!

[@eprohoda]

Mrak, yeah~ nice channel-catch you later!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks Prohodaction, just subscribed to your channel, I like the drone stuff you’re doing!

[@asmaetravel]

Another amazing upload 😇thumps up ı really appreciate you hard work 🧡❤💙💗💙💜many thabks for your efforts please keep posting more wish you more success stay connected 💞 My warm greeting 💞🐾

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

A warm greeting back Asmae, and special thanks to the words of encouragement. These truly keep me going, they’re like fuel for the soul lol. Have a great day!

[@cmaciasjimenez]

Hi Mark. Thank you for the video. I’m researching the mac studio and probably will go for 32GB since I’m more focused in photography. Would you mind telling me what monitor is the one on the left in 3:23 ? Is that 27 or 32 inches? I want a 32 inch one since the Apple Studio one is crazy expensive and still 27. Thank you!

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Carlos, thanks for watching. Yes, the left monitor is 32", and the right monitor is 27". My model is no longer available, so you'll have to look at the newer models which I believe are very comparable to mine if not better. I've had really good results with both of these LG monitors. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XDY3TXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@merritt0]

What is the source of all that dust

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hey M Hewitt, what do you mean?

[@Teluric2]

Funny how long it takes to load the pics. Its not as blazing fast

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Yup, these photo apps demand so much power to run efficiently, but I did notice a difference between my MacBook Pro and the Studio.

[@Teluric2]

​@@MarkHoudePhotographybut if you upload a 512k pic would it take the same time?

[@sharonb.9128]

Great video. But it seems Apple can’t win. The Mac studio is like the Mac Mini and THAT has always been “BYODKM” (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse).” Apple purposely designed these for creatives who prefer their own mice, fancy keyboards and various monitor set-ups from wide-screens to multiples. Many hated the laptop and the iMac form factors and the Mac Pro price. They needed the specs, but wanted the freedom to design their own unique desk setup. As expensive as it is, it will always be cheaper than Apple devices that come with them.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Great point Sharon, this box was designed for creatives, and I do happen to own a Logitech MX Mouse and keyboard along with my apple mouse/keyboard so I can't argue with that. I just found it funny that I was stopped after powering up the studio and needed to reach for a windows keyboard to get past step one. In all honesty, I didn't expect my apple keyboard to automatically pair with the studio but it made me wonder, had I bought the new $200 keyboard, would that have been paired with a brand new studio? I bet not, which would have still required me to grab some type of wired keyboard or attempt to use their voice prompt feature. So, a rather poor experience for the end-user. That said, this box rocks! It's already saved me loads of time, especially in FCPX. I always had to use proxy clips after import, and couldn't add any plugins during the storyline until the very end. Now, I don't even slow down - no proxies, adding plugins on the fly, making multiple changes without FCPX crashing, etc. Good stuff for sure and Monterey is quite a nice upgrade! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@sharonb.9128]

@@MarkHoudePhotography you’re welcome and It was a very good video.

[@rickved]

The music is very distracting.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Thanks Rick. I had another viewer tell me the same thing. I appreciate the feedback and despite the distraction, I do hope you still found value in the video.

[@asmaetravel]

New friend

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Welcome Asmae from Turkey! :-)

[@DerekDavis213]

One year later, Mac Studio is pretty much obsolete, now that Macbook Pro with M3 Max is released. M3 Max has a much faster GPU compared to M2 Max. About *twice* *as* *fast* .

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Yeap, but the M1 is a powerhouse, and one year later, still performing effortless for my workflow. I won’t give Apple any more of my money than I have to. The cost of an M3 machine is exorbitant, it’s now becoming ridiculous. To the point where I may have to return to a windows machine for my next purchase which hopefully won’t be for awhile. Apple has cleverly found a way to make everything they manufacture overpriced. $3,500 for VR Headset? Really Apple? C’mon.

[@DerekDavis213]

@@MarkHoudePhotography You are right, the cost of M3 Macbook is outrageous. 400 USD for 16gb of ram. On a Windows laptop. the cost is 30 USD. 400 USD for 1tb of SSD, on the Mac. Windows price for 1tb SSD? Only 70 USD. If you decide to go back to Windows, you won't be sorry. A huge software ecosystem, easy upgrades or repairs, and double the performance of Mac, for half the price.

[@paulraphael]

"Notorious" means famous for something bad.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

🤣 Lmao!

[@MarcAndreLevesque]

Way too much CPU and RAM even for professional photography with Photoshop. The mac mini M1 with 16gb of ram is more than enough, but if you have money to burn you do you.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Hi Marc-Andre, have you actually had experience first-hand with this? The reason I ask someone was asking me if the Mini was good for hobby photographers. His name is Carmen and you can find his comments below. If you can reply to his comment it may be helpful for him if he hadn't already made a purchase. Thanks, man, and have a great day!

[@interstellarconundrum4774]

Obnoxious background music is unnecessary.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Noted and thanks for the feedback. I've had others mention this as well. I majored in music so it's close to the heart. I'm curious if you wouldn't mind replying back, why did you choose the word "obnoxious"? Just asking for feedback reasons and wondering if the music was that bad for your viewing experience. Thanks!

[@interstellarconundrum4774]

@@MarkHoudePhotography One thing bad of many about the internet is that I might say things I'd probably not say to your face. It's that anonymity that makes it too easy to be rude. I was rude and I apologize. The problem was that I found what you were saying perfectly fascinating so when the music was playing in the background, it distracted me. The music itself was also unappealing to me. It wasn't as interesting as what you had to say and had no reason, as far as I was concerned, to exist. Music, as you well know, should enhance what you are saying. I find music used in those criminal case KZbin series like "That Chapter" enhances the mystery. It's also very subtle; as if the maker has a keen awareness of when to use it. Most of the time regarding videos covering art, photography, technical issues etc., most would say, I think, that the information requires focus and so any background music is just a distraction. I understand incorporating a little humor and some interesting anecdotes to spice things up, but it is the information people, like me, an illustrator, are wanting from your channel. By the way, you have appeal and a pleasant demeanor, so you have no need to make yourself more interesting and what you have to say is what draws people to you anyhow, nothing really more than that. Just a suggestion, and I will still watch your videos despite the occasional music because you provide important insight and information. Do what makes you happy.

[@interstellarconundrum4774]

I meant also to compliment your editing. Very interesting and professional.

[@MarkHoudePhotography]

Much thanks for all the feedback. I’ve changed some of the ways in which I use background music due to the feedback I’ve received from you and others who have commented about it.