epand56 Posted January 22, 2009 Share #1 Posted January 22, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I've got a Mac Book Air as the computer I always take along with me for going around and traveling. I've just installed on it Microsoft Word for writing and Lightroom2 + Photoshop CS3 for working some DNG on the field. Air is an astounding machine, very light and thin, only, the screen is no more one of those screens I was used to have on Macs. Above all it lacks in contrast. Does anybody here works DNGs on a Mac Book Air? Are you satisfied with how the screen renders? How did you set the monitor colour preferences? Any secret valuable hints? Thank you for any feedback Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 Hi epand56, Take a look here Mac Book Air and Lightroom. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
vikasmg Posted January 22, 2009 Share #2 Posted January 22, 2009 .... Air is an astounding machine, very light and thin, only, the screen is no more one of those screens I was used to have on Macs. Above all it lacks in contrast. Does anybody here works DNGs on a Mac Book Air? Are you satisfied with how the screen renders? How did you set the monitor colour preferences? Any secret valuable hints? I've been using a MacBook Air for a while but I'm planning to give it up. The colour renders has not been a big issue but then I am coming from a very poor standard (used to use thinkpads before). Although there are occasional surprises when I move back to the Apple Cinema Display I use with a MacBook Pro at home. I find the lack of ports increasingly problematic - specially with just one USB port. I tend to carry my images on a separate drive with the Lightroom Catalogue on the same drive as well and if that takes up the one USB port I have no options for anything else (Ethernet, SD Card reader, occasional thumb drive etc. Also I find the new MacBook Pro screens (the ones with edge-to-edge glass) much better. The Macbook Air size and weight IS seductive though so I'm not sure yet. For such a thin machine it's also quite strong. I've regularly put it in a small case and packed it into checked luggage to minimize hassle at airport security and never had a problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustafasoleiman Posted January 22, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 22, 2009 I've got a Mac Book Air as the computer I always take along with me for going around and traveling. I've just installed on it Microsoft Word for writing and Lightroom2 + Photoshop CS3 for working some DNG on the field. Air is an astounding machine, very light and thin, only, the screen is no more one of those screens I was used to have on Macs. Above all it lacks in contrast. Does anybody here works DNGs on a Mac Book Air? Are you satisfied with how the screen renders? How did you set the monitor colour preferences? Any secret valuable hints? Thank you for any feedback Dear Enrico I am at my second MacBook Air and I love it. I use it with Aperture and I have no problems with the screen, which is the same as all the other Macs I had and have. Still you should probably use a calibration utility like the Spyder3 to get the best results. Also you can use the calibration utility in the Display area of the system preferences of Mac OS X. Alessandro Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugat Posted January 22, 2009 Share #4 Posted January 22, 2009 I got the new macBook before X-mas and used it exclusively for 5 weeks for photos. Having used iMac 24" before, I had a real problem adjusting to the new display's rendering of colors. They all looked too warm/magenta to me. The new macs (Airbook too) have LED lit displays. I think that might account for a different perception of colors. After couple of weeks I got used to it. I also change the default color space set up from Mac to sRGB. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marquinius Posted January 22, 2009 Share #5 Posted January 22, 2009 Still, I'd be careful with using the "air" for serious post processing before print. Not only do you have a rendering problem, but you'll always be looking slightly different into the screen. That goes with all lap tops. But for quick end DPP and scanning: it's fun. Marco Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandymc Posted January 22, 2009 Share #6 Posted January 22, 2009 You don't mention whether you've calibrated the screen - if not, you really need to. You will need a new generation calibration device - some older ones don't like LED (or wide gamut) screens. Sandy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overgaard Posted January 22, 2009 Share #7 Posted January 22, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Calibration of the screen is key and I would say most screens can be tamed to produce correct enough colors. All screens are different, the 13" MacBook,the 15" MacBook, iMac, eternal 20" Apple screen - they are all different and only calibration can bring them to a look so you can actually trust them color wise. Also, remember to set the luminance correctly or you will over expose your pictures (and hurt your eyes). MacBook Pro 15" is 10 of 16 clicks on the luminance buttons, 13" MacBook is 9 clicks, iMac 20" is 6 clicks of 16 and so on (next time you watch a DVD on your computer with the correct luminance, you will see how you might have spoiled all Spielbergs good camerawork in the past :-) Buy and use a Pantone calibrator ("Huey", "Eye-One" or other). They start from below 100$ and it is every penny worth it. It will create a proper color profile for your screen, as well as measure the luminance and tell what the recommended is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share #8 Posted January 22, 2009 Thank you very much for all your help, advice and hints. They are all very hepful. I will try to buy or lend fron friends a calibration device such as Spyder 3, Huey or Eye-One. I do not mainly do post-production work on the Air, but this can often happen when I travel or I'm away from my studio and have to us the Air. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmk60 Posted January 22, 2009 Share #9 Posted January 22, 2009 Thank you very much for all your help, advice and hints. They are all very hepful. I will try to buy or lend fron friends a calibration device such as Spyder 3, Huey or Eye-One.I do not mainly do post-production work on the Air, but this can often happen when I travel or I'm away from my studio and have to us the Air. I bought a Huey Pro calibrator from a local Apple store as their sale staff said that it would work properly on my MBP (LED lit display). No chance. I got this weird green cast all over the display. I checked out some forums and found out the sensor had some issue and found a service call at Phantone website. I emailed them asking for a replacement. No action taken by them for a couple of months. So I sold the calibrator on eBay. A couple of weeks later, I received an email from Phantone, saying that they were ready to send me the replacement sensor. I got it in the next couple of weeks and tried it on my MBP. Same problem. It is now sitting on my shelf and waiting to get on eBay again. I use my Apple Studio Display for photos so it is not a big deal.... Mashu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 22, 2009 Share #10 Posted January 22, 2009 I've got a MacBook Air (the first generation). I've also owned a MacBook (and my wife has owned two other MacBooks) and still own and use a MacBook Pro (17" non-LED screen). The Air is far and away the best screen of that bunch - very bright and with a very wide viewing angle. In fact I've been very happy with the Air as a travel machine and am quite happy to use it for DNG conversion and other 'serious' work. I agree with the earlier poster that the lack of ports is the most significant issue. I don't mind the lack of firewire and the non-existent DVD drive but having only a single USB port can often be a pain in the arse juggling between flash drive, a card reader and/or external hard drive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share #11 Posted January 22, 2009 I've got a MacBook Air (the first generation). I've also owned a MacBook (and my wife has owned two other MacBooks) and still own and use a MacBook Pro (17" non-LED screen). The Air is far and away the best screen of that bunch - very bright and with a very wide viewing angle. In fact I've been very happy with the Air as a travel machine and am quite happy to use it for DNG conversion and other 'serious' work. I agree with the earlier poster that the lack of ports is the most significant issue. I don't mind the lack of firewire and the non-existent DVD drive but having only a single USB port can often be a pain in the arse juggling between flash drive, a card reader and/or external hard drive. Ian, thanks for the feedback, I love the Air as well. Which monitor set do you have in the System Preferences>Monitor>colour window? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overgaard Posted January 22, 2009 Share #12 Posted January 22, 2009 Never heard about the Huey issue. I know the eye-one display 2 works on MacBook, IMac, external Apple screens, etc. I've seen one Huey in action on a 30" (not Apple) and it just looked very wrong in colors. Never thought about it before reading the above. So maybe the Huey is just not the way to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_b_elmer Posted January 22, 2009 Share #13 Posted January 22, 2009 Quite another way to go is the Lenovo W700, for instance model 27523kg, which has a 1920 x1200 glossy screen with built in huey poantone calibrator, Nvidia Quadro FX 3700 M with 1 GB, Intel qx9300 2,53 Mhz quad core processor, 4 gb ram (expandable up to 8 gb when memory cards are given free), 2 x 320 gb hdd running Raid 1, Blue Ray dkisc (recordable), built-in Wacom digitizer and camera, fingerprint readeer and Vista Business 64 bit. It is no light weighter, but you can't get it all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmk60 Posted January 23, 2009 Share #14 Posted January 23, 2009 Never heard about the Huey issue. I know the eye-one display 2 works on MacBook, IMac, external Apple screens, etc. I've seen one Huey in action on a 30" (not Apple) and it just looked very wrong in colors. Never thought about it before reading the above. So maybe the Huey is just not the way to go. Yeh, should be careful with the Huey stuff. What pi**ed me off was that the sale stuff said it would work on MBPs... When I asked if she was 100% sure, she said "we do not carry anything that does not work on our Apple products!!". My Studio Display is calibrated with a Spyder which does not work on my MBP's display, either. That is why I wanted to try something else. mashu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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