I need to buy a PC laptop that will be used for tethered shooting and proofing - NOT editing. Images proofed will be mid-size jpegs (not raw). I might zoom to check sharpness or crop but that would be about it. Bottom line is I can't have a system that slows down the proofing process for clients.
Minimum specs for such a machine (RAM, VRAM or dedicated card, processor, etc) greatly appreciated.
Where to start.... Do you have a budget? Maximum spend? Do you have any brand loyalties? Dell, IBM, etc. Are you open to a refurbed model that may give you more for your spend?
Yes, max spend of $300 ideally or $500 absolute tops...
checked and I can get New Dell Inspiron 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop with Intel Core i3 5015U Processor, 4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW and Windows 10 for $279 (display model). Also a Lenovo Ideapad 110 AMD A4-7210 15.6" Laptop With 4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 10 for $349.Don't know if either of these are adequate...
I can't work with a 90-day warranty on the refurb so it's out...
Used Dell many times but am open to pretty much anything...
That isn't a very high budget if you expect something that performs well for tethered shooting. I don't like those specs at all, even for a desktop for using Lightroom to edit images. You need at least an i7 processor with 8 GB RAM. The problem with giving you the "required" specs to accomplish a task is that you could then purchase a computer with those specs and be extremely disappointed. The only way to know for sure is to try Lightroom and the required tasks on the specific computer you are considering.
Another thing to consider is whether or not Lightroom supports tethering for the camera you are using. And you need to make sure you have the version that does include tethered support if it is available. Here is the list of supported cameras:
I understand the warranty issue but the best way to maximize your spend is to get better specs on an open box or refurb with a brand you are confident with. If you are planning on shooting tethered and utilizing power user features in Lightroom, you will regret spending less - not more.
And the facts are what they are. You really shouldn't expect satisfactory performance from a computer with those specs. You can give it a try, but I don't believe you are being very realistic in your expectations. Here are the system requirements that are published by Adobe. You will note that the computer you are considering probably does meet the minimum system requirements. But meeting the minimum requirements doesn't imply that you will get optimum performance.
Actually I have done wireless tethering to our ipad using both the camranger app and the nikon wireless built into my camera (D750).
I had a laptop that worked until it became obsolete with the CC updates (and then crashed altogether).
The problem is that the camranger connection slows gradually during a shoot until it is unusable. I have found no explanation for this issue so I no longer use it.
The problem with the Nikon tether is that you can't compare images side-by side during proofing (only one at a time). This is a limitation of the app. Painstaking but it always works. This is what I'll use without the laptop solution (and I won't get a cheaper one based on everyone's input).
I would actually recommend building one of them yourself, I can help you with the parts list, but other than that it is fairly simple to connect the parts and there are many tutorials on the matter.It is also much, much cheaper to build it than to buy one. If you don't want to build it or don't have the time, I would understand that, also building a PC removes mobility, so it might not be the best option.
I would recommend the HP Envy, those things are absolute beasts and are fairly cheap now.
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