Computer for DP Merrill

ReD

Hall of Famer
Recommended specs for a DP Merrill?
Operating System?
Monitor?

I'm currently using a Dell Vostro split Windows XP & Windows 7 geared up for 3-D cad work & its quite adequate for most of my Photo needs
intel core 2 duo CPU E7300 2.66GHz 64bit 4.0Gigb ram
Monitor is a Samsung F2380 widescreen
 
My computer isn't very special or new (Windows 7 64bit, Intel i5@3,2GHz, Radeon HD6950, RAM: updated from 8GB to 24GB DDR3). For the monitor I haven't an advice (here it is a Samsung 24").
Propably the most performance issues I had with the software Sigma Photo Pro. And here no hardware update would solve these. The more pictures exists in a directory the slower the processing and export.
For disk space: ~ 50MB per RAW and 85MB per tiff export
 
I guess that's the price we have to pay for maxing out non-Bayer sensors - invaluable extra time. Even with all the choices there are now to develop X-Trans RAWs it's still a pain in the ...., workflow wise. You Sigma DP folks have my compassion and sympathy and I mean it!
 
I have just upgraded my 2009 iMac, (intel processor and 8Gbte of RAW), to the new iMac 27" Retina with 8gbte of RAW
My main cameras are D7100/D700/D750 and I use the DP3M quite a lot converting the Sigma RAW's to 85Mbte 16 bit Tiffs in the Sigma software, (poor), I then use LR and CS6
Sigma is (was) slow slow slow to process ... try stitching three shots together and processing that!

IMHO, it is the speed of the processor that makes the difference in rendering the still images, although I am planning to stick another 16Mbte alongside the 8Mbte ....... (I realise that unmatched RAM is not as effective as matched RAM but 24Mbte of unmatched RAM still be 8Mbte of matched RAW)

So what am I saying ......... spend money on the processor first if you want speed, but presumably that's obvious
 
Last edited:
The Sigma software (and those big files) will run slow on anything I imagine. Instead of fighting it and cursing it and chasing good money after bad, I fix a nice cup of tea and embrace the slowness of it all. It's still faster than sending a roll off to the lab and waiting a couple days to get your film back.
 
Back
Top