My Mac Pro display setup for photography

I am a photographer and a recent refugee from Windows. I’m using my new Mac Pro to manage and process about 100K images and other digital assets. I’m especially pleased with my system’s display configuration. Here is what I’ve got:
I’m driving my displays with the NVIDIA GT 120. My main image viewing display is a 21” Eizo Color Edge LCD (CE210W). It has a wide color gamut and is more than adequate for my needs. I wanted a second display but was leery of the Apple Cinema units – a lot of comments on this forum and other places seemed to indicate a lack of quality control. Nevertheless, I got the 24” Apple Cinema Display and it is working perfectly.
I calibrated both units with the i1 Display 2 monitor calibration hardware. I ran the i1 Match software for calibrating the Apple display and the Eizo-supplied software for calibrating the Eizo (it stores calibration settings in the monitor’s hardware).
Opinions about monitor calibration settings are like belly buttons – everybody has one. Here are mine:
white point – 6500 K; gamma – 2.2; luminance – 120 CD sq. m.
With both monitors calibrated using these settings, my standard reference image looks practically identical on both units. That is reassuring.
I do not doubt that some people are having problems with the Apple Cinema display. But mine is working perfectly… so far. It is an essential component of a very nice system.
BTW, if you want to hook a 24” Cinema Display to a Mac Pro then you will probably need a display cable extension (Apple picked a curious way to cut costs). I got my cable extension at MonoPrice.com for $6.

Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. Back up all data before you go.

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Best Mac Pro 2013 Config for photography?

I am a pro photographer who is interested in getting maximum performance for the task of editing still images, mostly large files in the 100- 200 MB range . My go to apps are Lightroom5 and Photoshop6. My number one priority is speed/effeciency. Cost is important but secondary. In other words I want the best possible system for the task at hand but I don't want to max out on cost for options that will offer little or no performance benefit for what I will be doing. Thanks in advance for any insights.
John

I think you will find the answer from a like minded user blog
http://www.macperformanceguide.com
The 6-core nMP Late 2013 model with whatever you can afford in 3rd party RAM (32GB at least). And some good solid storage and SSDs. And start with at least 500GB SSD. The base model with BTO.
http://www.macperformanceguide.com/blog/2013/20131219_1-MacPro-whatIOrdered.html

Why no controls on My Mac Pro display for the 9/12 event?

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User Contributed Tips in the Mac Pro Displays and the Mac Pro forum

*The following User Contributed Tips are located in the Mac Pro > Displays and the Mac Pro forum:*
None at this time.
*The following related tips are located in other areas of Apple Discussions:*
a brody - Using a second Mac as a display for a first
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1587927
Publish date: July 7, 2008
See also User Tips Library

You can use the two graphics cards, but it's only useful if you have more than two displays. It won't give you higher speed.

27" iMac as Mac Pro Display?

I currently use the 24" LED as a display for my Mac Pro, but give the increased pixels on the 27" iMac and it's MiniDisplay Port in capability, and given it's cheaper than the 30" cinema display, with a much better panel, on only slightly lower vertical display resolution, I've been giving serious thought to switching to the baseline 27" iMac as a display.
A couple things are holding me back. I'm guessing with MiniDP in, you only get the video, no audio like on the 24" LED (which uses USB). Since there's no USB, I'm also guessing there's no iSight pass-through. I could always add speakers and and a mic/cam combo, but that seems less elegant.
Has anyone tried the 27" iMac as a Mac Pro display? If so, please let me know how well it fits.

Peter Miller wrote:
... if there is a "target display mode", ...
Hello Pete.
Search your SnowLeopard Mac Finder > Help for "target display mode" (without the quotation marks) to find the instructions for this new feature.
Among those instructions are:
The external display computer works like any other external display. To change display settings, open System Preferences on the primary computer and click Display.
I looked for the web-based page, but I could not find it, so, at least for now, you will need to view it in your Mac's Help viewer.
EZ Jim
MacPro QuadCore(Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/MacOSX (10.6.2) MacBookPro(13inch,Mid2009) 2.26GHz(10.6.2)
LED Cinema Display G4PowerBook1.67GHz(10.4.11) iBookSE366MHz(10.3.9) External iSight

Mac Pro display remains black after start up.

My 2008 Mac Pro display remains black after start up. It is plugged in properly and the light comes on, but the screen stays black. It first started doing this about a week ago, but after a manual restart or two, it would start up properly with the display working. Today the display has remained black every time I've tried to start up. Any suggestions for troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Safe Mode uses a very simple way of talking to the screen -- it does not even load the screen driver, and it uses a very common low resolution.
If it does not work that way, it simply does not work. You need a replacement graphics card.
User Tip: Mac Pro silver tower (2006-2012) Replacement Graphics cards

Mac Pro Display Issue

Mac Pro Display Issue - Unexpectedly Sleeps and Freezes
Just since a couple of days my Mac Pro desktop has been having display issues. Unexpectedly the screens go into sleep mode, it turns black and freezes, the computer doesnot respond to the keyboard or mouse.
At first I thought this was related to Chrome, and switched to Firefox, but the computer is still having the same issue. I have to shut down and restart each time it gets stuck.
I even went into preferences and changed the energy saver settings to "Never" allow display or harddrive to sleep. But this problem is stil happening.
Does anyone have the same problems? Or a solution?

I cleaned out my mac with compressed air, it was dusty, but the display flickering happened again.
So I followed your advice and installed:
Temperature Monitor
http://www.bresink.de/osx/TemperatureMonitor.html
Which showed that my memory module 1B and 2B were 70 - 75'C(160 -167'F). There was no reading for the graphic card so I couldn't tell if that was over heating.
Then I installed:
smc fan controller
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/23049/smcfancontrol
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I even changed this ram's placement and put it in different slots.This ram was the same temperature in the new placements.
Also this is the kingston 2gb ram without heatsinks. Ive used it for 1.5 yrs, and this is the first time its giving me these problems.
Do you know how I can check if the graphic card is over heating? or is the problem just with the ram?
Thank you for all your help!

Yahoo Mail: on Mac Pro (keeps asking for my password and then doesn't work)

I have used Yahoo Mail through my Mac Pro Mail Account for years and enjoyed fine service.
For the last few months, the Mac Mail says I have the wrong password, and it won't allow me to access
mail.
If I change the password, it will work for a while (days) and the cycle starts all over again.
Sometimes, I stop using Mac Mail and use Yahoo off the web, and then suddenly Mac Mail will start working
on its own again.
I read a thread for earlier in the year and tried every single thing suggested - this still happens
I have used Yahoo mail for 22 years - but maybe it is time to switch?
Gmail never has this problem...but I use the Yahoo mail for my business, my friends, and groups.
Anyone with a working solution?
PS: My Yahoo email ALWAYS 100% of the time works on my iphone, and ipad...this only happens on my Mac Pro.

You don't have a Mac Pro (*65lb tower) but a notebook.
There is a support page and setup wizard to help plus links to support articles and community.
you may have to rebuild mail index or see if you can export, (re)move the existing mail folder and setup a new one and import old mail. Mail does and can have its issues for sure.
Mail support and Setup Wizard
http://www.apple.com/support/mail
MacBook Series Forums
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks?view=discussions
Mac OS X Forum
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os?view=discussions
http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro

My brand new Mac Pro shuts down for no reason

My two week old Mac Pro shut downs for no pparent reason. Using the wireless, not plug in to an outlet but battery fully charged. Both times happen within 15hrs. apart.

Take it back to Apple and ask them to fix it.
Allan

Options for second Mac Pro display

I have been looking for a second display for my Mac Pro. Since it won't be used all of the time I don't want to spend the money for the Apple display. I recently tried a Samsung T240 24" HD monitor but had to return it because it caused severe eye strain. I can use the 23" Apple display all day long with no problem, but an hour with the Samsung caused eye strain no matter what combination I set for brightness, contrast, etc. The "Apple Expert" at Best Buy claimed that it was because the graphics card doesn't support high definition, but his answers to some other questions didn't impress me. Will I have problems with any HD monitor, or was it this particular Samsung? Any suggestions?

I have solved the problem by purchasing a Dell S2209W display. It is an HD monitor and seems to be working fine with no eye strain. Of course, it is not as nice as my 23" Apple display, but at $239 it is perfectly adequate for use as a second display. I still don't know why I had problems with the Samsung, but I am happy for now.

HT1151 2010 mac pro, my cable for my display won't fit, mac pro 21 pin display 30 pin ?

bought a 2010 mac pro. My display will not match up to it
my mac pro has 21 pins and my display has 30
is their a adapter to fix this. also usb and firewire don't match mine either
Help want to set it up

You need to provide more details as to what computer, what display, and what connector you have. USB and Firewire "don't match mine either" means what? Don't match what?

Mac Pro - Separate HD for OSX and Windows?

Hello Mac Pro users - maybe some of you can help...
Are going to buy a Mac Pro soon - which will be used for graphic artwork and Windows games. Today I have a Mac and a PC - for the same purpose - and now I want to build the Mac Pro with a harddisk for OSX - and another harddisk for Windows (XP or Vista). Is it possible to have 2 separate HD's (or more) with each systems using the standard setup by Bootcamp - or do I have to make a partition on the OSX HD and then install Windows there?
I'm asking this pro forum because I can't get a clear answer here in Denmark where I live - a Apple supplier first said it was impossible - then 2 days later, that it was possible, but they will charge me for 2 hours of support - and in another forum some have told me it was easy - but have given me no help how to do it - and again some have told me to use some software called "rEFIt".
So is it possible - and hard to do?
If possible, please tell me in steps how to do...
BR FLASH

Boot Camp will allow you to
utilise an entire disk for Windows. If you go to the
Boot Camp web page you can actually see it in a
picture…
http://www.apple.com/bootcamp/
The only thing you need to be wary of is that the
Boot Camp Assistant will not wrok from a Mac OS X
installation that is on a RAID set. As long as you
boot mac OS X from a single drive then it's really
easy.
I had a setup for awhile of two drives in RAID-0 for my Startup drive, a backup single drive, and a separate 300GB drive just for Windows.
In Windows the "Startup" drive in Control Panel would not show the RAID-0 Startup volume, but I could startup from it by hitting Option when it rebooted.
Steve

Early 08 Mac Pro display black on start up!

Hi
I have an early 2008 Mac Pro with what looks like a faulty ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT.
There has been a longstanding issue with my 30" Cinema Display going blank (black) during a restart. It happens about halfway through startup when the spinning wheel is on screen. The white LED on the display lights solidly. The Mac appears to boot up normally and I can shut it down blindly using key commands.
Occasionally, unplugging the display and then re-plugging it brings it back to life but animation such as Dock magnification then becomes very jerky.
I've zapped the PRAM, reset the SMC numerous times. Both have occasionally bought the screen back to life but the problem has always re-occured. I've removed the graphics card, cleaned the connectors and then replaced it.
The issue has remained through a complete reformat and installation of Leopard and then Snow Leopard plus numerous OS updates.
The Mac almost always starts up normally first thing in the morning. The problem seems to get worse throughout the day, i.e. the longer the Mac has been on, the more likely the graphics are to fail on restart suggesting an overheating issue perhaps?
I would send the Mac in for repair BUT... it is stuff full of 3x Pro Tools PCIe cards and I REALLY don't want take them out OR send it in with the cards in place. (Please note: the problem was occurring long before the Pro Tools cards were installed.
So... my question is, does this sound like a faulty ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT? If so, I'll try and get a replacement. (Any idea where in the UK? I've searched everywhere!)

Your Mac uses a default setting to fire up the display and set a start-up picture. Halfway through the boot-up process, it switches to the stored System Preferences. This file may be damaged. A re-install (keep my preferences) would not fix it.
I suggest you boot up in safe mode (hold down the shift key all the way through startup) and use System Preferences > Displays
... to change something about your display, so that it will re-write the Preferences files.

Mac Pro Displays 2013

I have a new Mac Pro on the way. How exciting. Any way I currently have a 2012 Mac pro with a 5870 and a gtx 120 in it. It is currently driving a 46 inch tv using vga. I also have a 21, 24 and 27 inch displays plugged in using dvi. My question is will this work. If I use 1 minidisplay adapter to dvi for the 21 inch display and than I use 2 active minidisplay to dvi to drive the 24 and 27 inch displays can I still use hdmi to drive the 46 in tv hooked up.
Thanks for any help.

This article touches on the subject, but does not say you can use additional ACTIVE Dual-Link DVI adapters beyond one non-Active plus the HDMI port. The Mac Pro cognoscenti believe you CAN, provided any additional adapters are ACTIVE adapters.
Mac Pro (Late 2013): Using multiple displays

Newest Mac Pro: Displays How will 4K be displayed? : 4K 3840x2160 UHD 4096x2550 Where as: 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display=2660x1440

How will 4K be displayed? :
4K 3840x2160
UHD 4096x2550
Where as:
27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display=2660x1440

4k is the generic term for resolutions that have a horizontal number of pixels around 4000. The two most common resolutions are Ultra Hi-Def (UHD) and Cinema 4K (C4K). The first is 3840x2160 and is exactly four times the resolution of "Full HD", or 1080p. The second is 4096x2160 and is one of the "standard" resolutions used in digital cinema projection.
The HDMI 1.4 standard supports both of these, but only at certain refresh rates. UHD, being the consumer version, is supported at 24Hz, 25Hz, and 30Hz; C4K is only defined for 24Hz since most of the material is going to be film-sourced. (This implies that 25/30Hz will include TV material at half their original rates of 50/60Hz.) Over HDMI, all four of these timing formats run at the same clock rate (297MHz, ignoring the fractional versions). This is the highest clock used in this version of HDMI, although the standard allows up to 340MHz. (There may be PC timing formats between 297-340...)
Using generic terms, we call these modes "UHD30" to imply resolution and refresh rate, and if a TV supports UHD30 it will always support UHD24 (although it is not a rule, merely a reflection of reality). A TV can only support C4K24 in 1.4, but it doesn't have to. There are many TVs that will support UHD24 or UHD24-30, but not C4K at all. So the practical limit of HDMI 1.4 is "up to 4k30."
HDMI 2.0, which the Mac Pro does not have [yet], provides dot clocks up to 600MHz (although above 340MHz, they are all divided by 4) and allows "up to 4k60" for pixel encodings of RGB444, YCC444, and YCC422. The new standard also allows 4k50/60 to use YCC420, which sacrifices some color information (known as 'uses chroma subsampling') but allows the data to be transferred at the same rate as 4k30. While "fine" for video--since it was probably delivered over BD/DVD or streaming at YCC420 to begin with--it is not fine for you computer's output.
I just got a 4k TV because I was tired of my dual 1920x1200 DisplayPort monitors after coming from the original 30" Cinema display of 2560x1600. Specifically, I used to enjoy >1080 pixels tall. But here's the problem with the 4k TV: while it has HDMI 2.0 inputs, the MacPro has only HDMI 1.4 so the output is limited to "up to 4k30". Moving the mouse is laggy and not smooth as it would be if the display were 60Hz. Furthermore, the MacPro is not offering me a choice between UHD or C4K--both of which the TV supports--and is instead defaulting to the largest resolution of C4K. This means the refresh is only 24Hz. And that's why I'm in the forums today--to see if there's a way to get my output to be UHD, but at 30Hz.
In a couple months, several companies will be selling DP-to-HDMI2 dongles that will support 4k60. So I am holding my breath until then.
Now, to specifically and accurately answer your question: Out the current MacPro's HDMI 1.4 port, you will get the highest resolution your TV (called the Sink) will support. If your TV has C4K24, then that is what will show up. If your TV does NOT have that, but has UHD24-30, you SHOULD get UHD30. If your TV ONLY has UHD24, then that's what you will get. If you get a TV, the chances are really, really good that the panel will have 3840 pixels across and 2160 lines down. In this case, you want the Mac to output that resolution and put the TV into pixel-for-pixel mode so every input datum is mapped to a single display element. Since most displays overscan, the Full mode will expand the incoming data from 2-5% which can eliminated the crispness (and also cut off the extremes of the Desktop). Also, if you are outputting C4K (like I am) AND you have switched to P4P mode, the horizontal dimension is shrunk by 6.6%.
If any of this is unclear, just reply. But I will say that this 40" TV is really useful, and once it is running at 60Hz...bellisima!

My Mac Pro display setup for photography

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