I agree with the tilt head recommendations. Even a simple one such as the Oben found here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822708-REG/Oben_VH_R2_VH_R2_Swivel_Tilt_Head.html works well. Good luck.

There are a number of factors/questions that really should be considered including the minimum and maximum heights you like to work with, whether you have wrist or hand problems (arthritis) that would favor flip locks over twist, how much weight you care to carry and how much do you want to spend. Considering that you are in Long Island, I can't think of a better suggestion than taking a trip out to B&H or Adorama. I've always found them extremely helpful and while UHHers have great experience and info, I find playing with the gear in the store to be the most helpful.

Good luck. Let us know what you get.

Just a note: I erred when typing the above. The 12-24 and 24-105 are G lenses, not G Master. Only the 100-400 above is a G Master lens. The two lenses are still great, just not up to G Master quality.

I recently sold my Zeiss 16-35 f2.8 (A mount) and retired my workhorse 28-135 Minolta lens (also an A mount). They were replaced by the full frame E mount Sony 12-24 and 24-105 f4 G Master lenses. Excellent lenses! The Sony 100-400 is on my list and is another world class lens.

Thanks all. The real attraction of the Surface is its weight, but between the cost and reliability issues, I think I'll pass on it. The gaming laptops appear much more robust even if it's at the cost of an extra pound or two. Since I'm not backpacking anywhere in the near future, I think that's the way to get the performance and still have portability.

Again, thanks for the good info.

I also recently purchased Peak Design's Capture and their Capture Lens. I have them attached to a LowePro Belt that I bought some years ago. I used them for 10 days in July on a Danube river cruise. Before that I used a Black Rapid cross shoulder strap for years (and sometimes still do). I found carrying the camera and a second lens on my hip to be significantly easier than carrying the camera over my shoulder. It did take some getting used to getting in and out of cars/busses and walking through doorways (you need to be aware of the camera and not bang it into doorways and other objects. After a brief learning curve, I was very glad to have gone to the hip mount.

Don't know what you are looking at Wingpilot, but I just checked B&H and the 18-105 f/4 was $548 while the 18-135 f/3/5-5.6 was $498, only $50 difference. For that small difference I'd get the 18-105 f/4 G Master lens. It is a better lens. It is my everyday lens on my a6000 and I find it quite comfortable and definitely not too large for the camera. Unless you really need the additional 30mm of reach (which it sounds like you don't) I'd go for the G Master.

Just my 2 cents. Enjoy!!

Hpucker99

Thanks. Never heard of Sager, but went to their website. It looks to me that even their least expensive notebook is fully packed and would easily handle LR CC. Giving it serious consideration as it is $900 less than the Surface 2 product.

Gene51

Thanks! A great reference to see how performance is affected by hardware differences. I was a bit surprised that the choice of GPU appears to have less impact than I would have thought.

Here are the requirements as shown on the Adobe website:
Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support
Windows 10 (64-bit) Version 1511 or later
4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
1 GB of Video RAM (VRAM). 2 GB of dedicated VRAM is suggested for large, high-resolution monitors, such as 4K- and 5K-resolution monitors
10 GB of available hard-disk space
OpenGL 3.3 and DirectX 10-capable video adapter for GPU-related functionality

Thanks again CHG Canon

No, I haven't. It didn't occur to me. Sometimes I can be so thick. I'll go there now and see what they have to say.
However, I still think that UHHers can provide me with real, hands on experience and expertise. Thanks

I searched the archives, but didn't see this topic in the last few years, so I'm going to put it out here.

I have an older HP All-in-one desktop with an Intel i7 processer that literally can take 10-15 seconds to render an image in Lightroom CC. I know that Lightroom now benefits from a GPU, so I'm trying to figure out what I need to be able to work in Lightroom CC and not have to wait seconds for each image to clear up. If possible, I'd like to get a light weight laptop and then add a monitor for work at home. After a brief visit to Best Buy, the 'recommendation' was a Microsoft Surface Book 2 for $2,499 with i7 cpu, 16 GB ram, and GeForce 1060 GPU.

It certainly was an attractive package, but at $2,499 it is pricey. The question is, can I get more reasonably priced laptop and still be able to easily work with LR CC. Just for reference, my photos do tend to be large. I shoot a 46 Mp, Sony a7RII in raw mode most of the time. The reason I want a laptop is that I do a fair amount of travel and would like to work on photos while I'm traveling and not have to wait until I get back home. I have been known to be away from home for a month or more.

I'd love to hear from our UHHers in the know. Thanks!

Wingpilot
I'm 6', 245 lbs with XL hands to be sure. I've used the original RX100 as my pocket camera for years now and have no problems with the small buttons or the case. In part, that's due to the fact that it's in Auto or Auto+ mode at least 80% of the time. The other 20% is aperture priority. Not a lot of button pushing required. Change aperture with the ring around the lens which is very convenient. IQ and form factor are great. What else can I say?

I am becoming a fan of the 18-105 f4 lens. I shot Minolta and now Sony and have several full frame A mount lenses that I swear by, especially the old Minolta 28-135 lens. But mounting those lenses on the A6000 with an LAEA4, defeats one of the main reasons I've moved to mirrorless, namely weight. So, even though I have the A mount lenses and adaptor, I purchased an e mount 18-105 f4 to use as an everyday lens. I have not been disappointed. Although not stellar examples, below are two shots taken with the lens on a recent trip. (Truth be told, they were taken with the A7RII, not the A6000, but I don't think that changes the 'ability' of the lens.)

Hope this gives you a little more to consider in your review.

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The Sony LAEA-4 adaptor is not cheap ($348 at B&H) but it allows you to use all the Minolta auto focus lenses as well as the Sony A mount lenses on the A6000 and A7RII. I use it for not only the 28-135 lens, but also for the Sony/Zeiss 16-35, the Sony/Zeiss 85 f1.4, and the Minolta 75-300 tank.

Regarding the SERIOUSLY imbalanced aspect, it doesn't affect my usage. When I used an A850 with a vertical grip, I could hold the camera body when using these lenses. With the mirrorless cameras, I have to hold the lens in my left hand and the camera body with my right. It feels quite comfortable and natural to me and not imbalanced at all. I suggest you try it for yourself if possible and make up your own mind.

When I mount the gear on a tripod, I use the mount on the LA EA4, not the one on the camera body. That makes for a better balance point, but is still front heavy. It requires a better tripod head to ensure that when you lock it in, it doesn't sag. Since the lenses don't have tripod mounts of their own, it's not much different than when I had the lenses on the ff A850.

Hope this helps.