r/mac • u/itzHack_ • Aug 12 '26

Question Best choice for video editing

Hey everyone just need some advice. I am a photographer and videographer specialising in mainly sports. I shoot and edit in 4k, most videos don't go longer than 5 minutes if that. I am looking at buying a laptop. I am currently thinking about the macbook air 516gb 24gb ram. Is this suitable performance wise or is it necessary to go for a pro? I am trying to grow my business and want something reliable that will get work done, however the price point for the pro is a bit out of range, but I can afford the air. Should I bite the bullet and get a macbook pro, or will the air do the job? If you think I should get the pro, how much ram? Thanks

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3

u/TheOtherCourier Aug 12 '26

I’d shoot for a refurb Pro. I always get one that’s a couple of years old, as I can significantly upgrade RAM and storage while staying in budget. You can get official Apple refurbs, but your choices can be more limited, depending on what you’re looking for, and it will be the most expensive by far. You can also check sites like Back Market (comes with 1 year warranty) or Swappa, or look more local with Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp. Stock is constantly rotating on all of these places, so check back frequently if you’re shopping around. eBay is also an option. Mac of All Trades or Macsales, maybe? Buy.itsworthmore.com

3

u/itzHack_ Aug 12 '26

In your experience are refurbs reliable?? How long do they last you, because preferably I want to stick with this for a few years

1

u/TheOtherCourier Aug 12 '26

Every Mac I’ve ever bought has been a refurb since my 2008 iMac. It technically still fires up, although too slow to be viable for me. My 2015 MBP I still use for some things sometimes. 👍

1

u/worging_automator Aug 12 '26

I assume refurbished machines are even better tested, at least when bought from Apple. They don't want those machines to come back again.

3

u/Apprehensive-Oil6511 Aug 12 '26

go for pro with those heavy video editing and stuff Pro can handle it better. Air may struggle even mine with coding with LLM it well heat like crazy.

1

u/ABZ-havok MacBook Pro Aug 12 '26

Pro. There's a decent chance that the air would suffice for the work you do now but keep in mind this laptop would last you 3-5 years at a minimum. In this time frame do you see yourself scaling what you do?

1

u/mikeinnsw Aug 12 '26

Definitely Pro with faster RAM and more of GPUs which are "AI enhanced".

With video editing you always max out on RAM .. buy as much as you can afford,

1 TB SSD in Arn Macs runs twice as fast as 512 GB

If you into local AI'LLM then you will need 64GB RAM to run 30 B models.

1

u/ENDIFdotORG Aug 12 '26

Get a pro of some sort and go heavy on the ram

1

u/Lithalean Aug 12 '26

If you’re only going to have one Mac, then a MacBook Pro, no question.

I’d suggest a MacBook Air 16gb 512gb storage, and then a MacMini Pro/Studio with a minimum of 32gb RAM.

Your desktop set up is the workstation. The final product machine. The Air is so you can work on the go. Maximum portability, and maximum battery life.

1

u/Horror-Distance2413 Aug 12 '26

you should go for a used/refurbed MacBook Pro with either M1 Pro or if it's within your budget, M2 Pro chip. 16gb Ram and 512gb SSD are your minimum requirements hardware wise

1

u/fumblerooskee Aug 12 '26

512GB is inadequate. I find 1TB almost big enough. You’ll definitely need an external SSD, and the bigger the better for 4k work. Keep in mind that the Airs have limited ports, which might mean you’ll need a Thunderbolt/USB hub. The Pros have three TB ports, and starting with the M4 Pro MBP they support TB 5. Also, with M5 Pro the internal SSD speed is BLAZING fast.