M4 Max MacBook 14″ - A Filmmaker’s Review

Video Description

Audiio is today’s sponsor: Use code ‘cine70’ at https://audiio.com/cinedailies for 70% off your first year ($59). Unlimited music, SFX, and their AI tools like LinkMatch + Hans. As a former M1 Max Mac Studio power user, I recently jumped to the 14″ MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip. But I had questions leading up to that purchase — would the editing experience be the same or better? Would I regret going back to dongles? Six months in, I’ve mostly found my groove… but there’s still a bit of friction.” “This isn’t a tech review — it’s my honest take as a full-time filmmaker who edits, writes, and does pretty much everything on this machine. I’ll walk you through the pros and cons and how I’ve improved the laptop experience. If you are a filmmaker in the same boat as me, stick around. This video will give you some clarity. Filmmaking tech & Setups https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhUeju5Xv739KyeRXxIBdJrbs3wSJRCg #apple #macbookpro #tech Support my channel! THE BEST BAGS FOR ORGANIZATION, CRDBAG: GET 15% off using code CINEDAILIES15 on CRDBAG's website. Click here: https://bit.ly/3QhqbBs Gear in this video: CalDigit Element5: https://amzn.to/4qmW90g OWC 4TB Envoy Pro FX: https://amzn.to/4nWqIbD ASUS ProArt Display 32” 4K HDR QD-OLED: https://amzn.to/47dwDBT Use Joshua-20 for an Angelbird discount 20% your first purchase: angelbird.com/joshua Cameras: Adorama - Fujifilm GFX 100 ii: https://bit.ly/4l99Qxr - Fujifilm Xh2s: https://bit.ly/3XCz9hi Moment: - Fujifilm GFX 100 ii: https://bit.ly/4i22wAW - Fujifilm Xh2s: https://bit.ly/4cdcdeB Cage and parts: - Mid49 cage: https://bit.ly/3FaewTs - right bracket side: https://bit.ly/4kknvAi Lenses: B&H: - DZO Arles Primes: https://dzolink.com/42qlyMR - Thypoch Simera-C 35mm T1.5 Cine Lens (Leica M): https://bhpho.to/4jGhygU - Metabones Leica M Lens to FUJIFILM G-Mount (GFX) Adapter: https://bhpho.to/3EfA7cU - Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 lens vm iii - Viltrox 13mm 1.4: https://amzn.to/40YHlKs Adorama - DZO Arles Primes: https://bit.ly/42t4iq4 Camera adapters: Amazon - PL to Fujifilm Xmount: https://amzn.to/41LjEG7 - PL to Fujifilm GFX mount: https://amzn.to/42GyME7 Wooden Camera - PL to Fujifilm Xmount: https://bit.ly/3DX2qfV - PL to Fujifilm GFX mount: https://bit.ly/4iJqFxm Audio: Adorama - DJI Mic 2: https://bit.ly/43Ab1Qb - Deity VO-7U: https://bit.ly/42rh4Fu Amazon - DJI Mic 2: https://amzn.to/429BnpO - Deity VO-7U: https://amzn.to/41NBgBl Use CINEDAILIES10 on SmallHD’s website: - SmallHD ultra 5: https://bit.ly/4jaMXYJ - SmallHD ultra 7: https://bit.ly/4l4sN4h B&H - SmallHD ultra 5: https://bhpho.to/4cHDdDc - SmallHD ultra 7: https://bhpho.to/4io8zja Adorama - SmallHD ultra 5: https://bit.ly/3DYEbht - SmallHD ultra 7: https://bit.ly/4iNTPLz Cool stuff: B&H - Dji focus pro creator combo: https://bhpho.to/41rXpoP - Nisi C5 mattebox: https://bhpho.to/3RXofPE Adorama - Dji focus pro creator combo: https://bit.ly/4hQfEsB Amazon - Dji focus pro creator combo: https://amzn.to/3Rks1Cm Rig bits: - cheese plate: https://amzn.to/3XwjkbP - tilt hinge mount: https://bit.ly/4iIywv9 - tilt hinge mount for smart 5 series: https://bit.ly/3DJK1TQ Misc: - GFX screen protector: https://amzn.to/4l5xOJP - Soft shutter button: https://amzn.to/4l07gtD - OWC cfexpress type b card: https://amzn.to/49aeogE - OWC Envoy Pro FX: https://amzn.to/3Sz2Jkl - Smallrig Magic arm: https://amzn.to/3NTabW0 - iFootage - https://amzn.to/3TZpnF1 - Speedball - https://bit.ly/3RYHfhx - Ultra arm - https://bit.ly/3viN68I - Nisi C5 - https://amzn.to/3O9dA2Y - Nisi VND - https://amzn.to/4b7xipO - Moment VND - https://bit.ly/3QYJBvF 0:00 – From Mac Studio to MacBook Pro M4 Max 0:52 – Why I Switched to a Laptop as a Full-Time Filmmaker 2:09 – MacBook M4 Max Specs + First-Time Paying in Full 3:27 – Choosing the Right MacBook for My Editing Workflow 4:21 – Sponsor Segment – Audiio Link Match 2.0 5:14 – What It’s Like Replacing My Mac Studio with a Laptop 6:01 – 3-Month Friction: Dongles, Limited Ports & Setup Woes 7:01 – The Frustrating Export Test – 6K ProRes + Throttling 8:24 – Export Fix + Workflow Context (Fujifilm + ProRes LT) 9:52 – DaVinci Playback Issues & Noise Reduction Struggles 11:13 – Where Things Improved: Software + Hardware Updates 13:09 – Thunderbolt 5 + My Fastest Card Reader Yet 15:06 – External Monitor Setup – ASUS ProArt 32" Review 16:59 – Monitor Quirks: Auto Shutdown, Fans & Sync Lag 19:10 – Final Thoughts on the Monitor 19:32 – Should You Upgrade? My Honest Take on the M4 Max 21:34 – Wrap-Up & Regrets? Resale Value + Long-Term Outlook