If you’re a photographer, professional or amateur, having the right equipment means that your photos look their absolute best. Long gone are the days of photos being developed strictly in a darkroom, many photos these days are developed and processed digitally, more specifically, on a laptop.
With that in mind, we wanted to spotlight the best choices of laptops for photography so that if you’re in the market to upgrade your tech, you know which ones you can choose to take your photography to the next level.
Before we start though, we thought that it might make things easier to show you how you to choose the best laptop for photography.
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How to choose the best laptop for photography
Choosing the right laptop for your photography shouldn’t be an excruciating process. To help bring a bit of focus to what you should be looking for when you start shopping, let’s take a look at the main things you should be on the lookout for.
Screen quality
Years ago, when laptops were first being released, the screens that they came with were more utilitarian than the ones on laptops today. Thankfully, the horrible contrast and terrible viewing angles have been replaced through the use of IPS display tech, and choosing a laptop using anything less does a disservice to your work.
Speedy storage
A solid-state drive (SSD) is found in just about every new laptop on the market. However, having an SSD with a low capacity will just end up causing you more problems. If you’re doing work with 4K video, choose a laptop that has a minimum of 512GB. More is better but it can also increase the cost of the laptop.
Graphic novelty
While a dedicated graphics card is great for playing games, its not necessary to have a dedicated graphics card in this case. The processors in the laptop can handle most tasks you would take on because they pack enough power inside of them to handle editing photos
The right processor
Finding the correct processor based on its number is like trying to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls. Instead, focus on things like speed (base frequency, measured in GHz), and the number of cores the processor has (two, four, or six).
Mac or PC
While many photographers prefer the MacBook and for good reason, you shouldn’t rule out PCs as a choice either. While they may not have the gravitas that a MacBook does, you can get more value with a PC and the ability to upgrade components of the laptop which you cannot do on a MacBook.
Best laptops for photography in 2020 – Overview
There can be a lot of different choices out there if you’re in the market for a laptop for photography. This can create a lot of confusion if you’ve never bought one before. To help, we got rid of the clutter and bring you our choices of the best laptops for photography:
- Acer ConceptD 7 – $2687
- Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition – $3649
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) – $2149
- Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch) – $1031
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon – $1499
- MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) – $2149
- Dell XPS 15 (2020) – $1720
- Asus ZenBook Duo UX581 – $2299
- Lenovo ThinkPad P1 – $1699
- Acer Swift 3 14-inch – $679
Best laptops for photography in 2020 Compared
Best laptops for photography in 2020
Acer ConceptD 7 – $2687
A workstation for creatives on the move
CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 – 2080 | RAM: 16GB – 32GB | Screen: 15.6″ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 16:9 IPS | Storage: 1TB
Well-known for making some of the best gaming laptops available, Acer uses that experience to create a thin, light, and powerful laptop that’s great for photography with the ConceptD 7. Packed with more than enough raw power to run even the most demanding editing software, the screen is an amazing Pantone-validated 4K IPS display that will make you think you’re looking at real-life instead of a photo. While it isn’t cheap by any means, the performance that you get from this laptop makes it worth the price.
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- 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4. 5GHz) with Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM | RTX Studio Laptop
- 15. 6" 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display | PANTONE Validated | Delta E <2 | 400nit Brightness | 100% Adobe RGB Color Gamut
- 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory | 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Amber Colored Backlit Keyboard | LAN: Killer Ethernet E3000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (Up to 2. 5 Gbps) | Wireless: Killer DoubleShot Pro Wireless-AC 1550 802. 11ac
Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition – $3649
A powerful laptop for photo editing
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6″ OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated | Storage: 1TB SSD
While the components inside its case as more commonly found inside a high-end gaming laptop, the Blade 15 Studio Edition from Razer is designed with creatives and professional photographers in mind. The Nvidia graphics card and 8th Gen Intel processor gives you the guts to help make all of your images their very best and the beautiful 4K Touch 15.6” screen will make every photo or design look its best every time.
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- Zero-Compromise Creative Mobile Workstation: Built for creative work in a 0.7" thin CNC aluminum unibody with high-performance, vapor chamber cooling powered by an NVIDIA Quadro series GPU
- Futureproof Design: Thunderbolt 3 capable, compatible with Razer Core external GPU enclosures for additional power; supports dual-channel memory and SSD upgradability
- Professional-Grade Studio Display: Features an individually calibrated 4K OLED touch display covering 100% DCI-P3 with a blazing fast 1ms response time
- Ready to Connect: Plug in multiple devices directly to expand the view on up to 3 extrenal displays via Thunderbolt 3, MiniDislayPort, and HDMIm and get over gigabit speeds through Intel Wi-Fi 6 for a...
- Biometric Security: Supports Windows Hello instant facial unlock with integrated webcam and IR sensor
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) – $2149
The best all-round laptop for photographers
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5 – 10th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 | RAM: up to 32GB | Screen: 13-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 256GB – 4TB SSD
If you’re looking for the best all-round laptop for a photographer, here it is. While you will see its larger cousin, later on, the reason why we’ve included it on our list is the portability that the 13-inch screen provides you. While the screen is beautiful to look at every time you turn it on with its Retina display and True Tone capability, the Touch Bar is great for photographers, putting context-sensitive buttons and shortcuts within easy reach. The newest version comes with an updated Intel processor and faster RAM making the 13-inch MacBook Pro a great choice.
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- Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
- Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
- Ultrafast SSD
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch) – $1031
A great Windows alternative to the MacBook
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.5” 3000 x 2000 PixelSense Display with touchscreen | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe SSD
Over the last few years, Microsoft has been releasing amazing devices that have been aimed at the creative and professionals market, and with the Surface Book 2, they have released one of their best products ever. Installed with Windows 10, the 2-in-1 device lets you access apps such as Adobe Photoshop without any issues. Despite all of its technical prowess, the star of the show is the display. The 13.5-inch screen boasts a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution and an aspect ratio that is perfect for viewing APS-C and full-frame images.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Microsoft Surface Book features an Intel Core i7 processor, 256 GB of storage, 8 GB RAM, and up to 16 hours of video playback
- Enhanced graphics performance with NVIDIA GeForce 2GB GDDR5 memory
- 13.5 inch PixelSense Display works perfectly with Pen and touch (Surface Pen included)
- Featuring Windows Ink, a way to naturally capture notes at the speed of thought – with no need to be logged in
- Windows Hello is the password-free sign-in that gives you the fastest, most secure way to unlock your device
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon – $1499
A great choice for photographers on the go
CPU: Intel Core i7-8565U (4 cores, 1.8GHz base frequency) | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Screen: 14-inch IPS LCD, 2560×1440
Available in several different iterations, the X1 Carbon is a great laptop for any photographer on the go with its lightweight and portable design. Don’t start to think that just because its a lightweight machine that it cant stand up to hard work. With an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, it can handle just about anything you can throw at it. The 14-inch QHD display makes every photo look incredible. With its great combination of speed and power without draining the battery life, the X1 Carbon from Lenovo is one you should consider.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- 【Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon】: Intel Dual-Core i7-6600U Processor, 2.60GHz Base Frequency, up to 3.40GHz, 4 MB SmartCache, 4 Treads
- 【Expanded Storage】: 8GB 1866MHz SDRAM Memory, 512GB PCIe Solid State Drive, Can Exactly Reach Your Expectation
- 【Full HD IPS Display】: 14" Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 ) IPS Anti-Glare Widescreen LED Display, With 720p HD Integrated Webcam, and Intel HD Graphics 520 Integrated
- 【Quality Ports and Slots】: 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x HMDI, 1 x Mini DisplayPort, 1 x LAN, 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack, 1 x Memory Card Reader
- 【Operating System】: Windows 10 Professional 64 bit, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, up to 11 Hours Battery Life
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) – $2149
A great high-end laptop, with a high-end price
CPU: Intel Core i7, Intel Core i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M or Radeon Pro 5500M | RAM: 16GB to 64GB | Screen: 16-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 512GB to 8TB SSD
While we already highlighted the MacBook Pro’s 13-inch little brother before, the 16-inch model is a real powerhouse in the world of laptops. Replacing last year’s 15-inch model, Apple has upgraded the design to accommodate for the larger screen, Under the hood, the AMD Radeon Pro and Intel Core processors will provide you with all the processing power you will need to make your photos look their best. A redesigned keyboard has been added to silence the critics of their last keyboard. With all this at your fingertips, you should be ready to pay pretty handsomely for it. If it is within your budget, you are getting one incredible machine.
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- Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
- Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
- Ultrafast SSD
Dell XPS 15 (2020) – $1720
The best Windows 10 laptop for photo editing
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 15.6″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Dell has come a long way from those memorable commercials in the 90s and with the XPS 15, they’ve created a machine that if you’re not a Mac person, is the laptop to get. Loaded with the best components available, the design is thin and light – perfect for any photographer not looking to be tied to the office. The 15.6-inch screen is bright and vibrant and also large enough to easily edit photos on during the day. While it’s not the cheapest laptop on our list, it is more than worth the price you will pay.
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- Enjoy a 16:10 display that features a stunning edge-to-edge view
- Equipped with 100% Adobe RGB, 94% DCI-P3 color gamut, VESA certified DisplayHDR 400, and Dolby Vision, this display delivers more than 16 million ultra-vivid colors that are 40 times brighter than...
- With a 62% larger touchpad, 5% larger screen, and 5.6% smaller footprint, every element is carefully considered—from its inlayed stainless logos to its high-polished diamond-cut sidewalls
- Integrated Eyesafe display technology helps reduce harmful blue light
- Embrace a 3D surround sound experience with more than 7,000 machined speaker holes and a quad speaker design with Waves Nx audio
Asus ZenBook Duo UX581 – $2299
Innovative design and price to match
CPU: Intel Core i9-9980HK (8 cores, 2.4GHz base frequency) | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Screen: 15.6-inch IPS LCD, 3840×2160, touchscreen | ScreenPad Plus: 14-inch, 3840×1100
The first thing that stands out when you look at the ZenBook Duo is the huge touch-sensitive secondary screen that is placed above the keyboard. Called the ScreenPad Plus, the ways it can be used are almost endless. While the second screen is a nice feature, the laptop doesn’t slouch when it comes to the tech inside either. With an Intel Core processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 15.6-inch display with 4K resolution makes all of your photos look incredible.
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- ScreenPad Plus: 14 inch 4K matte touchscreen, giving your endless way to optimize your multitasking experience by extending the screen or split windows and apps on both displays
- 15.6 inch 4K UHD NanoEdge touchscreen glossy main display
- Latest 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750H Quad Core Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz) with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
- Detachable palm rest and ASUS active stylus pen included
- Fast storage and memory featuring 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD with 16GB DDR4 RAM
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 – $1699
The best laptop for professional photographers
CPU: Intel Core i5, Core i7 or Core i9 or Xeon | RAM: 8GB or 16GB DDR4 | Graphics: Nvidia Quadro P1000 / P2000 | Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD 300nits (4K and HDR optional) | Storage: 256 – 4TB SSD
One of the best laptops available, the features packed into the ThinkPad P1 make it a great choice for any kind of graphics work including photo editing. With its graphics and processing performance, the ThinkPad is a real powerhouse of a laptop that can go head to head with any desktop PC. The real surprise is the size of the laptop. At only 18.4mm thick and weighing only 1.7kg, the first time you look at it, you wouldn’t think that it could house such an impressive machine but that what the ThinkPad P1 continues to do – surprise people.
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- Processor Manufacturer: Intel
- Processor Type: Core i7
- Processor generation: 9th Gen
- Processor model: i7-9750h
- Processor speed: 2.60 GHz
Acer Swift 3 14-inch – $679
The best budget-friendly laptop for photographers
CPU: 2 or 4 -core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 | Display: 14-inch Retina Display) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 | Memory: 8GB – 16GB | Storage: 256GB – 4TB SSD
Let’s be honest, photography is not a cheap profession or even hobby so being able to save any money where you can is in the interest of just about every photographer. The Swift 3 from Acer fits that mold perfectly and does so without sacrificing performance. Loaded with 8GB of memory and a quad-core Intel processor as standard options, the specs put it at less than half of what you would pay for a MacBook Pro but can still deliver roughly the same processing power. The 14-inch display used IPS backlighting tech to provide you with wider viewing angles and brighter colors. The Acer Swift 3 is a great laptop that fits in with any budget.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core Mobile Processor (Up to 4. 1GHz) with Radeon Graphics | 8GB LPDDR4 Memory | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 14" Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080 resolution; 16: 9 aspect ratio)
- Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax | HD Webcam (1280 x 720) | Backlit Keyboard | Fingerprint Reader
- 1 - USB Type-C port USB 3. 2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps) DisplayPort over USB Type-C & USB Charging, 1- USB 3. 2 Gen 1 port (featuring power-off charging), 1 - USB 2. 0 port & 1 - HDMI port
- Just 0. 63" thin and 2. 65 lbs and up to 11. 5 hours of battery life!
Best laptops for photography in 2020
When you work in photography as a professional or even as an amateur, the last thing you want to do is waste time with technology that doesn’t work or doesn’t provide you with the tools you need to make your photos look their absolute best. We hope our list of the best laptops for photography has shown you some of the amazing options out there so you can stop stressing about your laptop and get back to what’s important: taking great photos.
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