A laptop for a photographer should be powerful and equipped with a good display. We'll tell you how to chooseoptimal characteristics for different tasks, what to pay attention to first and we will give a useful resource for finding laptops with the best displays.
The first thing you need to do when choosing a laptop computer is to decide on the purpose of its use. Of course, over time they can change and also be combined, and a laptop purchased as a stationary one will travel with you to on-site photo shoots.
But nevertheless, decide what tasks the computer will perform first. This determines which direction to move next.
What should you look for when choosing a computer for each of these tasks?
How to choose a laptop for a photographer
Let's look at all the characteristics that you will need to familiarize yourself with.
Display
The first and most main characteristic laptop for a photographer - display. Its quality will determine how accurately you will see colors and understand the results of processing.
For regular work and photo processing, a small diagonal (for example, 13 inches) is not suitable. On such a display, the working area is very small and it will be too inconvenient to work.
However, an overly large diagonal is also not needed here, especially if you plan to take the laptop on trips from time to time. Optimal option: 15 inches.
However, if you plan to travel frequently, it makes sense to choose a 13-inch laptop and, for serious processing, connect an external display to the laptop. In this case, the laptop needs to support the high resolution of modern displays and have the necessary ports.
There is no need to tell photographers about the importance of monitor quality. If you take a laptop computer for photo processing, a high-quality matrix is a must have. The best color rendering, contrast, viewing angle, and color gamut are provided by IPS-type matrices. The resolution is better to choose 1920x1080 and higher.
Laptops with IPS displays are more expensive than those with TN displays, but they will provide realistic color reproduction and maximum color gamut (90-100% sRGB and even wider). But be careful, even if the computer’s specifications list an IPS matrix - make sure that it really is, and not a TN matrix with wide angles, and check the percentage of color gamut.
CPU
Photo processing programs are usually quite demanding on the processor, so you should give preference to modern models. Ideally, an Intel Core i7 (or similar) with a frequency of at least 2 GHz.
A powerful processor will quickly “eat up” battery power, but this is important, for example, when traveling. For stationary use at home, where it is always possible to connect a computer to the network, this is not critical.
Compact models with a diagonal of 13 inches are equipped with Intel Core i5, which will also be sufficient for most tasks.
RAM
Graphic editors are also demanding in terms of volume. random access memory. For example, minimum requirements for Adobe Lightroom - 4 GB, and recommended - 12 GB; the minimum for Photoshop is 2, recommended is 8 GB.
That is, the minimum option today would be at least 8 GB of RAM. It is optimal to choose a laptop with 16 GB of RAM.
Hard drive or SSD
Image source: https://masterok.livejournal.com/3914516.html Today, laptops are equipped with hard drives or SSD drives.
The hard drive offers more capacity with affordable price, but loses in speed. If the device is dropped HDD more prone to breakdowns.
Solid state SSD drives are several times faster hard drive, but are much more expensive. No moving parts Plus have a shorter data rewriting resource.
To improve the overall performance of the entire laptop, we recommend choosing a laptop with an SSD drive. With a capacity of at least 256 GB, but 512 GB is better.
In this configuration, you will receive, respectively, 100 or 350 GB of space for working with current projects, and you will store the rest of the data on an external hard drive. This is where you can find reviews of external drives.
Sometimes, large laptops combine SSD and HDD, which allows you to use high speed storage and hard drive capacity.
Video card
To work with graphics, especially high resolution, you will also need a powerful video card with RAM of 2 GB or more. It is best if it is discrete (separate) and not built-in.
Some laptops have two video cards - built-in for regular programs and discrete for working with graphics. Switching between them occurs automatically.
It is important to study what resolution the laptop supports for an external monitor. It is best that the laptop supports a 4k monitor.
Ports and interfaces
For connecting a camera, external drives, flash drives, etc. You will need several USB ports: ideally, at least three and no younger than the third generation, for faster data transfer.
The built-in card reader (make sure it supports memory cards for your camera) and an HDMI connector will also come in handy if you plan to connect a large monitor to your laptop or, for example, show pictures on a TV screen.
Some modern laptops, such as all new ones Apple models, are equipped exclusively USB-C ports. This port is universal and allows you to connect various devices. Read more about USB-C.
Battery
If you plan to use a laptop on location, study the battery life of the laptop.
Weight
If the laptop will be used more often at home, then weight and size are not critical. If you are going to take it with you from time to time, pay attention to the weight and size.
Conclusion
High-quality laptops that meet the needs of a photographer are quite expensive, so the choice should be taken seriously. First, decide on the tasks for which you need a computer. Secondly, with the budget.
Then, when narrowing down your choice to models that meet the price/quality ratio, take into account your own preferences. For example, some people prefer exclusively Apple, while others, on the contrary, categorically do not accept “Apple” products.
And finally, when you have chosen one or more options, carefully study their characteristics again, read reviews on the Internet - and only then make a purchase.
Below are a few recommendations for specific laptops, but this list is for illustrative purposes only. The market changes very quickly, and what is relevant at the time of writing may not be relevant at all next year.
A powerful desktop laptop for a photographer
Dell XPS 15 Touch, with 4-core Core i7, 4K display, 100% Adobe RGB, Nvidia 1050 graphics card, 1 TB hard drive and up to 32 GB RAM, as well as a large set of ports, including USB 3.0, HDMI, Thunderbolt and memory card slot.
A versatile laptop for a photographer
Newly updated Apple MacBook Pro 15 and MacBook Pro 13. They are equipped with six-core Intel Core i7/i9 processors (for the 15-inch model) and quad-core i5/i7 (for the 13-inch model), SSD drives, IPS displays with TrueTone technology 25% wider coverage than sRGB. And also discrete Radeon video card Pro, Thunderbolt 3 ports with USB-C interface, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
And finally - a useful link. This is a list of laptops with the best displays, updated about once a month, meaning the information is up to date.
To make image processing in Photoshop easy on a laptop, your laptop must meet certain requirements. Here are the points you should pay special attention to:
- Display: resolution and design are critical to ensuring that there is no frustration when working with Photoshop. Often laptop computers are equipped with displays with a resolution of only 1366x768 pixels. At the same time, it would be much better for detail to work with screens whose resolution is Full-HD or higher.
- RAM: The size of the RAM is also very important. Especially if you want to work on large projects, Adobe's program will eat up a lot of RAM. At least 4 GB of RAM should be installed on the laptop - preferably 8 GB or even more.
- CPU: The third important component is the processor. Since it is he who is responsible for all computing processes, and often for displaying graphics, you should not skimp on it. With the new models from the Intel Core i5 or i7 series, you will feel confident.
5th place: Lenovo IdeaPad Y50-70
4th place: Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7
3rd place: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Touch
To edit high-resolution images and use advanced visual effects, you need a decent computer. Laptops for today's enthusiasts can rival traditional desktop hardware for speed, and unlike older laptops, many have beautiful displays with stunning colors, as well as great image contrast to keep highlights and shadows visible.
For review, I chose three laptops ranging in price from 80,899 to 116,990 rubles, as they offer a fairly good price-to-performance ratio. My main priorities were image output quality, and having at least 8GB of RAM, which is a realistic minimum for doing intensive photo editing. The user must decide on screen size, as laptops with 15-inch screens are noticeably larger and heavier than their 13-inch counterparts, but they also provide more space for Photoshop palettes.
Key Points to Pay Attention to
It is very easy to get confused and drown in technical details and computer terminology, but there are a couple of key points that photographers need to think about.
The first is the quality of the screen. The screen is usually more of an eyesore than a source of pleasure to the eye, as screens can have terrible contrast and viewing angles, but IPS display technology corrects this shortcoming, and you should not buy something of lesser quality.
The main storage area on any new laptop should be SSD drive(solid state drive). Traditional hard disks will slow down performance like flat tires on a Ferrari, and while dedicated graphics cards are great for gaming, they aren't necessary for photo editing. Today's processors can do all the work for them, and have enough pixel processing capabilities to handle photo editing.
Many photographers are choosing a MacBook, and for good reason. But don't shy away from similarly priced desktop PCs, which can deliver a lot more per dollar spent and also have good opportunities updates.
Apple MacBook Pro 13″ Retina
Processor: dual-core 2.7 GHz, Core i5 | RAM: 8 GB | Built-in memory: 256 GB SSD | Display: 13.3″ IPS display (2560×1600) |
Pros: Retina display, fast processor
Cons: unchanged design
Apple's Retina display has revolutionized the quality of laptop screens. And while competitors today use panels as good as Retina, MacBooks still offer a better visual experience. Brightness, contrast, saturation and detail are at the forefront of these displays. the highest level, and Apple's factory color calibration is the most accurate. Although its 2.7 GHz processor is technically faster than the dual-core processors in Dell and Microsoft laptops, actual performance is almost identical and there is nothing too special. This laptop may seem like an obvious choice, and it's also quite versatile.
Processor: dual-core 2.4 GHz, Core i5 | RAM: 8 GB | Built-in memory: 128 GB SSD | Display: 13.5″ IPS display (3000×2000) |
Pros: Unrivaled display
Cons: updates
This laptop for non-pro users has a modest dual-core processor, but its performance is comparable to a MacBook. The battery lasts around 11 hours and 10 minutes and the screen quality is quite impressive. Only Apple's slightly better color calibration gives MacBook images more high quality, but Microsoft wins back this competition with a 3000 by 2000 resolution and perfect aspect ratio when viewing APS-C images and working in full screen mode. The display screen is touch-sensitive, but the real benefit is that it can be detached from the rest of the laptop and turned into a tablet. You can also use a pen with 1024 pressure levels, so this device can double as a graphics tablet. I'd call it a winner, but the 128GB SSD is a clear limitation and installing a larger capacity drive requires big money. Although it beats the MacBook in terms of flexibility, Apple's specifications are better balanced for this price.
Processor: Quad-core, 2.6 GHz, Core i7 | RAM: 12 GB | Built-in memory: 512 GB SSD | Display: 15.6″ IPS display (3840×2160) |
Pros: RAM, screen size
Cons: Image quality isn't exactly top-notch
The ZenBook Pro's 15.6-inch screen boasts an impressive Ultra HD resolution, resulting in the highest pixel density of any laptop we've tested. However, the image quality isn't quite comparable to the MacBook and Surface Book. Color saturation and contrast are somewhat less intense, and that high pixel density offers very little real benefit over similar screens. The larger screen size is much more useful, especially when working with Photoshop, but it does weigh the ZenBook down to 2.27kg. This laptop has a fast processor and powerful battery for its nutrition. It's a real editing workshop, as long as you don't carry it around too often.
Apple products seem insanely expensive, especially when you compare cheap mainstream laptops with the Apple MacBook Pro. But when you start looking for a quality IPS screen for photo and video editing, good keyboard and a touchpad (touchpad or clickpad), a long battery life, it turns out that overpaying for a Macbook is not so great. Moreover, in addition to iron, you also get operating room Mac system OS, which is becoming increasingly popular after the infamous Windows updates 8.
The personal computer market is stagnating. In connection with this, Intel even froze the construction of an American plant for the production of new generation processors worth $5 billion. And this is not surprising. Many buyers purchased tablets and it turned out that for consuming content (watching video, listening to audio, surfing the Internet, social media, games) there are quite enough of them. At the same time, processor power has increased very little in recent years. Go to last Intel processor Haswell with Ivy Bridge generally makes sense if you want to reduce power consumption, because the performance increase is only 10-15%.
Laptops with Haswell processors They really seriously increased battery life, as well as the speed of access to the SSD and integrated graphics card. This also applies to Macbook laptops. If important long work from the battery, then you should not take laptops with processors of previous generations.
Processors from AMD are found very rarely in laptops, mainly in the lower segments. Intel is represented by a huge line. Even if the processor is designated as Core i7, you need to carefully look at the markings. From the Core i7 family, the most common ones now are low-voltage (ultramobile, not mobile) Core i7-4500u, or even Core i7-4200u. They have a reduced number of cores and frequency, so they cannot boast of performance (it can be 2 times less!), but power consumption is at an excellent level. That is why they can most often be found on ultrabooks. On larger laptops, Intel Core i7-4700MQ, 4702MQ, 4700HQ, 4702HQ are more often found, the performance of which is significantly higher, the integrated graphics are better, but the power consumption is also significantly higher.
But if you understand hardware, then it’s better to look at comparisons of specific processors of the models you are interested in. You can find many examples that many new Intel Haswell processors are mostly just marketing, when power consumption differs from the previous generation by only 1-3 Wh, and performance has increased by only 5-10%. Therefore, do not deny yourself the pleasure of comparing core i5 and core i7, especially if the former are full-fledged and the latter are low-voltage.
In general, if you will be editing photos and videos in a stationary environment and not on the road, then taking a laptop does not make much sense. Power desktop computer will be much higher, plus you can install a normal graphics card and provide it with cooling. Laptops also have mediocre video cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, but they can have a significant impact on power consumption (when the laptop cannot switch to built-in video when necessary). In addition, a powerful video card requires good cooling, which can increase the noise level, and laptop components can heat up more and fail prematurely because of this. Moreover, users rarely think about the fact that laptops need to be cleaned of dust so that coolers (fans) work properly.
At the same time, more and more laptop manufacturers entered the race for pixels following the advent of the Macbook with Retina displays. In this case, most often the resolution used is not 4K UHD (3840×2160) or 4096×2160, but something in between it and FullHD (1920×1080). But since Youtube and Vimeo already allow you to upload video with a resolution of up to 4096x3072, broadcasting in 4K format in the United States is just around the corner, video cameras with 4K resolution have begun to appear on the market, and the appearance of laptops and monitors with this resolution is not far off. Moreover, the first models will be very expensive and will probably drop sharply in price in a year, as has already happened with touch screens.
On the other hand, the capacities of current solid-state drives (SSDs) are too small, and the volumes of hard drives have recently also not doubled every 1-2 years, as before. In addition, the integrated Intel graphics, even if it is Crystalwell (Iris Pro graphics 5200), is still too weak to support high resolutions (despite the fact that the performance does not reach the average mobile discrete cards like the NVidia GT 750M, and even the temperature cannot boast Maybe). At the same time, of course, the power consumption of the low-voltage core i7 together with the integrated Iris Pro video can be at the level of a discrete video card. Although, for example, the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro uses an even weaker integrated video Intel HD Graphics 4400, despite the resolution being 3200x1800. This, coupled with the scaling problems of Windows 8, leads to negative impressions of such solutions. Minor part Metro apps in Windows 8 (designed primarily for tablets and touch screens) of course already knows how to work with high resolutions, and the situation will only improve. But in this moment Of course, rushing to update hardware unnecessarily does not make much sense.
Another problem with laptops is the quality of the screens. In the mass segment, it is very mediocre and completely unsuitable for professional video and photo processing. More expensive models may also be using IPS technology (or similar MVA, PVA, PPS). Compared to a matrix based on the simplest TN + film technology, IPS offers increased viewing angles up to 178°, high contrast and color reproduction. At the same time, at the moment, IPS displays on 15-17-inch laptops very rarely appear, and their color rendering quality on cheap models leaves much to be desired.
It’s not without reason that many professionals suggest purchasing either a desktop computer, including an iMac, or a laptop and a good large IPS monitor for video and photo processing. As for iMacs, it is worth considering the difficulty of upgrading them. Latest models 21.5-inch iMacs don't even allow you to increase the memory size in a simple way(to do this you need to remove the screen and disassemble the floor of the computer). Although the latest generation 27-inch iMacs allow you to increase the memory size, you will also have to remove the screen to replace the hard drive (including an SSD).
Segment Windows computers, similar to the iMac, also consists of All-in-one (AIO) solutions, which means “all in one”. Often, manufacturers of such solutions follow the path of Apple, making it very difficult to update computers. Among the exceptions is the 27-inch Dell XPS 2720 with a high-quality QHD (2560 x 1440) screen made using IPS technology. Upgrading the Dell XPS 2720 is very easy, just unscrew a few screws and remove the back cover. In addition to the upgrade in this segment, it is also worth paying attention to the processors used. Despite the huge dimensions of such devices, they often use mobile processors, including low voltage. This is also due to the fact that some manufacturers offer to use such computers as huge tablets (and Haswell desktops have lower power consumption the best level, including in comparison with previous generation processors). In addition, often such solutions do not have a discrete video card (they use only integrated graphics) or simple-average video cards (which can also be found on laptops). Haswell's graphics processing speed has increased significantly, but this segment of computers is still not designed for toy lovers. When choosing such solutions, pay attention to whether the computer has a touch screen.
Also, professionals for photo and video processing often recommend a 15-inch Macbook Pro with Retina screen. It is made using IPS technology and is well suited for photo and video editing. Of course, the 13-inch model is more convenient for travel, but for everyday work, 15 inches is the optimal size. It's not for nothing that Apple abandoned the 17-inch Macbook Pro. They are not mobile at all, and in a stationary environment you can add a good large monitor to smaller laptops. The disadvantages of the Macbook Pro include the soldered motherboard memory, which makes upgrading impossible. But this is also typical for many Windows ultrabooks. Mobility requires sacrifice. It's also common for Macbook users with Retina displays to complain that despite the 2880x1800 resolution, few elements can fit on the screen, as if the resolution is only 1440x900.
But for Windows 8 laptops, scaling is even worse. For example, even Photoshop Creative Cloud still does not support high resolution screens. Not to mention that working at high resolution in Photoshop becomes significantly slower.
The quality of the screen is determined by the brightness of the backlight, its uniformity in different parts of the screen, contrast, and coverage of the sRGB and AdobeRGB color spectrums. Please note that full coverage of the sRGB spectrum on laptops with an IPS matrix is only possible when using an RGB LED screen (the backlight uses 3 colors at once, not just one). At the same time, there are also high-quality TN screens on laptops that cover sRGB by 95-98%, but they cannot boast of large viewing angles.
The most worthy alternatives Macbook Pro can be called
- Dell Precision M3800 Mobile Workstation - thin and lightweight laptop(about 2 kg) with QHD+ touch screen (3200x1800), 4th processor Intel generation Core i7 Haswell, NVIDIA Quadro graphics card.
- Dell XPS 15 with a QHD+ screen (3200x1800), made using PPS technology, 4th generation Intel Core Haswell processor (i3-i7), NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M graphics card.
- HP Zbook 15 with FullHD DreamColor display (1920 x 1080), 4th generation Intel Core i7-4800MQ processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, Thunderbolt port.
Please note that you need a DreamColor screen, since a regular one covers about 90% of sRGB. - HP Zbook 17 with FullHD display, 4th generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, Thunderbolt port.
Covers about 93% of AdobeRGB. - Dell Precision M4800
QHD+ screen: AdobeRGB color spectrum coverage about 64%, sRGB about 89%. - Dell Precision M6800
The option with FHD Premiercolor (RGB backlighting) is no longer available, unlike older models. - Lenovo W540 with IPS display 1920x1080 or 2880x1620, 4th generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, Thunderbolt port, X-Rite calibrator. There are no reviews.
Of the 15-17 inch workstations based on the 3rd generation Intel processor, the following can also be noted:
- Dell Precision M4600 Premiercolor (15.6", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen, LP156WF3 SLB1-B2-B3)
- Dell Precision M4700 Premiercolor (15.6", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen).
A standard FHD panel does not fully cover sRGB. - Dell Precision M6600 Premiercolor (17.3", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen, LP173WF3 SLB1-B2-B3)
- Dell Precision M6700 Premiercolor (17.3", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen)
- HP EliteBook 8560w (15.6", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen)
- HP EliteBook 8560w Dreamcolor (15.6", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen, LP156WF3 SLB1-B2-B3)
- HP EliteBook 8570w DreamColor (15.6", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen)
- HP EliteBook 8760w DreamColor (17.3", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen, LP173WF3 SLB1-B2-B3)
- HP EliteBook 8770w DreamColor (17.3", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen)
- Lenovo Thinkpad W530 (15.6", 1920x1080, matte screen)
Please note that the screens of the above laptops may be different, including even those with a resolution of less than 1920x1080. In general, it is very strange that in this segment you still find a resolution of 1368x768, especially on 17-inch screens.
Dell's QHD+ screens are more suitable for professional photo and video work than FullHD screens. And it's not just about resolution, but about other characteristics.
The color gamut of the Dell Precision M6700 IPS screen is wide because it uses RGB backlighting. The M6700's screen even covers NTSC, which is wider than AdobeRGB. Some even think the M6700's colors are oversaturated, having only seen 45-72% NTSC screens before.
The Dell M4800's QHD+ screen covers sRGB, but sRGB only covers 72% of NTSC.
The Dell M4800's FullHD screen covers only 60% NTSC and also has lower contrast.
More laptops (mainly with IPS, MVA/PVA matrices) that were considered:
- Sony VAIO Fit 15A multi-flip (15", FullHD, IPS, glossy) - sRGB color gamut is about 97%.
- Sony VAIO Fit 15A multi-flip (15", 2880x1620, IPS, glossy) - Color gamut covers 86% of sRGB and 62.8% of Adobe RGB, and the color gamut is 99.6% of sRGB and 68. 6% of Adobe RGB volume.
- Sony VAIO Fit SVF15A1S2ES (15", FullHD, glossy) - The display cannot reproduce the AdobeRGB or sRGB color spectrum.
- Acer Aspire R572G (15", FullHD, i7-4500U, NVidia GeForce GT 750M) - Color gamut covers 96% sRGB. Acer offers good characteristics for your money, but overall the quality of the products is quite low.
- Acer Aspire V5-572pg
- Acer Aspire V5-573G - (15" IPS screen from AU Optronics, FullHD, matte) - sRGB color gamut over 90%.
- Acer Aspire V5-573P (15") - sRGB color gamut over 90%.
- Acer Aspire R7 R7-571G - The color gamut of the LCD screen covers 80.25% of the sRGB space and about 59% of AdobeRGB.
- Samsung ATIV Book 8 (PLS) - The display cannot reproduce sRGB and AdobeRGB spaces, although sRGB is covered by 92%. Intel Ivy Bridge.
- Samsung Ativ Book 6 680Z5E-X01US (15", FullHD, PLS, glossy, touch) - The display cannot reproduce sRGB and AdobeRGB spaces, although sRGB is covered by 81%, and AdobeRGB by 60%. IPS or PLS technologies are not used. Intel Ivy Bridge.
- Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z5E (15", FullHD, TN, glossy) - Display cannot reproduce sRGB and AdobeRGB spaces
- ASUS N550JV - 15-inch laptop with IPS matrix. The color gamut of an LCD screen is not only smaller than the sRGB gamut, but also shifted relative to the sRGB gamut, although it covers 92% of sRGB.
- Sony VAIO Fit 15A SVF15N1X2RB is a convertible ultrabook with a resolution of 2880x1620. The color gamut of the LCD screen in the ultrabook covers 86% of sRGB and 62.8% of Adobe RGB, and the color gamut is 99.6% of sRGB and 68.6% of Adobe RGB.
- Asus Zenbook UX51VZ is a good 15-inch laptop with an IPS screen, but the color gamut is not very suitable for working with photos and videos
- Asus Q550LF-BBI7T07 (15", IPS, i7-4500U, NVIDIA GT 745M)
- Lenovo Ideapad Y580 20994BU - Color gamut covers 91% sRGB
- Lenovo Ideapad Y510p 59400120 - Color gamut covers 82% sRGB and 56% AdobeRGB
- Dell Inspiron 15-7537. Series 7000. (1920x1080, IPS, glossy) The color gamut satisfactorily covers sRGB (approximately 80-90%) and AdobeRGB.
- Razer Blade
- Toshiba Qosmio X870
- Asus G75VW
- Asus G750JW - LCD color gamut covers 80% of sRGB and less than 60% of AdobeRGB
- MSI GT70
- Samsung Series 7 Gamer
- Vizio CT15 with 1920x1080 IPS matrices
- HP Envy 15-17. Recently, the Envy series has ceased to be elite (now the Specter series has become elite), so panels and other components are increasingly used not of particularly good quality.
- Gigabyte P35K Matte. There are no reviews.
- Gigabyte U35F-CF3. There are no reviews.
- Gigabyte P34G with 1920x1080 AHVA matrix (similar to IPS). The color gamut covers 63% of AdobeRGB.
- Gigabyte's P25W with a 1920x1080 matrix. Color gamut covers 59% of AdobeRGB. Not suitable for professional photo editing.
- Chillblast Photo OC Mobile
- System76 Galago UltraPro (OEM Clevo W740SU, Ubuntu, 14.1", 1920x1080, matte ColorPRO)
- System76 Gazelle Professional (OEM Clevo, Ubuntu, 15", 1920x1080, glossy ColorPRO).
Apparently, the B140HAN01 screen uses AHVA technology (this is not TN or IPS) with balanced color reproduction and a color gamut that largely covers sRGB. Suitable for basic graphics and image editing. - System76 Bonobo Extreme (OEM Clevo, Ubuntu, 17.3", 1920x1080, matte ColorPRO)
- Sager, Eurocom, Schenker XMG, DNS, DevilTech, Kobalt, Mythlogic, AVADirect, Malibal, One, PC Specialist, Falcon Northwest, DiTech, Origin, Digital Storm, FullRange, Bullman, Nexoc, Metabox, BTO, XoticPC, ...( OEM Clevo)
- Dell Alienware 17 (1920x1080, glossy, TN) - Color gamut covers 97% sRGB. But the viewing angles are small because TN technology is used.
Some models have screens with RGB LED. - Dell Alienware M18x R2 (1920x1080, glossy, TN) - Color gamut covers 97% sRGB. But the vertical viewing angles are small because TN technology is used.
- Toshiba Qosmio 17 (1920x1080, TN) - Color gamut covers 65% of Adobe RGB and 96% sRGB. But the viewing angles are small because TN technology is used.
- Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook U904 (14", 3200x1800, Sharp IGZO)
- Samsung Ativ Book 9 NP930X5J (FullHD, Haswell) - so far just announced at CES, will appear no earlier than February-March 2014, screen quality is still unknown.
Overall, a very interesting picture emerges. Laptops with a screen well suited for photo and video editing often cost about $2,000 or more in the US. This is especially true for heavy, reliable, but rather ugly workstations. Very rarely, these models can be bought cheaper than the permissible duty-free import limit in international postal items. Basically, either old models, or refurbished (refurbished), or used ones fit into the limit of 1000 euros.
More budget Asus, Samsung and Sony do not cover sRGB, AdobeRGB so well. But they can be good compromise options, although for professional work with photos and videos it is better to choose other options.
Personally, I settled on the Samsung ATIV Book 8. Although it has an older processor Core generation i7-3635QM CPU, in terms of performance and power consumption it is practically no different from the Core i7-4700QM. On the Haswell side there is more powerful Intel HD4600 graphics, but in addition to the built-in Intel HD4000, this laptop also has a discrete video card Radeon HD 8770M (in other countries a video card is offered AMD Radeon HD 8870M).
In second place I had the Sony VAIO Fit 15A. Its screen, of course, has better sRGB coverage (this is especially true for the expensive version with a resolution of 2880x1620), but at the same time Nvidia video card GForce GT-735 is weak, the processor is weaker (although the new Haswell architecture with more low power consumption), the amount of RAM is fixed, the hinged design does not inspire confidence. Plus, there are a lot of complaints about this laptop regarding the quality of Wi-Fi and disconnecting touch screen, although for me both of these parameters are practically unimportant.
What laptop or computer do you recommend for photo and video editing?
(Updated April 23, 2014)
I added a couple of Acer laptops with an sRGB color gamut of more than 90%. Perhaps, when buying, I would look in their direction.
The work of an amateur photographer, and even more so a professional, is simply impossible without a powerful computer. The reason for this is the need for digital image processing. The specifics of a photographer's work are associated with certain requirements for the worker. It must have the appropriate characteristics. Processing photos in RAW format requires a certain amount RAM, processor clock speed. The quality of the matrix and its diagonal are critical. Accurate color rendering is required. Not every computer can satisfy all the requirements. Next, we will tell you in detail what characteristics a laptop for a photographer should have and consider the main models that are best purchased today.
What characteristics should it have?
When choosing a laptop for a photographer, you should first pay attention to the operating parameters of the following components:
- processor;
- video cards;
- random access memory;
- hard drive;
- interfaces;
- screen.
CPU
The choice in favor of a specific processor should be made based on its operating mode. Since the higher the performance, the shorter the battery life will be. For stationary use, Intel Core i7 is perfect. It is productive, has a high clock frequency, and requires a large amount of energy to operate. If the laptop will be used “on the road”, which means autonomous operation, the optimal solution would be Core i5 or Core i3. These CPUs have sufficient operating speed, but do not put a strain on the laptop battery.
Video card
The video card should be given maximum attention. In a laptop for a photographer, it must be discrete. Built into the Intel HD processor or similar will not work. must have its own RAM, and for comfortable processing of photographs in RAW format it must be no less than 2 GB.
The optimal solution there will be an Nvidia GeForce GT 750M. But at the same time, it is the processor that is the most important component of a laptop for a photographer. If you have to choose a powerful CPU or a powerful video processor, you need to purchase the former.
RAM
How big amount The laptop has RAM and the higher the frequency of its operation, the better. There is no such thing as too much memory. When choosing a laptop model for photo processing, you should purchase equipped at least 8 GB of RAM.
There are many different memory models, types. Preference should be given to DDR 3 and DDR 4. The optimal solution would be a device with a RAM operating frequency of at least 2,133 MHz. The best - with effective frequency 3200 MHz. With these parameters throughput will be 8×3200=25.6 MB/s.
HDD
First of all, when choosing a disk, you should focus on how it will be used:
- for storing photos;
- for processing.
In the first case, the disk size must be at least 1 TB - since the source file of one photo often takes up more than tens of megabytes. If you only need to process images, only 128 GB will be enough. In this case, you should opt for an SSD – solid state drive.
Interfaces
For comfortable work, a photographer will need the following interfaces on a laptop:
- card reader that works with SD cards and others;
- at least 4 USB ports;
- HDMI;
- Wi-Fi.
Screen
The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a laptop for photo processing is the screen diagonal. There is no point in purchasing a PC with this parameter, which is less than 15.6 inches. The optimal solution is 17 or more.
Again, it is necessary to focus on the scope of application of the device. If the laptop will be used in the studio, for displaying photos, or for work while traveling, you should not chase the size. If it is to be used permanently, for retouching, a large diagonal is simply necessary. The situation is similar with permission. The larger it is, the more easier work with photo.
Rating of laptops for photographers
For home use of a laptop for a photographer, the following models are best suited:
- Apple Macbook Pro with 15.4-inch screen;
- Republic of Gamers G74SX with a diagonal of 17.3 inches;
- Republic of Gamers G751JL with a diagonal of 17.3 inches.
The last 2 models are high-performance PCs from ASUS. Performance and screen image quality are at the highest level.
If your budget is limited or you need mobility, use on the road, in studios, or frequent transportation, you should make a choice in favor of a laptop:
- Acer Aspire E5-551G, Aspire E5-573G-76KH or Aspire Nitro VN7-792G-52S0;
- Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E555.
The screen diagonal on these models is 15.6 inches.
Conclusion
Choosing a laptop for a photographer is a responsible procedure that requires an individual approach. You should prepare for it in advance. First of all, you need to decide on the budget and tasks that Personal Computer will decide. Based on these two points, you can make a choice. If a certain model has already been selected, you should carefully study its characteristics and specifications - and only then purchase it. Productivity is critical. Comfortable work in Photoshop and LightRoom is only possible with sufficient memory and appropriate processing power.
