The Best Laptops for Photography in 2024
Posted on July 1, 2022 | Updated on June 13, 2024
The best laptops for photography will provide you with similar features — a powerful display, plenty of RAM, a fast processor and more. It’s also the ideal choice for working while traveling or at home.
However, photo editing requires demanding applications. So, you’ll need a laptop capable of checking off all the needs on your lists.
Fortunately, you have the best options to choose from this list here.
| Best Laptops for Photography | Ram | Performance | Display | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) | 16 GB | Apple M1 | 16 in | 512 GB |
| 2. Dell XPS 15 | 32 GB | Core I7 11800H | 15.2 in | 1 TB |
| 3. Razer Blade 17 | 16 GB | 12th Gen Intel Core i7 | 17.3 in | 1 TB |
| 4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 | 36 GB | 11th Gen Intel Core i7 | 15 in | 1 TB |
| 5. ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 | 32 GB | 11th Gen Intel Core i7 | 16 in | 1 TB |
The Best Laptops for Photography and Editing
1. Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)
The MacBook Pro 16-inch is a solid choice and one of the best laptops for photographers. In fact, it’s one of the more popular choices among creative professionals.
Consider going with the original M1 or M1 Pro processor, as the M1 Max model won’t offer more benefits with the additional expense. You’ll love the newly added tech on the 16-inch screen. It’s packed with an XDR mini-LED screen, DCI-P3 wide color support and higher pixel resolution — 3456 x 2234.
In addition, it has an amazing 1,600-nit peak brightness — perfect for editing outside. Though, RAM capacity is limited to 16GB or 32GB.
Despite that, the battery life lasts up to 20 hours, so you won’t have to think about losing power while working outside your home. It also has an HDMI and memory card slot, so you can transfer photos without an adaptor and use additional monitors.
Essentially, MacBooks are the way to go if you’re looking for the overall best photo editing experience.
2. Dell XPS 15
The Dell XPS 15 won’t disappoint you as a photographer. If you decide against Mac, this laptop will run Windows 10 or Windows 11, giving you access to the best photo editing software.
Moreover, the XPS 15 is packed with powerful mobile components, making the editing and saving process seamless. The body is also thin and lightweight, ideal for you if you often work on the go.
If you purchase this Dell, you’ll get an OLED InfinityEdge display for vivid imagery and colors. It also comes with an 11th-generation Intel processor and the Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card.
Plus, it has a good selection of ports. You get HDMI, a full-size SD card slot, plus Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 Gen 2.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded laptop and gives you the performance you need for your field.
3. Razer Blade 17
While the Razer Blade 17 is primarily targeted at gamers, thanks to its dynamic features, that shouldn’t stop you. This laptop has an award-winning Nvidia Studio badge for its powerful graphics, allowing you to do your best creative work.
This laptop also features enough ports required for photography, and it sets up as a fully working desktop. You can hook up additional monitors, a keyboard, mouse and audio mixer — impressive for a modern laptop.
The Razer Blade 17 comes with a 165Hz QHD display, perfect for getting work done or some break time for gaming. Unfortunately, the battery life suffers in exchange for the power. While you may have to sit near a power outlet, it’s easily considered one of the most impressive laptops for Windows.
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4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
You’ll like the Surface Laptop 4 as it’s one of the best Microsoft devices for photo editing. This Microsoft laptop is comparable to the MacBook Air with its slim, stunning design and quality display.
It’s powerful enough for editing photos since it has a high-resolution PixelSense touchscreen. It also comes with the latest mobile components from Intel and AMD. You can easily run video editing software, and it has great storage for transferring large amounts of photos.
Sadly, this device lacks ports, but at least you still have a single USB-C and USB-A. The best feature is its long-lasting battery life, allowing you to work seamlessly without remaining plugged into an outlet.
5. ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16
The ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 is an innovative choice for photographers and editors. Its well-thought-out, meticulous design makes it the ultimate portable workstation for professional creatives.
The OLED display is perfect for those who need to work with color accuracy and screen brightness. It also comes with an ASUS Dial, providing you with Adobe Suite applications. The dial only comes with a few select Adobe programs but does include Photoshop and Lightroom.
While this device is on the larger side, it’s surprisingly lightweight and portable.
This ASUS laptop also has the latest Nvidia RTX graphics — perfect for designing and video editing. It even has plenty of RAM and an AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor for running all your favorite programs.
Choosing the Best Laptop for Photography
Overall, these options listed here are well-rounded for photographers and editors. In case you’re wondering which to choose. Screen quality matters — especially for accurate color display for editing.
You should also consider storage, speed and graphics to ensure they pack enough powerful punch for editing and powering your photography work.
Most photographers go with MacBooks since many creatives favor them. However, PCs can offer more in terms of upgrading and investment.
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About The Author
Cooper Adwin is the Assistant Editor of Designerly Magazine. With several years of experience as a social media manager for a design company, Cooper particularly enjoys focusing on social and design news and topics that help brands create a seamless social media presence. Outside of Designerly, you can find Cooper playing D&D with friends or curled up with his cat and a good book.