Apple products seem insanely expensive, especially when comparing cheap mainstream laptops to the Apple MacBook Pro. But when you start looking for a high-quality IPS screen for photo and video editing, a good keyboard and touchpad (touchpad or clickpad), a long battery life, it turns out that the overpayment for a Macbook is not that great. Moreover, in addition to hardware, you also get the Mac OS operating system, which is becoming more and more popular after the infamous Windows 8 update.
The personal computer market is stagnating. In this regard, 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 bought tablets and it turned out that they are quite enough for content consumption (watching videos, listening to audio, surfing the Internet, social networks, games). At the same time, the power of processors has increased very slightly in recent years. Switching to the latest Intel Haswell processor with Ivy Bridge makes sense if you want to reduce power consumption, because the performance gain is only 10-15%.
Laptops with Haswell processors have really dramatically improved battery life, as well as the speed of access to the SSD and integrated graphics card. This also applies to Macbook laptops. If long battery life is important, then you should not take laptops with previous generations of processors.
AMD processors are very rare in laptops, mainly in the lower segments. Intel is represented by a huge lineup. Even if the processor is designated as Core i7, you need to carefully look at the labeling. Of the Core i7 family, low-voltage (ultra-mobile, not mobile) Core i7-4500u, or even Core i7-4200u, are now most often found. They have reduced the number of cores, the frequency, so they cannot boast of performance (it can be 2 times less!), But the power consumption is at an excellent level. That is why they are most often 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 the hardware, then it is better to look at comparisons of specific processors of the models of interest. You can find many examples that many new Intel Haswell processors are mostly just marketing, when the power consumption differs from the previous generation by only 1-3 W / h, and the 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 high-grade, and the latter are low-voltage.
In general, if you edit photos and videos in a stationary environment, and not on the road, then taking a laptop does not make much sense. The power of a stationary computer will be much higher, plus you can put a normal graphics card and provide it with cooling. Laptops also use middling video cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, but they can have a significant impact on power consumption (when the laptop cannot switch to integrated video when needed). In addition, a powerful video card needs good cooling, which can increase the noise level, and laptop components can get hotter and fail prematurely. Moreover, users rarely think about the fact that laptops need to be cleaned of dust in order for coolers (fans) to work properly.
At the same time, more and more laptop manufacturers have entered the pixel race following the arrival of the Macbook with Retina displays. In this case, the most often used resolution is not 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) or 4096 × 2160, but something in between and FullHD (1920 × 1080). But since Youtube and Vimeo already allow you to upload videos with a resolution of up to 4096x3072, broadcasting in 4K format in the United States is not far off, camcorders with 4K resolution have begun to appear on the market, then the appearance of laptops and monitors with such a resolution is not far off. Moreover, the first models will be very expensive and will certainly 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 (SSD) are too small, the volumes of hard drives have not recently doubled once every 1-2 years as they used to. In addition, the integrated Intel graphics, even if it is Crystallwell (Iris Pro graphics 5200), is still too weak to support high resolutions (despite the fact that the performance does not reach the level of average mobile discrete cards like the NVidia GT 750M, and even the temperature can not boast can). In this case, of course, the power consumption of the low-voltage core i7 together with the integrated video Iris Pro 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 fact that the resolution is 3200x1800. This, coupled with the scaling problems of Windows 8, leads to a negative impression of such solutions. A small part of the Metro apps in Windows 8 (intended primarily for tablets and touch screens) of course already know how to work with high resolutions, and the situation will only get better. But at the moment, of course, rushing to update the 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, completely unsuitable for professional video and photo processing. More expensive models can also be using IPS technology (or similar MVA, PVA, PPS). Compared to the matrix based on the simplest TN + film technology, IPS offers viewing angles increased up to 178 °, high contrast and color reproduction. At the same time, at the moment, IPS displays on laptops 15-17 inches are very rare, besides, their color quality on cheap models leaves much to be desired.
It is not for nothing that many professionals for video and photo processing offer to purchase either a desktop computer, including an iMac, or a laptop and a good large IPS monitor for it. As for the iMac, it is worth considering the complexity of their upgrade. The latest 21.5-inch iMacs don't even offer the easy way to increase memory size (you need to remove the screen and disassemble the floor of the computer). The latest generation 27-inch iMacs allow you to increase the memory size, but you will also have to remove the screen to replace the hard drive (including the SSD).
The segment of Windows computers like 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 quality QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS display. 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, you should also pay attention to the processors used. Despite the huge dimensions of such devices, they often use mobile processors, including low-voltage ones. This is also due to the fact that some manufacturers offer to use such computers as huge tablets (and Haswell desktop power consumption is not at the best level, including in comparison with the previous generation processors). In addition, often such solutions do not have a discrete video card (they use only integrated graphics) or simple-medium video cards (which can also be found on laptops). Haswell's graphics performance has increased significantly, but still, this segment of computers is not designed for toy lovers. When choosing such solutions, pay attention to whether the computer has a touch screen.
Also, professionals often recommend the 15-inch Macbook Pro with Retina display for photo and video editing. It is made using IPS technology and is well suited for photo and video editing. Of course, the 13 "model is more convenient for traveling, but for everyday work, 15" is the optimal size. It's not for nothing that Apple ditched the 17-inch Macbook Pro. They are not mobile at all, and in stationary conditions you can add a good large monitor to smaller laptops. The disadvantages of the Macbook Pro include the memory soldered to the motherboard, which makes the upgrade impossible. But this is true for many Windows Ultrabooks as well. Mobility requires sacrifice. It is also not uncommon for Macbook users with Retina displays to complain that, despite the 2880x1800 resolution, few elements can be placed on the screen, as if the resolution is only 1440x900.
But scaling Windows 8 laptops are still worse. For example, even Photoshop Creative Cloud still doesn't support high-resolution screens. And that's not to mention the fact that working with high resolution in Photoshop becomes significantly slower.
Screen quality 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 spectra. Please note that full coverage of the sRGB spectrum on laptops with IPS matrix is \u200b\u200bpossible only when using an RGB LED screen (the backlight uses 3 colors at once, not one). At the same time, high-quality TN screens are also found on laptops, which cover sRGB by 95-98%, but they cannot boast of large viewing angles.
The most worthy alternatives to the Macbook Pro are
- Dell Precision M3800 Mobile Workstation is a thin and light laptop (approx. 2 kg) with a QHD + touchscreen (3200x1800), 4th generation Intel Core i7 Haswell processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics.
- Dell XPS 15 with QHD + (3200x1800) PPS technology, 4th Gen Intel Core Haswell (i3-i7) processor, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M graphics.
- HP Zbook 15 with FullHD DreamColor Display (1920 x 1080), 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4800MQ processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics, Thunderbolt port.
Please note that you need a DreamColor screen, as the regular one covers about 90% of the sRGB. - HP Zbook 17 with FullHD display, 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4700MQ processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics, Thunderbolt port.
Covers about 93% of AdobeRGB. - Dell Precision M4800
QHD + screen: Color gamut coverage AdobeRGB approx. 64%, sRGB approx. 89%. - Dell Precision M6800
FHD Premiercolor (RGB backlighting) options are no longer available, unlike older models. - Lenovo W540 with 1920x1080 or 2880x1620 IPS display, 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor, NVIDIA Quadro graphics, Thunderbolt port, X-Rite calibrator. There are no reviews.
Of the 15-17 inch workstations based on the 3rd generation Intel processor, we can also note:
- Dell Precision M4600 Premiercolor (15.6 ", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen, LP156WF3 SLB1-B2-B3)
- Dell Precision M4700 Premiercolor (15.6 ", 1920x1080, IPS, matte screen).
The standard FHD panel does not completely 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 vary, including even those with a resolution of less than 1920x1080. In general, it is very strange that in this segment there is still a resolution of 1368x768, especially on 17-inch screens.
Dell QHD + screens are more suitable for professional photo and video work than FullHD screens. And it's not just about the resolution, but about other characteristics.
The Dell Precision M6700 has a wide IPS color gamut with RGB backlighting. The M6700's screen even covers NTSC, which is wider than AdobeRGB. Some even think that the colors of the M6700 are oversaturated, as they have only seen screens covering 45-72% NTSC before.
The Dell M4800's QHD + screen covers sRGB, but sRGB only covers 72% of NTSC.
The Dell M4800's FullHD screen only covers 60% NTSC and has a lower contrast.
More laptops (mainly with IPS, MVA / PVA matrices), which were considered:
- Sony VAIO Fit 15A multi-flip (15 ", FullHD, IPS, glossy) - The sRGB color gamut is approximately 97%.
- Sony VAIO Fit 15A multi-flip (15 ", 2880 × 1620, IPS, glossy) - Color gamut covers 86% of sRGB and 62.8% Adobe RGB, with 99.6% of sRGB and 68 gamut. 6% of Adobe RGB volume.
- Sony VAIO Fit SVF15A1S2ES (15 ", FullHD, Glossy) - The display cannot reproduce the color spectra of AdobeRGB or sRGB.
- Acer Aspire R572G (15 ", FullHD, i7-4500U, NVidia GeForce GT 750M) - Color gamut covers 96% sRGB. Acer offers good specs for its money, but overall product quality is rather poor.
- Acer Aspire V5-572pg
- Acer Aspire V5-573G - (15 "IPS screen from AU Optronics, FullHD, matte) - Over 90% sRGB color gamut.
- Acer Aspire V5-573P (15 ") - Over 90% sRGB color space.
- Acer Aspire R7 R7-571G - The color gamut of the LCD screen covers 80.25% of the sRGB space and about 59% of the AdobeRGB space.
- Samsung ATIV Book 8 (PLS) - 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 is a 15-inch laptop with an IPS matrix. The color gamut of the LCD screen is not only smaller than the sRGB coverage, but is also shifted relative to the sRGB coverage, although it covers 92% of the sRGB.
- Sony VAIO Fit 15A SVF15N1X2RB is a convertible ultrabook with a resolution of 2880 × 1620. The Ultrabook's LCD has a color gamut of 86% sRGB and 62.8% Adobe RGB, and a color gamut of 99.6% of sRGB and 68.6% of Adobe RGB.
- The Asus Zenbook UX51VZ is a good 15-inch laptop with an IPS screen, but not very suitable for photo and video color gamut
- Asus Q550LF-BBI7T07 (15 ", IPS, i7-4500U, NVIDIA GT 745M)
- Lenovo Ideapad Y580 20994BU - Covers 91% sRGB
- Lenovo Ideapad Y510p 59400120 - Covers 82% sRGB and 56% AdobeRGB
- Dell Inspiron 15-7537. 7000 series (1920x1080, IPS, glossy) The color gamut satisfactorily covers sRGB (about 80-90%) and AdobeRGB.
- Razer Blade
- Toshiba Qosmio X870
- Asus G75VW
- Asus G750JW - LCD color gamut covers 80% sRGB and less than 60% 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 is elite), so panels and other components are increasingly used of not very 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. 59% AdobeRGB color gamut. 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 is based on AHVA technology (this is not TN or IPS) with a 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) - Covers 97% sRGB. But the viewing angles are small, since the TN technology is used.
Some models have RGB LED screens. - Dell Alienware M18x R2 (1920x1080 Glossy TN) - Covers 97% sRGB. But the vertical viewing angles are small, since the 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, since the TN technology is used.
- Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook U904 (14 ", 3200x1800, Sharp IGZO)
- Samsung Ativ Book 9 NP930X5J (FullHD, Haswell) - so far only announced at CES, will appear no earlier than February-March 2014, the quality of the screen is still unknown.
In general, a very interesting picture is obtained. Laptops with a screen well suited for photo and video editing are often on the order of $ 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 for less than the allowed duty-free import limit in international mail. Basically, either old models, or refurbished ones, or used ones fit into the 1000 euro limit.
More budgetary Asus, Samsung and Sony do not cover sRGB, AdobeRGB so well. But they can be good compromise options, although other options are better for professional photography and video work.
Personally, I settled on the Samsung ATIV Book 8. Although it has a previous generation Core i7-3635QM CPU, it practically does not differ from the Core i7-4700QM in terms of performance and power consumption. Haswell has more productive Intel HD4600 graphics, but in addition to the built-in Intel HD4000, a discrete video card Radeon HD 8770M is also installed in this laptop (in other countries, a video card AMD Radeon HD 8870M is offered).
In second place, I had the Sony VAIO Fit 15A. It has a screen of course with better sRGB coverage (especially for the expensive version with a resolution of 2880x1620), but the Nvidia GForce GT-735 video card is weak, the processor is weaker (although the new Haswell architecture with lower power consumption), the amount of RAM is fixed, articulated the design does not inspire confidence. Plus, there are many complaints about this laptop about the quality of Wi-Fi and the disconnecting touch screen, although for me both of these parameters are practically unimportant.
Which laptop or computer do you recommend for photo and video editing?
(April 23, 2014 Patch)
Added a couple of Acer laptops with over 90% sRGB color space. Perhaps, when buying, I would look exactly in their direction.
More recently, personal computers were considered a great luxury for the common man. But over time, everything has changed significantly. Today, a large number of users use laptops to study, create texts, communicate on social networks and shop online. Also, nowadays, a large number of computer users love to produce a variety of photographs. As such, a professional photographer needs a laptop that has basic resources like Photoshop and Lightroom.
A laptop with these programs is perfect for a photographer. In order for the installed programs to work efficiently, you should pay attention to the laptop processor. It must be of high quality and powerful enough. Also, the device must have an excellent screen resolution and a large enough RAM. When buying a laptop for a photographer, first of all, you should pay attention to these parameters.
List of laptop requirements for a photographer
A laptop for a photographer must have the Lightroom program. It is with the help of this program that the photographer will be able to quickly process photographs in RAW format. The display of the device is also important enough for the photographer. After all, it is on him that the ideal colors of the picture that will be created depend. The user will be able to achieve this effect thanks to the IPS or S-IPS matrix. It is recommended that the viewing angle is as wide as possible. In the event that the laptop does not have a built-in matrix, the user will need to purchase an additional screen with a diagonal of 21 inches.
It is worth noting that the device that the photographer uses must have a powerful enough built-in processor. It is worth paying attention to devices with a capacity of more than 2 gigahertz. For processing photos, a device that has a Windows 8 operating system can perfectly fit. The recommended amount of RAM for such a device is at least 1 gigabyte. The hard disk of the device can be of any size. Also, the device must have a screen with a sufficiently high resolution.
Devices that are most suitable for working with photographs
Currently, the best device suitable for a photographer is a laptop. Dell Inspiron 17.The company that makes these devices is currently bringing high quality and stylish devices to the market. This model of the device has a plastic case. But in order to add style and sophistication to the device, the manufacturer was able to create aluminum inserts on the body of the device. The technical characteristics of this device deserve special attention.
The device has specifications that are great for photo processing. The laptop has 8 gigabytes of RAM. The manufacturer was able to install an internal memory on his gadget, which is 1 terabyte. The screen, which is installed on the laptop, has a diagonal size of 17.3 inches. It has a fairly high resolution. The total weight of the device is no more than three kilograms.
Also, a laptop can be perfect for a photographer. Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 Mid.The gadget has a 15-inch screen that has excellent resolution. The manufacturer installed a sufficiently powerful processor in the gadget, the frequency of which is 2.5 gigahertz. The RAM is large enough. This is directly 16 gigabytes. The size of the internal memory is of course small, it is only 512 gigabytes. Thanks to its excellent technical characteristics, this device perfectly copes with the tasks assigned to it in photo processing. Currently, there are a large number of laptop models on the computer market that can perfectly suit the work of a photographer.
Conclusion
Currently, the user is provided with a fairly large selection of computer equipment. In this regard, it is quite difficult for a photographer to select a laptop that can perfectly suit his work. When buying a device for a photographer, you should pay special attention to screen size and resolution. Also, an important factor is the presence of a very powerful processor in the gadget.
It is worth noting that if you buy a laptop for a photographer that has a diagonal size of 13 inches, then you doom your photographer friend to some inconvenience. The thing is that from small screens the photographer's eyes begin to hurt quite a lot. Therefore, experts recommend purchasing devices that have a screen size of at least 15 inches.
A laptop for a photographer becomes not a whim, but a necessity. After all, the pace of life is accelerating every day. Nowadays, you will not surprise anyone with photo processing during a long flight, or even working on a subway train.
There is a huge selection of laptops. This article will help you make the right choice among all the variety.
Tasks: why does a photographer need a laptop?
To select the right laptop, you need to determine the purpose of its use. For instance:
- Use as a stationary computer for photo processing with the ability to take it with you on a trip.
- Increase the speed and efficiency of work at photo shoots. The ability to view the footage on the spot, quickly send photos to the client via the Internet - these are now standards in advertising photography.
- A means of demonstrating the results of filming to a client, acquaintances, relatives.
Functions can be combined or separated. It is also necessary to predict the future use of the laptop. This directly affects both the selection process and its cost.
Let's try to figure out what are the requirements for a laptop when performing each of the tasks.
If you use a laptop as a stationary computer, then it should be with a large screen, multiple ports (USB 3.0, HDMI, LAN). It is also important that it be equipped with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interfaces; you need a hard disk, which is enough to store all your photos, an optical drive and a built-in card reader. This laptop must have a powerful central processing unit (CPU or CPU) and a lot of RAM (RAM or RAM), since it is supposed to handle RAW and TIFF photos.
A powerful graphics card is required to work with graphics. Some laptops are equipped with two video cards at once: one (built into the motherboard) is designed to work with everyday tasks (office applications), and the other - for working with graphics (photo and video processing).
The more powerful the computer, the more electricity it needs. In this case, you can ignore the battery capacity, since most of the time it will be connected to an electrical outlet.
The Apple Macbook Pro is a 15.4-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology. The resolution of 2880x1800 pixels provides high quality color reproduction.
For operational work on set a powerful laptop is not needed. It is enough to pick up a laptop with a good screen up to 15 inches and a built-in card reader that supports your camera's memory cards. The latter can even be neglected and you can connect the camera to a laptop via a cable. The priority in this case is speed and autonomy. The speed of work can be ensured by the presence of an SSD-disk instead of a conventional HDD, and autonomy - by a large-capacity rechargeable battery.
Laptop for displaying photos should be light, with a good screen. See how little the computer requirements are in this case?
What to look for
Choosing a laptop, the photographer must take into account the specifics of further work. After all, the priority of choosing technical characteristics depends on the tasks assigned to it. For example, if a laptop is needed for work during the photography process, the priority of the characteristics may be as follows:
- screen
- autonomy of work
- connection connectors
- weight "iron".
If the future laptop is planned to be used stationary, you should start the selection with the following parameters:
- screen
- "iron"
- connection connectors
- autonomy of work.
When choosing a laptop, you should rely on the same characteristics as when choosing a regular personal computer, while you need to pay attention to the capacity of the battery, that is, autonomy. Perhaps this is one of the main characteristics, since the advantage of any portable computer over a stationary one lies precisely in the ability to work "not fastened" to an electrical outlet.
The second most important (but not most important) characteristic is the image quality. It largely depends on the technology used for the display. Initially, IPS-matrices were used only in professional monitors, but over time, more and more screens began to be equipped with this type of matrix. By choosing a laptop with an IPS display, you get wide viewing angles, thanks to which the picture on the display is practically not distorted. Also, IPS-matrices have an advantage over the same TN-matrices due to a wider color gamut and increased contrast. Even a budget IPS will be better than a high-quality TN display in this regard. Thus, for work with graphics and just daily use, the matrix made using IPS technology will be better.
Having dealt with the battery and the screen, let's move on to the "stuffing". Everything that is hidden inside directly affects the speed and duration of your work. At this stage, the scope of application must be considered. The previous characteristics were more or less universal. Now we plunged into the "insides", without understanding which, it is rather difficult to make the right choice. By "internals" I mean the central processor, video card, RAM and ports for connecting additional devices.
CPU
If your laptop will be used stationary, you can choose the most powerful processor. For example, it can be a chip based on Intel Core i7. Don't chase cores and gigahertz. Powerful processors require a lot of power, which in laptops is limited by the capacity of the battery. If the computer is your constant companion, then a Core i3 or Core i5 processor will be enough. The newer the "heart" of the computer, the more autonomy a laptop can boast. You can check the processor generation at ark.intel.com.
Video card
If you plan to process photos and videos on a laptop, it is better to have a discrete video adapter, that is, a separate video card. Such an adapter has its own RAM, which has a positive effect on performance. For comfortable work, 2 GB of RAM is enough (for example, this is an Nvidia GeForce GT 750M graphics card). The rule "the newer the better" also works here. For the rest, the built-in video card is enough. Usually, the power of the processor is more important for editing photos - the speed of the program will depend on it. The video card is used only as a means of displaying graphic information and does not perform any tasks for building images.
There are professional video cards that take over some of the data processing. These are, for example, video cards from Nvidia of the Quadro series. However, such video cards are not found in laptops.
RAM and hard disk
You can't spoil porridge with butter. You may have already heard the interpretation of this proverb about computers - "there is never enough memory." Everything is simple here: the more RAM, the better. If you plan to work a lot with photos and open dozens of windows in the browser, you shouldn't choose less than 8 GB.
The amount of hard disk space depends on the amount of data that you plan to store on your laptop. For example, if you want to store all your photos in this computer, then the volume of the hard disk must be at least 1 TB. On the other hand, if you store your photo archive on external hard drives or on a stationary home computer, then the size of the laptop hard drive will not be so important to you. You can limit yourself to 128 or 256 GB. In this case, you can choose a solid-state SSD drive. Its advantage over the classic HDD is the increased speed of data recording, and, consequently, the operation of programs in general. SSDs have both advantages and disadvantages. First is the price. They are quite expensive compared to conventional HDDs. Secondly, the maximum size of an SSD drive at the moment is 512 GB. Thirdly, solid-state drives have a fixed usage life. You can overwrite data on a solid-state drive up to 10,000 times. The classic HDD has no such limitations.
Interfaces
To use a wireless connection, you must have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interfaces. External connectors are required to connect flash drives, external hard drives, and other accessories to your laptop. These are USB ports (preferably the third generation, which are able to work much faster than their predecessor), HDMI connectors, which will be used if an external large monitor is needed. It is also extremely necessary to have a built-in card reader that supports the memory cards of the camera used. At the moment, support for Compact Flash memory cards has been discontinued by almost all manufacturers of personal computers. To read data from such cards, it is necessary to use adapters or adapters.
Conclusion
If you need a "stationary" laptop, choose according to the maximum characteristics, regardless of the battery capacity. By "maximum" I mean a large screen diagonal (I assume you already know what type of screen is needed for the best color reproduction), the most powerful processor, the most capacious hard drive.
For such a solution, a laptop of the Republic of Gamers (ROG) series from Asus is ideal.
For studio work and maximum portability, choose a laptop with a mid-range processor, minimal hard drive, and good battery. For these purposes, I recommend choosing Apple products.
The laptop has a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and a Retina display. It allows the use of screens with such a pixel density that the human eye is not able to distinguish between individual points, the image appears perfectly smooth. The laptop weighs from one and a half to two kilograms (depending on the model and configuration).
A convertible laptop with a touch screen and a minimum screen size is suitable for displaying photos. If you don't need the functionality of a full-fledged laptop, a good tablet is enough. For example, Apple iPAD, which has a Retina screen.
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A photographer's laptop should be powerful and have a good display. We will tell you how to chooseoptimal characteristics for different tasks, what to look for first and give a useful resource for finding laptops with the best displays.
The first thing to do when choosing a laptop is to determine the purpose of its use. Of course, over time, they can change, as well as be combined, and a laptop purchased as a stationary one will travel with you to outdoor photo sessions.
But nevertheless - decide what tasks the computer will perform in the first place. It depends on which direction to move on.
What to look for when choosing a computer for each of these tasks?
How to choose a laptop for a photographer
Let's take a look at all the characteristics that you will need to familiarize yourself with.
Display
The first and most important characteristic of a laptop for a photographer is the display. Its quality will determine how accurately you see colors and understand the processing results.
For regular work and photo processing, a small diagonal (for example, 13 inches) will not work. On such a display, the working area is very small and it will be too inconvenient to work.
However, too large a diagonal is also not needed here, especially if you plan to take your laptop on trips from time to time. The best option: 15 inches.
However, if you plan to travel frequently, it makes sense to opt for a 13-inch laptop, and for serious processing, connect an external display to the laptop. In this case, it is necessary that the laptop can handle 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 are taking a laptop for photo processing, a high-quality sensor is a must-have. The best color rendering, contrast, viewing angle, color gamut are provided by IPS matrices. It is better to choose the resolution 1920х1080 and higher.
IPS laptops are more expensive than TN laptops, but they will provide true color reproduction and maximum color gamut (90-100% sRGB and even wider). But be careful, even if the characteristics of the computer include an IPS matrix - make sure that it is really it, and not a TN matrix with wider angles, and check the percentage of color gamut.
CPU
Photo processing programs are usually quite processor-intensive, so modern models should be preferred. Ideally - Intel Core i7 (or similar) with a frequency of at least 2 GHz.
A powerful processor will quickly "eat up" the battery charge, but this is important, for example, on the road. For stationary use at home, where it is always possible to connect a computer to the network, this is not critical.
The compact 13-inch models are equipped with an Intel Core i5, which will also be sufficient for most tasks.
RAM
Graphic editors are also demanding on the amount of RAM. For example, the minimum requirements for Adobe Lightroom are 4 GB, and the recommended ones are 12 GB; minimum for Photoshop - 2, recommended - 8 GB.
That is, the minimum option for today will be at least 8 GB of RAM. It is best 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 at an affordable price, but loses out in speed. If the device is dropped, the hard drive is more prone to breakage.
Solid state SSDs are several times faster than hard drives, but they cost significantly more. No moving parts Plus have less data rewriting life.
To improve the overall performance of your entire laptop, we recommend choosing a laptop with an SSD drive. With a minimum capacity of 256 GB, but better than 512 GB.
In this configuration, you will receive, respectively, 100 or 350 GB of space for working with current projects, and the rest of the data will be stored on an external hard drive. By this tag you can find reviews of external drives.
Sometimes, large laptops combine an SSD and an HDD to take advantage of the high speed of the drive and the capacity of the hard drive.
Video card
To work with graphics, especially high resolution, you will also need a powerful video card with at least 2 GB of RAM. It is best if it is discrete (standalone) rather than built-in.
Some laptops have two video cards - an integrated one for regular programs and a discrete one for working with graphics. Switching between them is automatic.
It is important to study what resolution the laptop supports for an external monitor. It is best if your laptop supports a 4k monitor.
Ports and interfaces
For connecting a camera, external drives, flash drives, etc. Multiple USB ports are required: ideally, at least three and at least the third generation, for faster data transfer.
The built-in card reader will also come in handy (make sure it supports memory cards for your camera) and an HDMI connector 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 Apple models, are exclusively equipped with USB-C ports. This port is universal and allows you to connect various devices. Read more about USB-C here.
Battery
If you plan to use your laptop on location, check the laptop's battery life.
The 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 the photographer are quite expensive, so this choice should be taken seriously. First, decide on the tasks for which you need a computer. Secondly, with the budget.
Then, narrowing down the choice to models that meet the price / quality ratio, consider your own preferences. For example, someone prefers exclusively Apple, while someone, on the contrary, categorically does not accept "apple" products.
And finally, when one or more options are chosen, once again carefully study their characteristics, read reviews on the Internet - and only then make a purchase.
Below are some guidelines for specific laptops, but this list is provided as an example only. The market is changing very quickly, and what is relevant at the time of writing may not be relevant at all next year.
A powerful desktop laptop for the photographer
Dell XPS 15 Touch, with 4-core Core i7, 4K display, 100% Adobe RGB, Nvidia 1050 graphics card, 1TB hard drive and up to 32GB RAM, as well as a wide range of ports including USB 3.0, HDMI, Thunderbolt and memory card slot.
All-in-one laptop for the photographer
Recently updated Apple MacBook Pro 15 and MacBook Pro 13. They feature 6-core Intel Core i7 / i9 (for 15-inch model) and quad-core i5 / i7 (for 13-inch model), SSDs, IPS displays with TrueTone technology c coverage 25% wider than sRGB. As well as a discrete Radeon Pro graphics card, Thunderbolt 3 ports with USB ‑ C, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
To make image processing in Photoshop easy on a laptop, your laptop must meet a few 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 detailing to work with screens, the resolution of which has a resolution of Full-HD or higher.
- RAM: the size of the RAM is also very important. Especially if you want to work with large projects, Adobe's program will consume a lot of RAM. At least 4GB of RAM should be installed in the laptop - preferably 8GB or 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 save 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
