Todd Sumamno
If you’re out and about taking photos, having a laptop with you so that you can edit them on the go is a great idea. It means that you can get a good idea of which shots are working and which ones aren’t while you are still on location.
If you’re editing photos, you’ll need a powerful laptop that can process high-quality images and which allows you to view your images in their full detail on the screen.
Here are some of the things you need to consider when choosing a laptop for photo editing.
Operating system
Both Windows and MacOS offer great options for photography. It used to be that Mac was considered by far and away the better choice when it came to high-intensity creative work like photo and video editing, but in recent years Windows have really upped their game. In terms of the hardware that is available, Windows and Mac have equally high-quality offerings.
An upside to windows is that there are multiple different brands and manufacturers out there, which means that you have more choice over your computer style. It also means that if some new tech innovation becomes available, it’s likely to be available more quickly. Macs are released periodically on a set timetable, so if you want to upgrade your computer, you will likely have to wait for the next release date. This isn’t a deal breaker for a lot of people, just something worth bearing in mind.
Macs are known for having highly intuitive software that makes them an absolute joy to use, which is a big plus point if you are spending hours editing your photos.
Both operating systems are equally high quality, so the best way to answer this question is to try out photo editing on both a Mac and a Windows laptop and see which one you prefer.
Choose your CPU
If you’re buying a laptop for photo editing, it’s important that you get the CPU with the highest processing speed that your budget allows for.
Photo work is intensive and tricky, and a quicker processor will make it much easier!
The fastest processors available at the moment are the i5 and the i7. People will generally tell you that the i7 is the quicker processor, which is true if you are comparing an i5 and an i7 from the same year. However, you might find that an i5 processor from this year is considerably quicker than an i7 processor from a few years ago, so it’s worth taking into account both the processor type and date of manufacture when making this choice.
Resolution
Editing photos requires a high-resolution screen, and there’s no getting around that! Get a screen that’s as large as you can manage while still maintaining portability.
Look at laptops that are designed for creators, and ensure that you choose the one with the highest possible screen resolution within your budget.
Storage
Finally, storage. If you are storing most of your photos in the cloud, you can get away with less storage. However, if you are working on location, you should bear in mind that internet connectivity could be a problem. You should ensure you have ample room to at least store the photos you are working on that day, and more if you prefer to store your images locally.
