What Is the Best Macbook for Photo Editing? A Photographer’s Guide


Do you plan to buy a MacBook to edit your photo projects with? Are you looking for the best MacBook that will fit your photo editing needs? Here’s a guide to help you find the right MacBook for photo editing.

Apple’s rise in value and recent popularity came from the pandemic. As companies arranged for remote work for their employees, people bought more reliable Apple products. Everyone turned to the Mac for its stability, dependability, and durability.

As a photographer, you are likely considering getting a MacBook. The question is which MacBook model is the best device for editing photos? Keep reading below to learn how to find the best MacBook for photographers.

1. What to Consider When Looking for a MacBook for Photo Editing

One of the many things to look for when buying a MacBook is the display. The good news is that most of Apple’s devices now boast Retina displays, except the 21in iMac. You may also be comfortable with specific screen sizes, so consider that as well.

Also, your images won’t look good if you don’t get a computer with a good graphics card. Different MacBook models use different graphics cards. You can’t upgrade the graphics card of a MacBook like a PC, so pick a MacBook with the most suitable graphics card. Apart from photo editing, you’ll be able to also enjoy some very cool games at Queenplay Casino.

The Intel processor of the MacBook is also a key element to consider. You want a MacBook with a recent Intel processor. The more “cores” (i.e. quad-core) your processor has, the better it is at multitasking. Computers with quad-core processors are some of the most accessible today.

Finally, look for decent RAM and storage space. Many photo editing programs like Photoshop can take up a lot of RAM. If you’re going to work on your MacBook for a day, it may be wise to get a little extra RAM.

Photographers also need to get a MacBook with hefty storage space. It’s still smart to have an external drive to store your projects with. Yet, it won’t hurt to get a MacBook with decent storage space for big projects or an entire photoshoot folder.

2. MacBook Pro, 16-inch (2019)

The 2019 MacBook Pro is the best MacBook Pro for photo editing. It’s like Apple made with photographers and image designers in mind. It has great components as well as an awesome 16-inch Retina display screen with True Tone.

The resolution of the screen is 3072×1920, with a pixel density of 226 PPI. It’s perfect for getting the tiniest of details right. You won’t even have to buy an external screen to see a photo well. Apple improved its keyboard as well.

Its graphics card is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, which you can upgrade to Radeon Pro 5500M. The processor is a 9th generation Intel Core i7 or i9. It features a 16GB–46GB RAM and 512GB–8TB SSD storage.

3. MacBook Pro, 15-inch (2019)

A good alternative to the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the MacBook Pro 2019 15-inch model. It’s still a powerful and elegant tool. Its components are a little lower than the 16-inch, but they won’t keep you back by much.

It has an AMD Radeon Pro 555X–560X Intel UDH Graphics 630. The screen measures 15.6 inches and has a Retina display and a 2880×1800 resolution.

You may not find any more of this model in the Apple store anymore. That’s because Apple replaced it with the 16-inch model a short while after its release. You can still buy 15-inch MacBook Pros in other places.

3. MacBook Air, 13.3-inch (2020)

Using MacBook Air for photo editing is a good choice for those who are working with a tight budget. At $999, its base model is the cheapest Apple laptop with a Retina display. That makes it a great portable photo editing computer.

Let’s first talk about its display. A MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch 2560×2600 panel that reaches 113% of the sRGB gamut. It also features a remarkable 382 nits, which is more than the nit average.

For its graphics, MacBook Air uses Intel Iris Plus Graphics. MacBook Air operates on a 10th Gen Core i3, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. Yet, for photo editing, it’s better to get at least an i5.

You can upgrade the computer to 1.1GHz quad-core i5 CPU for $1,299. This upgrade also brings up the SSD storage to 512GB. Another customized MacBook Air upgrade costs $2,249, which can be overkill.

If you want to connect your camera to the laptop, you have two Thunderbolt 3 ports to pick from. Getting a USB hub is the best option if you need to use more than two ports. Also, since it’s not as high tech as the MacBook Pro, it can seem like it’s lacking power for heavy-duty use.

4. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar, 13-inch (2019)

If you want something a little more powerful than the MacBook Air, pick the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It’s smaller than the other MacBook Pro models and easier to travel with. It doesn’t have the same powerful components, but it can step up to the plate.

It’s great for photographers who like to work on-the-go. It features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 and has the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645-655 graphics card. You can get one with an 8GB or 16GB RAM and 128GB to 2TB SSD storage.

5. What Is the Best MacBook?

Still unsure about which the best MacBook for photo editing is? Refer to your priorities again. Do you need a good display, storage space, portability, RAM, or performance?

If you’re not going anywhere but need a powerful tool, consider the MacBook Pro specs for photo editing. If you often have to hop from shoot to shoot, consider the MacBook Pro 13-inch or MacBook Air.

It also helps to know how much RAM or storage you need. This way, you have an idea about whether you’ll get a MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM or lower. You can always learn how to clear your Photoshop scratch disk at https://setapp.com/how-to/clear-scratch-disk-mac.

Buy the Best MacBook for You

Because of the dependability and stability of Apple computers, many people prefer it over PCs. All the MacBooks mentioned here work well. It’s only a matter of which one fits your needs best.

That ends our guide on finding the most suitable MacBook for photo editing. We hope you enjoyed reading this guide on MacBooks. If you want to read some more on Mac computers, read our other tech guides right here!

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