The 9 Best Laptops for Photography in 2021

Best Overall: Dell XPS 15 2-In-1

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It's rare to find a photographer-friendly laptop that's both attractive and powerful, but Dell has managed it with the XPS 15 2-In-1. This powerful hybrid laptop is sure to impress photographers with its stunning edge-to-edge 4K touchscreen display and fast processing, making it quick to download even large files. 

If you frequently travel for your shoots, the XPS makes a great travel companion, at a lightweight 4.4 pounds and a smaller size—but still with the benefit of a 15-inch display screen. With crystal-clear images and accurate color representation, it’s a great tool for doing detailed editing work also. The XPS is configurable with up to 16GB of RAM, Intel i7 processors, and a dedicated Radeon RX Vega graphics card, so it'll handle complex Photoshop and Lightroom sessions with ease. 

The XPS series were designed with creators in mind, giving artists the tools to work quickly and efficiently, with easy access to apps and storage. While it’s not the cheapest laptop, it’s a fantastic asset for both beginner and advanced photographers and one of the best overall options.

Best Budget: Acer Aspire E 15

4.5

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Finding budget laptop options for photographers isn't easy, as creatives tend to invest in products with more premium features. However, even if you’re on a tight budget, or just starting out in the field, there’s plenty to like about the Acer Aspire E 15.

It includes a dedicated graphics card, the NVIDIA MX150, rare in budget laptops. While it’s at the lower end of the range, it's still significantly faster than the standard integrated version. Paired with the latest-generation Intel i5 CPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD, the Aspire E 15 is more than sufficient for basic photo editing and storage. While editing, it’s easy to work efficiently, thanks to the laptop’s huge touchpad, offering smooth scrolling and controls. A full HD display screen, at 15.6 inches, makes it easy to see what you’re doing and the backlit keyboard is sure to be appreciated by users as well. 

Battery life is solid, at up to 15 hours. However, the one fault of the E 15 is its appearance—it has that chunky black look of older-style laptops, with the thickness to match. For this reason, it might not be the best for frequent flyers—but it has plenty to offer photographers on a budget.

Best Lightweight: Microsoft Surface Book 3

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Many photographers are constantly on the road for shoots, so they’re sure to want a laptop that’s lightweight and won’t weigh down an already heavy camera bag. If you need something portable, but with the power to match, check out the Microsoft Surface 3. This stylish, sleek 13.5-inch laptop couldn’t be thinner, weighing in at only 2.79 pounds. However, a 15-inch option is also available.

The Surface 3 can be used as both a laptop and a tablet, thanks to the touch screen and optional Surface Pen that lets you note and write directly on the tablet. It’s got plenty of power and performance, with the latest-gen processors. When you’re shooting in the field and trying to upload content from multiple shoots, you’re sure to appreciate the removable hard drive as well. This laptop also offers around 11.5 hours of battery life and a clean, elegant design that creatives are sure to appreciate. 

While we’d like to see more input ports included, this is still a fantastic choice for photographers on the go. You can select from multiple color options, including Sandstone, Matte Black, Cobalt Blue, and Platinum.

Best for Flexibility: Microsoft Surface Book 2 15"

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Tablet computers with separate keyboards are increasingly common, but when it comes to flexibility and usefulness it’s hard to beat the Microsoft Surface Book 2. 

The touch screen detaches at the press of a button from the keyboard, letting you easily use the device as a tablet or laptop.  You can also use it in studio mode, as if it were a notepad, along with view mode, which creates a kickstand to show your work to others or play a video. It’s easy to see how photographers could love the convenience of this when working in the field or editing. Choose from either the 13.5-inch or 15-inch models. 

The 3240 x 2160 pixel display is bright, clear, and incredibly accurate, thanks to Microsoft’s PixelScreen technology. It also offers Intel i7 processors, 16GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB solid-state drive. It’s fast enough for complex photo editing tasks too. 

While some users aren’t impressed with the limited app selection on the device, there are still plenty of selections to appease most users. If you need the convenience and flexibility to use your device in multiple ways, then you’re sure to like the stylish Surface 2.

Best Desktop Replacement: Dell Precision 7740 Mobile Workstation

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Can a laptop replace the trusty workhorse that is your desktop? While many photographers depend on their desktop for photo editing and storage, the Dell Precision 7740 is giving desktops a run for their money. This weighty laptop is large, with a 17-inch screen, giving you plenty of room for detailed editing work—made even better with a 4K screen that supports 100% of the Adobe RGB color space. The 7740 also packs a powerful processor and several graphics cards, Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 w/16GB GDDR6, yet it still doesn't run hot. It’s hard to find other laptops with such impressive graphics, especially useful for video editing. 

Users also have plenty of connectivity options, including three USB ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI and mini-DisplayPort for external monitors, and an SD card reader. The built-in mouse is also convenient, offering six mouse buttons, three under the trackpad and three under the spacebar. 

At almost seven pounds, combined with a shorter battery life, you probably won’t want to make this laptop your travel companion. However, if you’re looking for something powerful that takes up far less space than a desktop, then the 7740 can deliver. It offers serious specs and performance, but at a serious price point.

Best Splurge: MSI Creator 15 Multi-Touch Laptop

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If you’ve got the budget to spend on a premium product, check out the MSI Creator 15. This powerful laptop is specifically designed to excel at creative tasks, including editing and video. With a sleek metal grey exterior, the Creator 15 is both stylish and practical, featuring a 15.6-inch screen and a weight of 4.63 pounds, still light enough to travel with. It can also open 180 degrees to lay flat, a useful feature when you’re collaborating with others and want to display your screen. 

Photographers have access to an HD screen, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity, plenty of inputs, an Intel Core i7 processor, and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics cards. They all come together to create a fast, powerful laptop that can handle any editing task. Colors are accurate and vibrant, and it’s even a decent choice for those who also enjoy gaming. 

Some users report that the Creator 15 can run hot during extended periods of time, so keep this in mind when using. We can see the features of this stylish laptop appealing not only to photographers but also to musicians, videographers, and influencers. 

Best for Use in the Field: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga

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If you need a laptop for working on location, especially outdoors, you’re sure to like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga. It’s thin, durable, and built to withstand the elements. The X1 Yoga has gone through rigorous, military-grade testing, ensuring it can perform at its best even in extreme temperatures, humidity, or around dirt and dust. Made from CNC aluminum, the exterior is tough, but lightweight enough to go wherever you need it to go. 

It’s flexible in the field, but it’s also flexible in terms of its use—the screen and keyboard can flex and twist, letting you maneuver it into plenty of positions for working or watching video. The 14-inch, 1080p touch screen is bright and vibrant, accurately portraying the colors in your photos, however a 4k HDR model is also available. Configurable with the latest Intel i7 CPUs, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB solid-state drive, the machine performs extremely well, giving you the power you need to edit and work. 

The X1 Yoga stands out with its battery life as well, ideal for when you’re working away from the office. The battery is rated at 15 hours, but plugging the X1 Yoga into the wall for an hour gives an impressive 80% charge.

Best for Color Accuracy: Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)

4.9

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It’s no secret that color matters when you’re a photographer. You need the vibrant colors of your work to look just as accurate on the small screen. If you’re looking for a laptop based on color accuracy, it’s got to be the MacBook Pro 13-inch. Creatives are long turned to Apple for their software, but photographers are going to love Apple’s Retina display, which delivers bright and accurate color. It also features a LED backlighting for dark black and whites, plus Apple’s True Tone technology, which adjusts the white balance to match the white around you.

Users also benefit from fast speeds and power, with the MacBook Pro powered by Apple’s M1 chip. This is the powerhouse behind the computer, delivering a powerful 8‑core GPU, machine learning accelerators, and super-fast graphics speed. The battery life is solid too, with 20 hours of use. Note that this model doesn’t include the Apple Touch Bar, which some Mac fans have come to love. However, if that doesn’t bother you, the MacBook Pro 13-inch is sure to be a photographer’s best friend.