By Selecting the best monitor for photo editing is an expensive investment that can guarantee precise outcomes. Good color coverage and accuracy are important qualities for professional photographers when transferring work to clients. Even hobbyist photographers can benefit from these qualities.
Below, we’ve selected our top picks for photography monitors based on in-depth comparisons of specifications, photographer recommendations, and our in-the-field testing. Specifications include color coverage and accuracy as well as any helpful extra functions for photo editing. To provide both pros and enthusiasts options, we’ve selected displays at various pricing points. While some of the more costly displays have calibration tools, those without will find that using one of the top monitor calibrator tools frequently is beneficial.
The best monitors for photo editing in full
1. BenQ DesignVue PD2706UA
For photographers these days, 4K (UHD) panels make for the ideal monitors, especially for those who also work with video. If you’d want additional options, we have a dedicated guide to the best 4K displays, although the majority of our selections here feature UHD resolution. We also have a guide to the best touchscreen monitors (some photographers find a tactile screen helpful for making decisions) and the finest displays for video editing.
With its g-clamp and ergo arm, this display’s ergonomic design saves desk space and lets you place it as you’d like. Additionally, we discovered that HMDI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and a USB-C port that can charge a laptop adequately satisfied our connectivity demands. A USB hub with three USB-A and one USB-C port is also present.
The display is bright and clear, with enough brightness for most people’s photo editing needs, and it has a 4K resolution of 350 nits. With 95% P3, 99% sRGB, and 99% Rec.709 color coverage, color reproduction is accurate. This is one of our top concerns when selecting a monitor for photo editing. Our test findings revealed a Delta E value of less than 3.
Screen size: 27 inches
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Color coverage: 95% P3, 99% Rec.709, 99% sRGB
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Panel technology: IPS
Inputs: 1x HDMI 2, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB Type-C (DP1.4), 1x Audio Out (3.5 mm), 1x USB-B (upstream), 3x USB-A (downstream), 1x USB-C (downstream)
2. BenQ SW321C
For those with a larger budget, the BenQ SW321C is our choice for the best display for picture editing. Although it costs a lot more than the BenQ monitor mentioned above, you get a little more color coverage with 99% Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB (if you’re a professional, you’ll know you need that extra 1%). A separate control unit also makes it easy to move between color spaces. The screen has been professionally calibrated and has its calibration hardware.
We have discovered that the 4K display’s color accuracy and consistency are nearly flawless. There are also a tonne of helpful features. The Paper Colour Sync setting assists photographers who print their work in creating a color space that is specific to your printer and paper type for more precise previewing. Additionally, there is M Book mode, which more closely resembles a MacBook Pro screen to facilitate seamless screen switching. Similar to the last display, this one also accepts USB-C and can give up to 60W of power, allowing you to connect a laptop and get both data and power from a single connection.
Screen size: 32 inches
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Colour coverage: 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB and 95% P3
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Panel technology: IPS
Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI
USB: 2 x USB 3.1 USB-C
3. Dell S2721QS
If you’re at a point in your photography business or pastime when high-end BenQ or Eizo screens are too expensive, Dell offers several excellent low-cost monitors with excellent color coverage. This one seems to be the most appropriate for inexperienced photo editors.
99% of the sRGB color space, which is what you’ll probably be utilizing if you solely alter photos for common digital displays like the web or social media, is covered by the Dell S2721QS. Other color spaces are underrepresented, and we thought the contrast was a little mediocre—blacks in a dark setting appear grey. However, this is quite inexpensively priced at less than $400
Screen size: 27 inches
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Colour coverage: 99% sRGB
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Panel technology: IPS
Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI
USB: 2 x USB 3.1 USB-C
04. Eizo ColorEdge CG319X
The clarity, vibrancy, and brightness of an Eizo display make it instantly clear why the company is known for producing the best professional photo-editing displays, and it also explains why Eizo monitors are significantly more costly than those made by other companies.
The most recent iteration of Eizo’s flagship 31-inch professional monitor, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X, supports 99% AdobeRGB, 100% Rec.709, and 98% DCI-P3 color schemes and has an unparalleled 24-bit look-up table for 10-bit color depth. Additionally, it complies with the professional DCI 4K standard, which is utilized by certain professional studios, by supporting a slightly wider 4K resolution of 4096 x 2160.
Its special integrated hardware color calibration tool clicks down each time the monitor is powered down, guaranteeing that the colors stay in sync without the need for an external colorimeter. Additionally, perceptual quantization and hybrid-log gamma for HDR video production are new to this generation and will be especially useful for studios and independent contractors handling high-end footage. Teams can utilize the ColorNavigator 7 color management software to guarantee accuracy throughout a project.
The CG319X is priced and designed for a specialized professional market that demands the best color. In our testing, we discovered that it more than lives up to this expectation, providing exceptional features and remarkable color accuracy in a strong, reliable, if not very eye-catching, build. The majority of us will pass on this option after just glancing at the price, but if money is no object, we believe that this is the greatest display available for photo editing, coming in at number three despite the price.
Screen size: 31 inches
Resolution: 4096 x 2160
Colour coverage: 99% AdobeRGB, 100% Rec.709, 98% DCI-P3
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Panel technology: IPS
Inputs: 2 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI
USB: 3 x USB 3.0
5. Dell UltraSharp UP3218K
Some folks searching for a monitor for photography may want to consider upgrading to an 8K monitor because more cameras are now capable of producing 8K video. Now available, the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K is one of the few. Even though it’s not the most costly monitor on this list, it has a hefty price tag, but it truly stands out in terms of detail. Just be aware that to power all those pixels, it needs two DisplayPort connections (!) as it was created before the release of HDMI 2.1 and its 8K capabilities.
This is a specialty product, but what has impressed us about it isn’t simply how many pixels it has; it’s what it can display. For picture editors who require excellent color support, the display is a dream come true since it provides 100% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709, and 98% DCI-P3 coverage. It seemed to be well-made, and the numerous ergonomic adjustment choices were functional. Furthermore, at 31.5 inches, it’s not an absurd size.
Screen size: 31.5-inch
Resolution: 7,680 x 4,320
Colour coverage: 100% AdobeRGB, 100% Rec. 709, 98% DCI-P3
Refresh rate: 60hz
Panel technology: IPS
Connectivity: 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 3 x USB 3.0
USB: 3 x USB-A
06. Apple Studio Display
If you’re an Apple user seeking for the ideal aesthetic match for your MacBook Pro or Mac mini, you might be tempted to choose the Studio Display, which is Apple’s display. We thought the 5K display was a good option for photo editing. When it comes to photo processing, it provides excellent clarity along with constant color and brightness.
Even a built-in webcam is included, which may be useful if you have to answer video calls from clients. Although the 60 Hz refresh rate and lack of HDR disappointed us a little when we reviewed it, many photographers won’t be as concerned about these things.
Screen size: 27 inches
Resolution: 5120 x 2880
Colour coverage: 100% sRGB
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Panel technology: IPS
Inputs: USB-C only
USB: 4 x USB-C (including input)
