As any photographer knows, photography doesn’t end once you’ve clicked the shutter. Bringing your photos from good to phenomenal requires a little post-processing, and to do proper justice to your photos, you need a good quality photo editing monitor.
To edit your photos in true, there are a few things you should be looking for when it comes to your accurately displaying your work on screen:
- 24-inch minimum screen size
- 2560 x 1440 or 4K resolution
- Full sRGB or Adobe RGB color space
- Low Delta-E
- Matte screen
- Gamma or luminance adjustment
To help your decision, we have compiled a list of some of the best photo editing monitors:
1. BenQ SW2700PT (Overall Winner)
The BenQ SW2700PT is a high-end device that won’t leave you bankrupt. A 27-inch monitor with excellent resolution (2560 x 1440) and the best IPS panel technology to ensure all your photos can be viewed with as much color accuracy as possible!
For a monitor with 99 percent Adobe RGB coverage, the BenQ SW2700PT is surprisingly affordable. Most other photo editing monitors with the same technology cost almost twice as much.
This aptly sized monitor includes one DisplayPort, one HDMI 1, and two USB 3.0 ports. The one drawback that you might experience with this monitor is that it does not support 4K resolution. However, image quality is still pretty high for viewing digital photographs.
2. LG 27UD88-W
Featuring a slim design and a beautiful, moon-shaped, slender, silver base LG’s 27UD88-W is one of the best looking photo editing monitors out there. The monitor is ergonomically designed and can be tilted and pivoted, and its height can be adjusted as well.
The 27-inch monitor has a high resolution (3840×2160), brightness (350cd/m2), and a good contrast ratio (1000:1), so you can be sure of excellent image reproduction. It also includes a wide range of input ports, which include a dual HDMI, DP, and USB Type-C and USB 3.0 port with two downstream ports.
The monitor has a joystick controller placed under the screen, which enables easy selection of a wide range of display options. The presets include an sRGB mode but no Adobe RGB preset.
The monitor is known to score incredibly high in color accuracy tests in sRGB mode. However, the Adobe RGB gamut is a little less impressive. Overall though, the LG 27UD88-W is an excellent and sleek monitor for photo editing purposes.
3. BenQ SW271
A fan-favorite monitor is the nearly perfect BenQ SW271. This is truly an engineering masterpiece. The monitor has a modest 27-inch screen, which has an impressive resolution on its own (3840×2160) as well as 4K Ultra High Definition, besides its 10-bit color depth. With this monitor, you can be absolutely sure you will get the best achievable color accuracy possible onscreen!
The BenQ SW271 has a robust casing and a well-built stand with a range of movements, including swivel and tilt, as well as and adjustable height and pivot. The monitor contains Adobe RGB and sRGB modes plus an HDR mode. The company boasts an excellent 99 percent coverage of the Adobe RGB range as well as an astounding 100 percent for sRGB.
An excellent monitor calibration software by the name of Palette Master Element is included with the monitor to ensure that maximum color accuracy is maintained. However, the factory presets present with nearly perfect color rendition.
4. NEC EA271U-BK
The NEC EA271U-BK monitor is a wonderful photo editing monitor with some great extra features! Like most office monitors, the NEC EA271U-BK has control synchronization and cable management technology, which enables users to manage six units simultaneously in a multi-monitor arrangement. A picture-by-picture (PBP) mode is also available for using two inputs on the screen together!
Other than the usual photo-viewing modes, there are text, movie, dynamic, and gaming modes available as well. However, there is no mode for Adobe RGB color spacing.
The NEC EA271U-BK monitor has a variety of input ports, including DVI, DP, and HDMI, as well as a USB 3.0 port. It contains built-in speakers with 2W output and touch-sensitive buttons that can be easily accessed via the bottom bezel.
This monitor gives the best results when used in default mode and produces excellent color accuracy. The uniformity-enhancing mode boosts brightness uniformly, while the Adobe RGB color space offers good results as well.
5. EIZO ColorEdge CS2730
Although EOZO’s ColorEdge CS2730 lacks 4K UHD, it makes up for it with its high resolution and neat features. All of its features combine to ensure that your images are sharp, bright and have spot-on color accuracy with its factory presets.
The monitor comes with some bundled software. These include the color matching software Quick Color Match and A ColorNavigator software, which is to be used with any independent hardware for calibration. Connectivity ports include the DP, DVI, and HDMI ports near the rear end, two USB 3.0 ports upstream, and three separate USB 3.0 ports downstream.
The monitor has brilliant gamuts and presets for color spacing for both Adobe RGB and sRGB. There is very little bleeding from the backlight, and brightness uniformity is excellent all across the display.
6. ViewSonic VP3481
This monitor is a class apart and has been designed to give you an immersive, top quality, photo-viewing experience with its 34-inch, 21:9 curved screen. This behemoth of a monitor is for people who like having all their work displayed on a large screen, with numerous applications and windows open simultaneously (thanks to its ViewSonic ViewSplit software) for maximum efficiency.
The monitor has been factory preset to provide excellent color accuracy with a 14-bit 3D look-up table and 100 percent sRGB, EBU, SMPTE-C, DICOM-SIM, and Rec. 709 color accuracy. The monitor’s color adjustability is incredibly versatile thanks to its 6-Axis Color Enhancement and hue and saturation fine-tuning tools. Video editors will be glad to know that the monitor supports HDR10 content as well and has brilliant video playback capabilities.
Connectivity ports include USB 3.1 Type C, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2, and DisplayPort input. This monitor is one of the latest and most exciting monitors to work with for photo and video editors. Not only does this monitor feature a sleek design, but its software and color rendition are top-notch as well.
7. BenQ EX3501R
Another excellent option for editors who prefer to work on large, immersive, curved screens, the BenQ EX3501R, is one of the best photo editing monitors on our list. The monitor has a brilliant resolution (3,440 x 1,440), uniform brightness all across its screen, and a contrast ratio of 2500:1 to provide you with vibrant and bright images.
Brightness Intelligence Plus software helps to adjust brightness according to the environment to prevent eye strain or fatigue. The Monitor supports HDR videos as well and has 100 percent sRGB support! So although this monitor has a great design, unlike other monitors in the same category, it does not compromise on color rendition either!
8. Dell UltraSharp U2518D (Budget Winner)
Dell’s Ultrasharp U2518D is an excellent option if you’re trying to look for a good quality monitor without breaking the bank. This competitively priced monitor contains a bunch of great features that are usually only found in high-end models.
These features include the 4K UHD resolution that every photographer dreams of, 10-bit color depth, and some brilliant extras as well. The monitor not only performs well but also looks great! It has a smart case and an ultra-thin ‘InfinityEdge’ bezel.
Although there is no Adobe RGB preset, the monitor does contain some great modes such as the HDR modes other than its standard viewing mode. Extra modes include gaming, movie, and a custom color mode.
On the monitor’s underside are control buttons that provide exceptional tactile sensation and are easy to work with. Its contrast ratio is excellent (1300:1), and the screen itself has an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Final Words on Photo Editing Monitors
Whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist, if you want to ensure that you can preview and edit your pictures, a photo editing monitor is one of the best investments you can make.
Although the market is saturated with monitors, there are a few that are simply unmatched. If you’re confused about which monitor to buy, refer to our detailed guide to pick the best photo editing monitor for yourself.
