Top 10 Best Laptops for photography and editing

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is a premium laptop created by Microsoft, specifically with artists in mind. It boasts a stunningly bright display that supports Pen pressure sensitivity, it’s lightweight yet durable (and has amazing battery life), its trackpad is large enough to navigate effortlessly, and it can handle most image-editing software like Photoshop with ease.

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio is a 13.5-inch laptop with a 360-degree hinge that allows you to work comfortably in four different modes—laptop, studio, display, and tablet. The device packs an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage space, and a battery life of 12 hours. Plus, it comes with Microsoft Office 365 subscription included.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is a strong all-around performer, with powerful specs. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, it’s one of the fastest options available. Its solid design is complemented by a stunning display that delivers excellent color accuracy and outstanding brightness. Its 256GB SSD is also speedy, though it won’t come cheap: You can expect to pay around $1,299 for a fully loaded model with Windows Pro.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 6, 2022) checks off nearly every box in a photographer’s wish list: ports galore, slim profile, battery life to spare. It’s one of few laptops that have a built-in stylus, allowing you to draw directly on your screen with far more precision than your finger ever could. But best of all? This 14-inch powerhouse is as affordable as it is versatile.

This beautiful, 15-inch laptop ($1,490) packs an Intel i7-8550U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid state drive (SSD). The battery life is epic: Lenovo says it can last up to 17 hours. Plus, it comes with a pen that can be stowed into its side for storage.

The X1 Yoga 20-inch model is a performance powerhouse, with 256GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage, 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and an optional Nvidia GeForce MX150 discrete graphics card. It’s not too bulky or heavy at 2.9 pounds and 0.72 inches thick (in tablet mode). In fact, it has a stunning 15-hour battery life—the longest of any laptop we tested.

The MacBook Pro gives you amazing power with its Intel Core i5 processor that lets you run multiple applications simultaneously. You get a 128GB of SSD storage, which is not so good for storage but okay when it comes to booting up. The battery life is very impressive, as it can run up to 9 hours on a single charge.

If you are a Mac user, then it is obvious that you will have to opt for MacBook Pro. It comes with a 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM which makes it very powerful. It even has Intel Iris Graphics which make playing games or watching videos hassle-free.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, with its very thin design, powerful processor, beautiful display, backlit keyboard and crisp trackpad is a delight to use. The MacBook Pro is one of our favorite laptops on the market right now. It has an elegant aluminum casing that’s also tough enough to withstand minor bumps and bruises.

HP’s top-of-the-line workstation laptop is equipped with a 6th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA Quadro M2000M graphics card. It also has three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output, and a multitouch touchpad. In addition to its powerful components—which ensure optimal performance when running demanding applications like Adobe Lightroom—the ZBook Studio G8 also excels in creative design.

The HP ZBook Studio G8 is a powerful laptop with three USB-C ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a full-size SD card slot, HDMI port and an Ethernet port. It has 18 hours of battery life. It’s powerful enough to run video production software like Adobe Premiere Pro CC or Apple Final Cut Pro X, along with large CAD files from Autodesk. Its NVIDIA Quadro M2200 graphics card can handle up to four 4K monitors in extended mode.

The HP ZBook Studio G8 (starting at $2,299; $3,099 as tested) takes portability to a whole new level. The 14-inch laptop weighs less than three pounds, but still manages to cram in professional-grade components like a 15.6-inch 4K display with 100 percent Adobe RGB color gamut coverage, an Nvidia Quadro M2200 graphics card, up to 64GB of RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD storage.

New for 2017, Dell’s XPS 13 is a premium laptop that redefines what to expect from compact notebooks. As a convertible 2-in-1, it lets you switch between laptop, tablet, and tent modes depending on your needs. It’s also one of our favorite laptops overall.

When it comes to versatility, few laptops can compete with Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1. The new model sports a gorgeous, nearly bezel-free display; a superfast processor that’s great for gaming; an impressive amount of storage space, solid battery life, and improved overall build quality.

While we’re talking about best laptops, you won’t want to miss out on Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop. This powerhouse machine comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe solid state drive, and a 256GB solid state drive. Plus it features dual band 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity which makes streaming videos content on other devices easier than ever before.

Powered by a 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 8 is an affordable tablet that delivers great performance. Equipped with 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, it’s perfect for running Photoshop CC or Windows Photo Viewer. Plus, its battery lasts up to 13 hours between charges—perfect if you’re frequently on-the-go.

A reliable, versatile laptop that allows you to work on-the-go with a powerful processor and enough hard drive space to store all your files. Just note that while it comes equipped with a USB port, you’ll need an adapter if you want to plug in an SD card.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is equipped with a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 processor. It also comes with an advanced cooling system to prevent overheating. The 2256 x 1504 resolution touchscreen display allows you to edit HD photos and videos clearly. Moreover, it has 4GB RAM, 128GB of storage, 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and Windows 10 Pro OS in your hand so that you can take photos of nature anytime anywhere.

The HP Spectre x360 15 (starts at $1,149; tested at $1,424) is our new Editors’ Choice premium convertible laptop. Featuring a gorgeous 4K touch screen, an updated look that combines metal with premium leather materials, great audio performance from its dual speakers, and a modern-day port selection with four USB 3.0 ports (two on each side), it offers all you need in a premium 2-in-1 laptop.

HP’s previous Spectre x360 15 has always been a good laptop, but it’s been held back by relatively poor battery life. For 2018, HP is upgrading to 8th generation Intel quad-core processors that promise up to 25% faster performance than before—and there’s even an optional Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU on board. If you need tons of power in a sleek package, look no further.

The HP Spectre x360 15 offers 20% more battery life than its predecessor, thanks to its new 45 WHr battery. With a 4K touch display, up to 16 GB of RAM, and a discrete Nvidia GPU option; it’s also one of our top picks for photographers.