BenQ has long been one of the premiere producers of professional-grade monitors for a variety of use cases. Its monitors offer superb color accuracy right out of the box, and its line of photo editing monitors offers features to make life easier for photographers. And now, two new options offer even better results for those of us who want extremely precise colors. The BenQ PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U are both 27-inch monitors with the company’s Fine-Coated panel technology and certified color quality. Here’s what to expect from each of BenQ’s newest models.

BenQ PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U design

BenQ’s two new models have most features and specs in common. They are both 27 inches with a new, sleeker design. The back of the monitors still sports a carrying handle like previous versions of BenQ’s photo editing monitors, but it is slimmed down a bit. And a detachable cover hides ports and cables to keep your desk cleared off and organized looking.

BenQ also redesigned the base of the stand. The front of the base features a leatherette finish that looks nice and keeps your devices—such as cameras, phones, or monitor calibration tools—from getting scratched. The bottom of both displays sports an SD card slot, an audio jack, and two USB-A ports on the left side. On the right side, you’ll find a newly designed five-way controller to access menus and change settings, along with a function key and information key. There’s also a USB-C port that provides 90W of power, so you can cut down on cords left cluttering your desk.

Display design & color accuracy

One of the most significant upgrades with the PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U is the new Fine-Coated panel. This new panel results in a “paper-like screen effect” and is certified by TÜV Rheinland for reflection-free performance. Managing reflections while editing photos and videos can be extremely frustrating and result in eye strain, so a monitor that potentially eliminates that struggle is exciting.

The Fine-Coated panel does more than cut down reflections. When paired with the BenQ Paper Color Sync software, it delivers 99 percent coverage of Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and Display P3 wide color gamuts with a Delta E ≤ 1.5 color accuracy. Without getting into the nitty gritty, Delta E is used to refer to color accuracy, indicating how a test color differs from a reference color. A Delta E of less than one means that there is no perceivable difference for experts. So, a Delta E of around 1.5 will result in prints that look just like what you see on your monitor when editing, simplifying the printing process.

Adding to the color performance are BenQ’s third-gen Uniformity and Color Consistency technologies. These utilize “high-precision apparatus to adjust hundreds of sub-regions of the screen,” resulting in precise color across the entire display. And it helps when color-matching multiple monitors. Finally, the PhotoVue SW272U and SW272Q are certified by Pantone Validated, Pantone SkinTone, and Calman Verified for color performance and calibration.

BenQ PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U features

One of the most powerful features of the PhotoVue monitors is the ability to access BenQ’s Palette Master Ultimate calibration software. You will still need a calibration device, such as one by Datacolor, but the software makes the process easy. BenQ has been working on the development of this upgraded software version for six years, and it is now even easier to use with a lower learning curve. The new algorithms shorten the calibration time by 50 percent, meaning you can get back to editing much faster. It also cuts the Delta E in half, providing more accurate results.

Palette Master Ultimate offers real-time reviews to compare results, which wasn’t possible with the previous version of Palette Master. The program has reference images already loaded, or you can input your own as well. And you can export your detailed calibration report into pdf format now. And like other PhotoVue monitors, you’ll also have access to Paper Color Sync, which allows you to simulate a test print without wasting paper and precious ink.

Both the PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U come with the brand-new hotkey puck G3, which offers wireless functionality. The puck provides shortcuts to settings like color spaces, color, and contrast. The keys are customizable, so you can set it up in a way that works best for your workflow. And there is a switch key to easily swap between two monitors.

Differences between the PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U

All of the above features and design details are consistent between the PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U. But there are a few differences that may determine which is best for your needs. The SW272U offers a higher 3840 by 2160 resolution compared to the SW272Q’s 2560 by 1440. Both support HDR, but the SW272U also supports HLG (hybrid log–gamma). Finally, the SW272U can be rotated to either landscape or portrait orientation, with a shading hood that is compatible with both setups. The SW272Q only supports landscape orientation with the shading hood.

Pricing & availability

The price is the most significant difference between the two models. The SW272Q is priced at $799.99, while the SW272U is $1,599.99. If you are a video editor or someone who needs or wants the best possible resolution and image, then the more expensive SW272U is your best bet. But, if you are a photographer who won’t be taking advantage of HLG, you can probably get away with saving yourself $800 and going with the PhotoVue SW272Q.

Both monitors are available for pre-order now through BenQ’s website. The SW272U will begin shipping on June 26, but you’ll have to wait until July 3 for the SW272Q.

The post BenQ announces two photography monitors with even better color accuracy appeared first on Popular Photography.

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Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) took place a few days ago, and the company announced some upgrades to three of its computers. The Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and MacBook Air all see reasonable updates to improve performance over previous versions. The MacBook Air comes in a new, larger 15-inch size with the same Apple silicone M2 chip found in the previous model. Meanwhile, the two desktop computers get the benefit of the brand-new M2 Ultra chip, which was also announced at WWDC. Apple also announced its take on mixed reality with the Apple Vision Pro headset. The expensive spatial computer isn’t available until early next year, however, so the computer news is the most relevant for the time being. Here are the details on each of the newest Apple computers.

Apple 15-inch MacBook Air

For years, the MacBook Air has only been available in its standard 13-inch size. But now, Apple has created a 15-inch version with a 2880 x 1864 resolution. The larger Liquid Retina Display is ideal for all sorts of reasons, but it’s especially nice for photographers, videographers, or creatives in general who use the laptop for editing content. And despite the larger display size, it’s still shockingly tiny. It’s less than half an inch thin and weighs only 3.3 pounds. That is slightly lighter than the smaller 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Beyond the larger size, not much differs from the 13-inch to the 15-inch. It still charges via the MagSafe charger, and provides a 1080p camera, dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a headphone jack. It still offers 18 hours of battery life it’s available in the same four colors—Space Gray, Silver, Midnight, or Starlight.

Apple did take advantage of the extra real estate on the 15-inch model and added two more speakers for a total of six. That should provide better sound quality overall, which is nice for watching movies, but also editing video. Additionally, the 10-core GPU comes standard in the 15-inch, whereas it is offered as an upgrade in the 13-inch. Apple claims that the new MacBook Air will offer performance that is almost 40 percent faster than the previous generation in workload-intensive programs like Final Cut Pro. Applying filters or effects in Photoshop should be 20 percent faster, according to Apple.

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Pricing & availabiliity

The base model of the 15-inch MacBook Air will cost you $1,299 and features the M2 chip, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. You can also upgrade to 512GB of storage for an additional $200. A MacBook Air with that much storage and the specs seen in this device, priced at $1,499, is quite reasonable, which we normally can’t say for Apple devices. The powerful laptop is available for pre-order now and will begin shipping next week.

Apple Mac Pro

The Mac Pro last saw an update in 2019. So, it’s about time the desktop received some upgrades. Visually, the Mac Pro is essentially the same as the previous edition. But, inside are some important changes. Most notably, it will finally transition to Apple silicon instead of an Intel processor. The new chip is the M2 Ultra, which was announced at the same time.

The M2 Ultra effectively connects the die of two M2 Max chips, resulting in double the performance. It supports 192GB of unified memory, which is 50 percent more than the M1 Ultra. And it offers with 800GB/s of unified memory bandwidth, which is twice the M2 Max. Apple says it also “features a more powerful CPU that’s 20 percent faster than M1 Ultra, a larger GPU that’s up to 30 percent faster, and a Neural Engine that’s up to 40 percent faster.”

The newest Mac Pro comes standard with a 24-core CPU and can be configured with up to a 76-core GPU. Apple says it will be three times faster than the previous Intel-based model. It features the same media engine as Mac Studio with M2 Ultra, which allows you to play an absurd 22 streams of 8K ProRes video. It is also capable of ingesting 24 4K camera feeds and encoding them to ProRes in real time when using six video I/O cards.

Beyond the exciting hardware, the Mac Pro with M2 Ultra will offer eight Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is double the 2019 version. And there are three USB-A ports, two HDMI ports that support 8K resolution and up to 240Hz refresh rates, two 10Gb Ethernet ports, and a headphone jack. The computer also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for better wireless connectivity.

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Pricing & availability

The base Mac Pro with M2 Ultra model features a 60-Core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. Pricing starts at $6,999. Or you can upgrade to a 76-core GPU for an additional $1,000. Both versions are available for pre-order now and will begin shipping next week.

Apple Mac Studio

Apple introduced the Mac Studio last year. It was already an impressive machine, but it is already seeing an upgrade to boost performance for professionals even more. Like the Mac Pro, the new Mac Studio will get the newly developed M2 Ultra chip, though only in some models, which will result in faster processing overall. It will also be available with the M2 Max chip, which Apple claims will perform 50 percent faster than previous Mac Studio models. The updated Mac Studio offers a 12-core CPU, up to a 38-core GPU, and up to 96GB of unified memory with 400GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Additional updates include a higher-bandwidth HDMI on the back, which will enable 8K resolution at up to 240Hz frame rates. It supports up to six Pro Display XDRs, so you can be fully surrounded by screens while you work. Wireless connectivity has also been upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The back of the device offers four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, and two USB-A ports. And on the front, you’ll have access to two USB-C ports and a convenient SD card slot.

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Pricing & availability

The base model of the Apple Mac Studio features the M2 Max chip, 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB memory, and 512GB SSD for $1,999. Or you can upgrade to the M2 Ultra chip with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 64GB memory, and 1TB SSD for a total of $3,999.

Apple Vision Pro

Although the computers mentioned above saw some pretty substantial upgrades, the biggest announcement of the day was the Apple Vision Pro. This headset is Apple’s take on mixed reality, which it calls “spatial computing.” It is a goggle-like device with clear lenses, enabling you to still see the world around you. The entirely new device will also get an entirely new operating system: visionOS. Windows and apps will expand in front of you, appearing to be right in the room that you are in.

The device requires a pocket-sized external magnetic charging battery pack and doesn’t utilize a controller of any type. Instead, you control it with your eyes, body movements, and speech. It will offer 23 million pixels across two displays for a 4K experience and uses “custom Apple silicon in a unique dual-chip design.”

From a photography perspective, the goggles will feature Apple’s first 3D camera. It will allow you to capture scenes and then immerse yourself in the memory. Videos taken with the 3D camera will get the benefit of Spatial Audio as well. And, if you take a panoramic image with your iPhone and view it with Apple Vision Pro, it will expand and wrap around you, making it feel as though you are back in that setting.

Apple Vision Pro won’t be available until early next year. Even though it is a consumer-based product, it will be priced at $3,499, which is much more in-line with similar products that are geared towards corporate or commercial-based users.

The post Apple releases updates to Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio computers appeared first on Popular Photography.

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As photographers and video makers, we spend a ton of time in front of our computers. Even over this long Memorial Day weekend, we’ll all probably spend some time in front of our glowing screens editing images and footage that we shot during the holiday. If your computer is slow or your monitor’s colors are getting wacky, this is a great opportunity to get a new one with a solid discount. Whether you’re looking for a MacBook, a Windows machine, a new display, or something else, there’s a good chance it’s on sale this weekend. We’ll update these links periodically (between hot dogs), but if you see something you want, don’t wait on it because things will sell out or change price.

Apple 2021 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,899 (was $2,499)

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This is the exact laptop I have been using for about a year now, and it has been the best computer I’ve ever owned. The 14-inch screen isn’t huge, but it offers high enough resolution that it’s easy to edit on and very portable. Apple’s proprietary chips run shockingly fast thanks to the very tight integration between shared memory (RAM), GPU, and CPU. Yes, it’s one generation old, but the leap from the M1 to the M2 wasn’t nearly as huge as the previous-gen leap, so don’t let that discourage you. This is a beast of a computer that will serve as your editing machine for years to come.

The best Memorial Day laptop deals

• Apple 2022 MacBook Pro Laptop with M2, $1,099 (Was $1,299)
• Dell Inspiron 16 5630 Laptop, $1230.22 (Was $1,299.99)
• Dell Inspiron 3511 Laptop, $859 (Was $949)
• HP – ENVY 2-in-1 15.6″ Full HD Touch-Screen Laptop – Intel Evo Platform – Core i7 – 16GB Memory – 512GB SSD $799 (was $1,149)
• Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3UB, $319.99 (Was $389.99)
• Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51-7617, $509.99 (Was $699.99)
• ASUS – ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition 15.6″ QHD Gaming Laptop – AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX – 16GB Memory – Radeon RX 6800M – 512GB SSD $1,099 (was $1,699)
• ASUS TUF Dash F15, $1449.99 (Was $1,599.99)
• ASUS VivoBook Pro 16X, $1399 (Was $1,649.99)
• ASUS – ROG Zephyrus 14” WQXGA 120Hz Gaming Laptop – AMD Ryzen 9– 16GB DDR5 Memory – AMD Radeon RX 6700S – 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD $1,099 (was $1,649)
• Razer Blade 15, $1,799.99 (Was $2,999.99)
• Razer Blade Pro 17, $1,799.99 (Was $3,199.99)

The best Memorial Day desktop deals

• M2 Mac Mini, $499 (Was $599)
• Dell Inspiron 3910 Desktop, $651 (Was $749.99)
• Acer Aspire TC-1760-UA92 Desktop, $549.99 (Was $619.99)
• Acer Predator Orion 3000 PO3-630-UA15 Gaming Desktop, $1599.98 (Was $1,699.99)
• ASUS ROG Strix GA35 Gaming Desktop, $3,409.98 (Was $4,299.99)
• HP 2022 Newest All-in-One Desktop, $529 (Was $589)
• HP Envy Desktop Bundle PC, $1,299.99 (Was $1,599.99)

The best Memorial Day monitor deals

• Dell E1916HV, $79.99 (Was $109.99)
• Acer Nitro KG241Y, $119.99 (Was $179.99)
• Acer R240HY, $99.99 (Was $149.99)
• ASUS VG247Q1A, $159 (Was $169)
• SAMSUNG CF39, $159 (Was $219.99)
• SAMSUNG LC49G95TSSNXZA, $1,049.99 (Was $1,399.99)
• LG SDQHD, $596.99 (Was $699.99)
• BenQ GW2780T, $199.99 (Was $229.99)

The post The best Memorial Day computer and laptop deals: MacBooks, monitors, and more appeared first on Popular Photography.

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By now, you may be sick of hearing us talk about how useful a portable SSD can be. They’re fast enough that you can edit directly off of them and they keep your computer’s internal drive nice and tidy. Right now, Amazon has some of Samsung’s most popular portable SSDs at deeply discounted prices that are worth jumping on. You’ll find a solid selection of discounted memory cards as well.

SAMSUNG T7 Shield 4TB, Portable SSD $219 (was $429)

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I have personally been using one of these as my main portable SSD for a few months now, and it has been absolutely rock solid. It promises read and write speeds over 1,000 MB/s, and it’s absurdly tough. It has an IP65 rating, which means it’s resistant to water and dust. Plus, it can survive a fall from just under 10 feet without losing all your data. Let’s see a portable HDD with a spinning platter inside do that. Even with all that speed and ruggedness, it’s light and tiny. It weighs roughly 3.5 ounces, and it’s small and flat enough to fit in the fifth pocket of your jeans (depending on the jeans, of course).

If 4TB is too much for you, you can also get the 2TB for a very cheap $119 or the 1TB version for $74.

More Samsung portable SSD deals

• SAMSUNG T7 2TB $114 (was $149)
• SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB $79 (was $139)
• SAMSUNG MUF-256AB/AM FIT Plus 256GB $25 (was $33)
• SAMSUNG Type-C™ USB Flash Drive, 128GB $16 (was $23)

Samsung SD card deals

• SAMSUNG EVO Plus Full Size 256GB SDXC Card $22 (was $40)
• SAMSUNG EVO Plus Full Size 128 GB SDXC Card $14 (was $20)
• SAMSUNG PRO Plus Full Size SDXC Card 128GB $16 (was $20)

Samsung MicroSD card deals

• SAMSUNG EVO Plus w/ SD Adaptor 512GB Micro SDXC $40 (was $100)
• SAMSUNG EVO Select Micro SD-Memory-Card + Adapter, 256GB microSDXC $18 (was $40)
• SAMSUNG PRO Endurance 256GB MicroSDXC Memory Card with Adapter $26 (was $54)
• SAMSUNG EVO Select Micro SD -Memory -Card + Adapter, 64GB microSDXC $8 (was $11)
• SAMSUNG PRO Plus + Reader 128GB microSDXC $18 (was $40)
• SAMSUNG PRO Plus microSD Memory Card + Reader, 128GB MicroSDXC $18 (was $25)
• SAMSUNG PRO Plus SD Full Size SDXC Card Plus Reader 128GB $20 (was $36)

The post Amazon has deep discounts on Samsung portable SSDs and memory cards right now appeared first on Popular Photography.

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You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but the M2 Mac Mini is an extremely capable computer when it comes to editing photos and videos. The M2 chip, with its integrated memory and unique architecture, can churn through high-res images and video with almost shocking speed considering its size. Its $599 base price is already a bargain (relatively speaking), but Amazon currently has the base model for just $499.

Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2, 256GB storage $499 (was $599)

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This is as stock as the Mac Mini comes, but it still offers an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU capable of editing 4K video and beyond without breaking a sweat. It’s not a Mac Studio for those of you who want to be Pixar, but I’ve edited tons of social video and other content on a base-model Mac Mini, and it has consistently outperformed my much more powerful and (about five times as expensive) Threadripper-based PC. Yes, this model only comes with 256GB of internal storage, but its ports include a pair of Thunderbolt 4 connectors and two USB-A sockets for easily adding additional storage.

Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip $679 (was $799)

If you want some extra built-in storage, the 512GB Mac Mini will set you back $679. The specs are otherwise identical, but if you’d rather rely on built-in storage than external drives, the extra room is a nice addition.

Apple 2023 14.2-inch MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU $1,749 (was $1,999)

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If you’re looking for a laptop, the M2 Pro MacBook Pro is a monster of a machine. I still use the M1 Pro version of this exact computer for my day-to-day editing, which includes huge photo files in Lightroom and Capture One Pro, as well as editing 4K raw video in Final Cut Pro. This is the lowest price we have seen in months (if not ever), so it’s worth a look.

More deals on Macs and iPads

Maybe you’re not in the market for a Mac Mini. That’s OK. Amazon currently has iPads and MacBook computers on sale as well.

• Apple iPad (9th Generation) $279 (was $339)
• Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) $1,049 (was $1,099)
• 2021 Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi‑Fi, 128GB) $669 (was $1,199, Renewed)
• Apple 2022 MacBook Pro Laptop with M2 chip $1,099 (was $1,299)
• Apple 2022 MacBook Pro Laptop with M2 chip $1,299 (was $1,499)
• Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 Chip $799 (was $999)

The post The Mac Mini and MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) hit their lowest prices ever at Amazon appeared first on Popular Photography.

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Best overall		Asus ProArt Display PA279CV		SEE IT	This is a perfect mix of performance and price.
Best 4K		Asus ProArt 32-inch 4K		SEE IT	This pro-grade monitor will set you back some cash.
Best budget		Asus ProArt Display PA247CV 23.8”		SEE IT	It offers color accuracy at a low cost.

Peruse the selection of Asus monitors and you’ll find a ton of great options for gamers, but you may not know that the company also makes some fantastic displays designed for creatives. Most of the Asus screens meant for photographers, designers, and video editors fall into its ProArt series, but there are great displays across the company’s line that are worth considering for your creative pursuits. We’ve put together this list of the best Asus monitors to satisfy your display requirements whether you’re creating photographic masterpieces, editing epic films, or slaying aliens Half-Life 2 for the 100th time.

• Best overall: Asus ProArt Display PA279CV
• Best Asus 4K monitor: Asus ProArt 32-inch 4K
• Best Asus gaming monitor: Asus TUF Gaming 28” 4K 144HZ DSC
• Best budget asus monitor: Asus ProArt Display PA247CV 23.8”
• Best Asus ultra-wide: Asus ROG Strix 34” Ultra-wide

Things to consider when shopping for the best Asus monitors

Flip through its expansive lineup and you’ll find that the best Asus monitors for creative work address needs specific to photographers, video editors, designers, and other pros. Here are some essential features to consider before you hand over your credit card info.

Size

Monitors have gotten large in recent years. While 32-inch displays seemed outrageous in the past, they are becoming increasingly popular with gamers, creators, and other folks who like sitting a foot away from an enormous, glowing screen. 

Right now, you’re most likely to choose something between 24 inches and 32 inches. I personally think 27-inches represents the current sweet spot when it comes to price, performance, and size. That’s because I use a pair of monitors on my desk and two 27-inch displays work perfectly. Some people would prefer one even larger screen. That’s all about personal preference. 

You can find some other odd sizes if you move into the world of ultra-wide monitors. Those screens basically mimic several monitors sitting next to each other horizontally. While these displays can be handy, they’re also often curved and include large panels inside, which can have an effect on overall consistency across the screen in terms of brightness and color accuracy.

Resolution

If you’re going to buy a TV right now, 4K is a must and 8K is a flex. In the monitor world, 4K hasn’t achieved that kind of dominance just yet. Right now, 1440p is having a moment. It provides enough screen real estate to show a high-res image along with the interface for your editing programs. You can step up to 4K, but you don’t want to sacrifice color accuracy and consistency for more pixels if you’re doing serious creative work. Of course, you could also spring for a monitor that does both. But you should plan to spend big money to get that. 

There are some 1080p monitors out there that still perform well, especially in the lower price points, but plain old HD may feel underwhelming and unsatisfying here in the modern world.

Refresh rate

Gamers obsess over refresh rate because it allows the on-screen picture to change more times every second, which creates smoother in-game action. For creatives, that refresh rate isn’t as important. You’ll still find many monitors operating at the 60Hz refresh rate, which is what you’re used to if you have been using a computer monitor all your life. Some monitors crank up that refresh rate to 120Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz and beyond. While those are great for gamers, they’re probably overkill for your photo editing and design needs.

You’ll also find some monitors that boast variable refresh rate. Again, that’s great for gaming, but it’s probably unnecessary if you’re not hopping into high-end PC games on the regular. For creative work, prioritize color and consistency. 

Brightness

Monitors create an image by shining light through an LCD panel. While it may seem counterintuitive, brighter isn’t always necessary. You’ll find that monitors indicate their brightness in a unit called nits. You don’t really need to know what a nit represents, but you should know the ranges that monitors offer. You’ll typically find monitors between 400 and 1000 nits. The higher the number, the brighter the display will be. If you’re going to be using your monitor in a bright room, then you’ll want higher brightness ratings to fight off glare.

Color reproduction

This area is particularly important for people in creative fields. Monitors use a mixture of red, green, and blue pixels (along with a few other tricks) to create the illusion of cohesive colors. How many colors a monitor can produce depends on a few factors. 

Monitors will often talk about their color space coverage. You’ll typically see terms like sRGB and Adobe RGB, which are two of the most popular color spaces. The monitor’s specs will indicate how much of that color space it can accurately display. sRGB is a smaller space than Adobe RGB, so it’s not uncommon to see a display that will cover 100 percent of sRGB and then some slightly lower number in the Adobe RGB space. Generally, you want more color space coverage so you can accurately edit your images.

Ports and connections

While the action happening on-screen is the most important thing to consider when buying a monitor, the little extras can also make a big difference in life at your desk. Most monitors connect via HDMI or DisplayPort connections. It’s worth noting that some monitors will have different performance ratings over HDMI than over a more robust port. You might not be able to get the full refresh rate over HDMI, for instance. 

Some monitors can daisy chain together. That means you only have to connect the first display and then you can connect others to it to sync a bunch of screens. Others off built-in headphone jacks and USB ports. Again, these typically aren’t essential features, but they are worth taking note of.

Our picks for the best Asus monitors

With the features out of the way, it’s time to dig into our actual picks for the best Asus monitors. You’ll notice that our selections are heavy on the ProArt series. Asus built those models specifically with creative work in mind. As a result, they offer better color performance and consistency. That’s crucial if you want your images, videos, and designs to come out looking right.

Best overall: Asus ProArt Display PA279CV

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Why it made the cut: This 27-inch screen provides an excellent balance of price and performance for higher-end users.

Specs: 

• Size: 27 inches
• Resolution: 4K 3840 x 2160
• Refresh rate: 60Hz
• Color space coverage: 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709 wide color gamut

Pros:

• Relatively wide color gamut
• 4K resolution at a surprisingly low price
• Comes calibrated from the factory
• Robust color controls

Cons:

• Not fully Adobe RGB covered

This 27-inch display offers everything a typical photographer or designer is going to need. It’s even suited for a lot of professional work. Despite its chops, it still keeps the price down surprisingly low considering the specs. 

It offers full 4K resolution, which makes lots of room on the screen to keep both your image or video as well as your editing interface. Asus calibrates these displays at the factory to get the color accurate down to a very low tolerance. If you’re not planning on keeping your monitor calibrated on your own, that first calibration will go a long way for you. 

At 27-inches, it’s not as huge as the massive 32-inch flagships, but that makes it easier to fit a pair of them onto your desk (and into your budget). It also offers a nice selection of other ports, including DisplayPort over USB-C with 65W Power Delivery, DisplayPort, HDMI, and a USB 3.1 hub. 

If you want to spend the extra cash and make the extra room on your desk, Asus does sell a 32-inch model for roughly 1.5x the price. It offers the same basic specs and ports, as well as similar color reproduction. 

This isn’t the mightiest monitor on the market, but it checks all the boxes for the vast majority of users and does it without assaulting your gear budget.

Best Asus 4K monitor: Asus ProArt 32-inch 4K

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Why it made the cut: This high-end monitor is ready for extremely intensive pro work.

Specs: 

• Size: 32 inches
• Resolution: 4K 3840 x 2160
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• Color space coverage: DCI-P3, Rec. 2020, Adobe RGB and sRGB

Pros:

• Absurd color space coverage
• High refresh rate
• 4K resolution
• Extremely accurate color
• HDR support
• Mini LED backlight for contrast

Cons:

• Extremely expensive

If you have a professional budget to work with, then this is the Asus monitor to go for. It ships with coverage for just about all of the most popular color spaces, including Adobe RGB and the even more demanding DCI-P3 space. It can also replicate those colors with extreme accuracy. 

Unlike typical monitors which use normal LEDs to provide their backlight, this display employs Mini LED technology, which is currently powering some of the priciest and most advanced TVs on the market. Those tiny little light sources put out a ton of illumination, pumping the sustained brightness up to 1,000 nits and the peak brightness all the way up to 1,600 nits. 

This display supports Dolby Vision HDR, so if you’re editing super high-end video for HDR output, you’ll be able to see your results in real-time. To keep the color reproduction pristine, Asus includes an X-Rite color calibration tool directly in the box so you can check and adjust the color performance every few weeks to make sure everything is perfect. 

With a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, it can show smooth on-screen action beyond what a typical 60Hz screen can show. 

Best Asus gaming monitor: Asus TUF Gaming 28” 4K 144HZ DSC

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Why it made the cut: A high refresh rate and super-low latency make this the monitor you want for fragging aliens. 

Specs: 

• Size: 28 inches
• Resolution: 4K 3840 x 2160
• Refresh rate: 144Hz
• Color space coverage: 100% RGB, 90% DCI-P3

Pros:

• Fast refresh rate
• Very little lag
• Surprising color reproduction chops
• 4K resolution

Cons:

• You’re paying for extra features you won’t use when you’re not gaming

Gaming has unique demands when it comes to monitor performance. This 28-inch display has just a 1ms response time, which means in-game commands don’t get delayed between the inputs and the action. It also boasts a 144Hz variable refresh rate, which means it can scale its fps to match a device’s output to keep the picture looking clean and consistent no matter what’s happening on-screen. 

In addition to its gaming chops, this monitor also has impressive color capabilities. It can cover 90 percent of the DCI-P3 color space, which is considerably more robust than many other non-professional monitors out there. That also includes 100 percent coverage for the sRGB colorspace. 

This is an IPS display. That stands for in-plane switching, which helps keep colors looking rich and accurate all the way across the display, even in the corners where some screens start falling apart. 

You’re definitely paying for some of those gaming specific features, so if you never plan to play on it, you can find cheaper options. But, if you’re looking for a screen that can handle creative work as well as creative play, then this is it. It even offers HDMI 2.1 connectivity, which means it can take full advantage of next-gen gaming consoles like the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. That’s a great way to take a break between editing sessions.

Best budget asus monitor: Asus ProArt Display PA247CV 23.8”

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Why it made the cut: For roughly half the price of our top pick, you can get a great monitor with impressive color accuracy.

Specs: 

• Size: 23.8 inches
• Resolution: 1080p 1920 x 1080
• Refresh rate: 75Hz
• Color space coverage: 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709 wide color gamut

Pros:

• Solid color reproduction
• Very affordable
• Color calibrated from the factory
• Versatile stand

Cons:

• Only 1080p resolution
• On the small side

Looking over the specs for this monitor may make it feel a bit dated. But, just a few years ago, these specs would have been truly impressive. Today, they’re still totally viable for many users’ needs. 

It’s a 1080p display and it only measures 24 inches on the diagonal, but it comes from the factory color calibrated, so it provides accurate tones right out of the box. It’s simple to daisy chain the displays together, so you can easily have several on your desk to make up for their lack of size. Additionally, it offers a selection of ports including DisplayPort over USB-C with 65W Power Delivery, DisplayPort, HDMI, and a USB 3.1 hub. 

The stand is also surprisingly full-featured at this price point. It has 5.12 inches of vertical adjustability and it can tilt and rotate to get the best orientation on your desk. This is a truly great starter monitor or a great option if you’re using a laptop screen and just want a little extra room to expand your field of view.

Best Asus ultra-wide: Asus ROG Strix 34” Ultra-wide

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Why it made the cut: This ultra-wide monitor provides solid specs without taking on the absurd proportions some of its siblings embody. 

Specs: 

• Size: 34 inches 
• Resolution: UWQHD 3440 x 1440
• Refresh rate: 180Hz

Pros:

• Lots of on-screen real estate for gaming or work
• Not absolutely enormous like some ultra-wides
• Fast refresh rate
• HDR support

Cons:

• Color space coverage is spotty

Ultra-wide monitors can get truly out of hand. Asus sells a massive 49-inch curved display that basically wraps you in screen. This 34-inch model keeps things more reasonable. It offers a 3440 x 1440 resolution, which allows you to take some creative approaches to laying out your editing software. 

This display offers a number of gaming-specific features, including a 1ms response time, 180Hz variable refresh rate, and HDR support. That helps make up for the fact that it’s just OK when it comes to promising truly accurate color reproduction across the common color spaces. 

If you’re thinking about buying one of these, you may want to consider a mounting option because it has a large stand that will take up lots of room on your desk. It is enormous, after all.

Methodology for choosing the best Asus monitors

The editors and writers at Popular Photography started combing through the entirety of the current Asus monitor lineup. That includes dozens of models across a number of ranges. We relied on personal experience, professional reviews, user feedback, and spec comparisons to narrow it down to this list of the best Asus monitors. While we could populate this list entirely with high-end screens that cost more than $1,000, we chose to pick displays that would be more attainable for people who don’t have a massive budget to play with and still want accurate color response and great overall performance.

Final thoughts about the best Asus monitors

While gaming may still be the bread and butter when it comes to Asus monitors, there are still some great creative options in the ProArt series that deserve your attention. They cover wide color gamuts and provide factory calibration that will help your images look their best right out of the box.

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The 2023 Consumer Electronics Show kicks off this week, which means we can expect every electronics manufacturer across the globe to unleash a torrent of shiny new products for us to covet. The first fancy new device out of the gate comes in the form of Samsung’s new 5K monitor, which is aimed at creatives and competes with Apple’s Studio Display. The ViewFinity S9’s native 5,120 x 2,880 resolution makes it one of just a handful of 5K monitors on the market at the moment. That’s useful for creative work because it allows editing software to display high-resolution previews of photos or videos with room left over around the edges for palettes and editing tools.

Keeping colors accurate

In addition to its high pixel count, the ViewFinity S9 also offers some color-specific features to ensure accuracy when editing photos or videos. Samsung claims it ships from the factory with a Delta E rating of roughly 2. Delta E represents how much an on-screen image differs from a standard output value defined by the International Commission on Illumination. The lower the Delta E value, the closer the monitor’s performance is to the ideal set forth by the Commission. Careful calibration can get values even lower than that, but generally, Delta E of three or less won’t be noticeable for the vast majority of people.

The monitor’s color gamut includes 99 percent of the P3 color space, which should come in handy for high-end video editors. As photographers, we primarily rely on the AdobeRGB or sRGB color spaces, which fit well inside the DCI-P3 color space.

Other ViewFinity S9 monitor features

In addition to the color-specific features, Samsung also fully outfitted this display with high-end utilities. It offers several USB-C and Thunderbolt connections for quickly moving high-res files off of cameras and onto storage devices. Plus, the built-in webcam works natively with popular video apps, so you don’t need to keep an external camera clamped to the top of the screen.

This is a CES announcement, which means hard availability and pricing aren’t currently available. But we expect to see it this year, and it will have to compete with the $1,599 Apple Studio Display. We’re looking forward to trying it out to see how Samsung’s new screen compares.

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Photographers and video shooters put gear through the wringer. That’s why ultra-rugged devices like the new SanDisk Pro-G40 portable SSD are so appealing. It can hold up to 2TB of photos or footage and withstand the rigors of the field (or a serious coffee spill while working at your desk.)

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You can’t kill it

The Pro-G40 SSD offers a 1TB capacity for $229 or a 2TB version for $429 (you can currently pre-order both directly from the Western Digital store). While those are fairly common capacities for a portable solid state drive, SanDisk’s rugged housing is a new breed. It offers an IP68 toughness rating, which indicates that it’s sealed to keep out dust and it can survive full submersion in up to 1.5 meters of liquid for 30 minutes. 

The ruggedness goes beyond ingress protection, too. SanDisk promises the Pro-G40 can survive a fall from up to 9 meters and it’s crushproof under up to 4,000 pounds of pressure. So, you shouldn’t have to worry about the drive getting smashed, even if you somehow find a way to set a midsize SUV on top of it. 

Transfer speeds

Despite its rugged nature, this pro-grade drive doesn’t skimp when it comes to speed. It relies on a single port to provide a Thunderbolt and USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection. Over USB, you’ll get 1,050 MB/s read speeds and 1,000 MB/s write speeds. If you’re plugged into a Thunderbolt port, however, speeds jump significantly. There, you’ll find 2,700 MB/s read speeds and 1,900 MB/s write speeds. That translates into enough bandwidth to move 50GB in well under a minute. 

That kind of speed makes these drives particularly useful for editing photos and videos. With this much bandwidth (especially over Thunderbolt), you can keep your photos on the external SSD and keep your computer’s internal drive free and clear. I have been using one for several years now and I really recommend it. 

With this drive, you’re paying a little more for the rugged nature of it, but these do tend to take a lot of abuse. Is all this wilderness-grade toughness overkill for editing at the coffee shop? Maybe. That is Until that Pumpkin Spice Latte becomes a festively scented, data-destroying catastrophe.

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Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicked off this week with the announcement of a new MacBook Air and first looks at macOS 13 Ventura, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and watchOS 9. It’s a giant stew of features and technologies meant to excite developers and prepare them for the software releases later this year.

But what about photographers? Several photo-related changes are coming, including improvements that take advantage of computational photography. Given this column’s interest in AI and ML technologies, that’s what I’m mostly going to focus on here.

Keep in mind that the operating system releases are currently available only as betas to developers, with full versions coming likely in September or October. As such, it’s possible that some announced features may be delayed or canceled before then. Also, Apple usually saves some details in reserve, particularly regarding the hardware capabilities of new iPhone models.

That said, here are the things that stood out to me.

The M2-Based MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Photographers’ infamous Gear Acquisition Syndrome isn’t limited to camera bodies and lenses. The redesigned MacBook Air was the noteworthy hardware announcement, specifically because it’s powered by a new M2 processor.

Related: Testing the advantages of Apple’s ProRAW format

In short, the M2 is faster and better than the M1, which itself was a stark improvement over the Intel-based processors Apple had been using before transitioning to its own silicon. A few standout specs that will interest photographers include: The memory bandwidth is 100 GB/s, 50 percent more than the M1, which will speed up operations in general. (The M-series architecture uses a unified pool of memory for CPU and GPU operations instead of discrete chipsets, increasing performance; up to 24 GB of memory is available on the M2.)

Photographers and videographers will also see improvements due to 10 GPU cores, compared to 8 on the M1, and an improved onboard media engine that supports high bandwidth 8K H.264 and HEVC video decoding, a ProRes video engine enabling playback of multiple 8K and 4K video streams, and a new image signal processor (ISP) that offers improved image noise reduction.

In short, the M2 offers more power while also being highly efficient and battery-friendly. (The battery life I get on my 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Max processor is unreal compared to my 2019 Intel-based model, and I’ve heard the fan spin up only on a handful of occasions over the past 6 months.)

The MacBook Air’s design reflects the new MacBook Pro’s flattened profile—goodbye to the distinctive wedge shape that defined the Air since its introduction—and includes two Thunderbolt ports and a MagSafe charging port. The screen is now a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that supports 1 billion colors and can go up to 500 nits of brightness.

Apple also announced a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 processor in the same older design, which includes a TouchBar but no MagSafe connector. The slight advantage of this model over the new MacBook Air is the inclusion of a fan for active cooling, which allows for longer sustained processing.

The M2 MacBook Air starts at $1199, and the M2 MacBook Pro starts at $1299. The M1-powered MacBook Air remains available as the $999 entry-level option.

Continuity Camera

Next on my list of interests is the Continuity Camera feature. Continuity refers to technologies that let you pass information between nearby Apple devices, such as copying text on the Mac and pasting it on an iPad. The Continuity Camera lets you use an iPhone 11 or later as a webcam.

Using a phone as a webcam isn’t new; I’ve long used Reincubate Camo software for this (and full disclosure, wrote a few articles for them). Apple brings its Center Stage technology for following subjects in the frame and Portrait Mode for artificially softening the background. It also features a Studio Light setting that boosts the exposure on the subject (you) and darkens the background to simulate external illumination like a ring light. Apple does these things by using machine learning to identify the subject.

But more intriguing is a new Desk View mode: It uses the iPhone’s Ultra-Wide camera and likely some AI technology to apply extreme distortion correction to display what’s on your desk as if you’re looking through a down-facing camera mounted above you. Other participants on the video call still see you in another frame, presumably captured by the normal Wide camera at the same time.

Acting on Photo Content

A few new features take advantage of the software’s ability to identify content within images and act on it.

The iPhone in iOS 16 will have a configurable lock screen with options for changing the typeface of the current time and including widgets for getting quick information at a glance. If the wallpaper image includes depth information, such as a Portrait Mode photo of someone, the screen automatically places the time behind them (a feature introduced in last year’s watchOS 8 update). It can also suggest photos from your library that would work well as lock screen images.

Another clever bit of subject recognition is the ability to lift a subject from the background. You can touch and hold a subject, which is automatically identified and extracted using machine learning, and then drag or copy it to another app, such as Messages.

The previous iOS and iPadOS updates added Live Text, which lets you select any text that appears in an image. In the next version, you can also pause any frame of video and interact with the text. Developers will be able to add quick actions to do things like convert currency or translate text.

Photos App Improvements

Apple’s Photos app has always occupied an odd space: it’s the default place for saving and organizing images on each platform, but needs to have enough broad appeal that it doesn’t turn off average users who aren’t looking for complexity. I suspect many photographers turn to apps such as Lightroom or Capture One, but we all still rely on Photos as the gatekeeper for iPhone photos.

In the next update, Apple is introducing iCloud Shared Photo Library, a way for people with iCloud family plans to share a separate photo library with up to six members. Each person can share and receive all the photos, bringing photos from family events together in one library without encroaching on individual personal libraries.

You can populate the library manually, or use person recognition to specify photos where two or more people are together. Or, you can set it up so that when family members are together, photos will automatically be sent to the shared library.

Other Photos improvements include a way to detect duplicates in the Photos app, the ability to copy and paste adjustments between photos or in batches, and more granular undo and redo options while editing.

Reference Mode on iPad Pro

The last thing I want to mention isn’t related to computational photography, but it’s cool nonetheless. Currently, you can use the Sidecar feature in macOS to use an iPad as an additional display, which is great when you need more screen real estate.

In macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16, an iPad Pro can be set up as a reference monitor to view color-consistent photos and videos as you edit. The catch is that according to Apple’s footnotes, only the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with its gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display will work, and the Mac must have an M1 or M2 processor. (I added “gorgeous” there; it’s not in the footnotes.)

Speaking of screen real estate, iPadOS 16 finally—finally!—enables you to connect a single external display (up to 6K resolution) and use it to extend the iPad desktop, not just mirror the image. Again, that’s limited to models with the M1 processor, which currently includes the iPad Pro and the iPad Air. But if you’re the type who does a lot of work or photo editing on the iPad, external display support will give you more breathing room.

A new feature called Stage Manager breaks apps out of their full-screen modes to enable up to four simultaneous app windows on the iPad and on the external display. If you’ve ever felt constrained running apps like Lightroom and Photoshop side-by-side in Split View on the same iPad screen, Stage Manager should open things up nicely. Another feature, Display Zoom, can also increase the pixel density to reveal more information on the M1-based iPad’s screen.

More to Come

I’ve focused mostly on features that affect photographers, but there are plenty of other new things coming in the fall. If nothing else, the iPad finally has its own Weather app and the Mac has a full Clock app. That may not sound like much, but it helps when you’re huddled in your car wondering if the rain will let up enough to capture dramatic clouds before sundown, or when you want a timer to remind you to get to bed at a respectable hour while you’re lost in editing.

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