Digital Photography Computer Buying Guide

Introduction

This guide to buying and building a computer for digital photography was rewritten October 2020. Technology moves at a steady pace among both computers and cameras, so they need to keep up with each other.

Computers are an integral part of the digital photography workflow. Images are created on-camera but they necessarily pass through one or more computers on their way to be shared, printed, sorted and backed up. Although any modern computer can handle digital images, a purposefully built one can greatly enhance the experience.

What does a Digital Photography Computer do?

Computers are by their nature extremely versatile. For digital photography, the purpose of a computer it take ingest images produced by a camera and take them through all the steps in the digital photography life-cycle called photography workflow. Strictly speaking, images may not even begin as digital. A computer may start scanning from a negative or print to create the digital image directly inside. The entire workflow can happen on a single computer but can span multiple, such as when sending processed images to an online print-shop.

The digital photography workflow generally takes images through the following sequence of steps:

  1. Transfer images from a camera or intermediate media into temporary storage.
  2. Evaluate images and deciding those to keep.
  3. Optionally convert RAW files into images.
  4. Optionally process: images to tune them.
  5. Catalog and organize images for later retrieval.
  6. Store images on various media.
  7. Display images for enjoyment or other purposes.
  8. Optionally share images online, with publications or privately via electronic means.
  9. Prepare images for printing.
  10. Print to give images a physical form.

Although these steps are a logical sequence, other variants may be used, certain steps can be omitted or repeated even. Once a digital images exists as bits, it can take many paths through the workflow to produce different outcomes. Any computer that can take an image through these steps is technically a digital photography computer. In this guide, we discuss how to choose all the parts that make this workflow more efficient.

What is the most important for a Digital Photography Computer?

The one component that is absolutely critical for a digital photography computer is an accurate display. The reality is that the vast majority of displays are incapable of accurately showing image colors. Without reliable colors, it is extremely difficult - not to say impossible - to see when an image exhibits unwanted color casts and requires correction. Unless processing black-and-white images, there is no substitute for a good display.

Most computer screens these days are LCD with a number of variants available. Some people look at the panel-type as an indicator of quality but this is potential quality rather than realized. For this reason, it is more important to look at color-space coverage and bit-depth. These say what colors can the display represent and how accurately, respectively. As with lenses, price is a broad indicator of performance. Good monitors are not cheap and cheap monitors are not good. That being said, they start at an affordable price:

Laptops uses are almost certain to have a poor display since it is difficult to produce accurate colors with even tones in such small sizes and with low power consumption. Good thing that pretty much any modern laptop supports at least one external display. Considering this is 2020, expect a monitor to connect via Display Port and most likely HDMI. With recent standards, these ports support at least 4K of resolution which is sufficient to run over 99% of displays on the market.

Just because a computer monitor is capable of producing accurate colors, does not mean it is doing so. To accurately see those colors, a display almost always requires calibration. However, not all display can actually be calibrated. So, when selecting a monitor for photography, it is crucial to look for one that can be. Otherwise, it is possible to calibrate the graphics card instead which improves things but introduces issues such as banding.

How to get a computer for digital photography?

Unless restricted to a laptop which simply cannot perform to the level of a dedicated desktop, modern computers are highly modular and can easily be assembled from parts. The key is to know which component to look for and how to ensure everything is compatible together. That topic is covered on the next page of this Digital Photography Computer Buying Guide where every component is explained.

One can avoid the work of building a computer, which is honestly quite satisfying, by going for a pre-built system. A few exist purposefully built for photography but most gaming machines are likely to deliver a suitable level of performance with the exception of the display. Gaming computers and screens favor a high refresh-rate which is irrelevant for photography over quality and accuracy. So, when going the Gaming Computer route, get one without an included display and buy the screen separately.

Powerful workstation exist too but be careful when selecting one as many lack graphic capabilities that are beneficial for working with digital images. Usually workstations are designed for design, illustration, pre-press or similar work that is heavily visual are better for photography.

Note that small things can make a significant difference and it may be possible to upgrade a few components or buy add-ons to make an existing system work better for photography. By far the cheapest way and frequently overlooked is simply to use a card-reader rather than USB cable or worse, Bluetooth, for off-loading images. Make sure to select one which reads the memory card format used by your camera:

Laptops are all-in-one systems and so are rarely upgradable. There are a few with Discreet Graphics which is a must when working with the high-resolution images produced by recent digital cameras. Graphics and processing required for the digital photography workflow use a lot of power and therefore are likely to limit battery-life of suitable laptops.

Ready to build a Digital Photography Computer?

Head over to the next page of this guide to learn about every component that makes a great computer for digital photography. A number of price-points are covered and, since technology evolves rather quickly, a new page with the most up to date recommendations will be added to this article periodically. Next, everything you need to know for building a digital photography computer in 2020.

By on 2020-10-08

Please Support Neocamera

All information on Neocamera is provided free of charge yet running this website is a huge endeavor. Purchases made via affiliate links found throughout the site help keep it running and up-to-date. There is no additional cost to you, so please consider buying via these links to our affilates:

  • Essential Photo Banner
  • BH Photo Banner
  • Amazon Banner
  • Photography Store Banner

If you found any information on this site valuable and did not purchase via our affiliate links, please considering donating via PayPal:

Any amount will be greatly appreaciated. Thank you for your support!

Updates

    2023.11.20

  • 2023.11.20

    Best Digital Cameras of 2023 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras of 2023

    Find out which are the Best Digital Cameras of 2023. All the new Mirrorless Digital Cameras from entry-level to high-end professional.

  • 2023.07.10

  • 2023.07.10

    Fujifilm X-H2 Review Update Poster

    Fujifilm X-H2 Review

    40 Megapixels APS-C Hybrid Mirrorless Digital Camera with 7-stop IBIS. Fastest shutter ever and 8K video capture. Large builtin EVF with 0.8X magnification and 5.8 MP, plus an Eye-Start Sensor. Packed with features and large number of controls in a weatherproof and freezeproof body.

  • 2023.05.07

  • 2023.05.07

    Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G Review Update Poster

    Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G Review

    Review of the unique Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G lens. The optical zoom of this lens spans ultra-wide-angle and medium focal-length coverage, making it one of the most versatile Full-Frame lenses on the market.

  • 2023.01.15

  • 2023.01.15

    Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Review Update Poster

    Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Review

    Review of the Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 tablet, a medium sized drawing surface with dual dials and customizable buttons. Connects via USB-C or Bluetooth 5.0 with Windows, Linux and Android support.

  • 2022.12.08

  • 2022.12.08

    How to Pack for a Photo Trip Update Poster

    How to Pack for a Photo Trip

    Find out how to pack for a travel photography trip, carry your gear safely while meeting airline regulations.

  • 2022.11.13

  • 2022.11.13

    Best Digital Cameras of 2022 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras of 2022

    The best digital cameras of 2022. A short list of the most outstanding models in their respective categories. Choose one for yourself or as a gift.

  • 2022.09.21

  • 2022.09.21

    Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM, the constant-aperture telephoto zoom with the highest zoom-ratio on the market.

  • 2022.09.20

  • 2022.09.20

    Pentax DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 SDM Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 SDM Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 SDM, the lightest professional telephoto zoom native to the K-mount.

  • 2022.09.10

  • 2022.09.10

    Pentax DA* 11-18mm F/2.8 DC AW Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 11-18mm F/2.8 DC AW Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 11-18mm F/2.8 DC AW, the widest professional ultra-wide zoom native to the K-mount.

  • 2021.11.24

  • 2021.11.24

    50 Gifts Under $50 For Photographers in 2021 Update Poster

    50 Gifts Under $50 For Photographers in 2021

    50 Gifts photographers will love. All for under $50 USD. 2021 Edition.

  • 2021.11.17

  • 2021.11.17

    Best Digital Cameras for 2021 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras for 2021

    Neocamera shows which are the very best Digital Cameras for 2021 in every category: Mirrorless, DSLR, Premium Compact, Ultra-Zoom and Rugged.

  • 2021.09.04

  • 2021.09.04

    Pentax HD DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 PLM AW Review Update Poster

    Pentax HD DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 PLM AW Review

    Exclusive review of the Pentax HD DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 PLM AW professional lens of Pentax K-Mount APS-C DSLR cameras.

Camera Bag

Clear

Your camera bag is empty. To add a camera or lens click on the star next to its name.

Your camera bag is empty.

Add cameras or lenses by clicking on the star next to their name.

NEWS