Mac Buying Guide for Photographers - Updated January 2023
/Mac Buying Guide for Photographers 2023
For the traveler who values lightweight, and portability and primarily plans to just use it for photo backup and web/email work -
Apple 13.6" MacBook Air M2, Space Gray, Mid-2022 release ($1099 - $1399)
The M2 Air is a fantastic lightweight travel machine. I found it edited photos and video well- my only real complaint was the lack of ports and on the newer version that I am recommending you get a dedicated power port (YAY!), plus two USB-C ports and a headphone jack. Two ports provide one for camera/card reader import and an external drive attached at the same time. Overall I found the value and portability of the air to be excellent and was impressed with the editing capabilities. I did notice some slowdowns with exporting a larger number of images at once - 50+ images. For import, organizing, and editing a few photos at a time it was flawless and no fan means silent operation. Battery life was very good.
Buy from B&H Photo (upgraded to 16GB Ram & 512GB SSD is recommended if you plan to edit more often using this machine. Keep it at 8GB & 256GB SSD if you just plan to use this to backup photos while traveling.
For the photographer who plans to seriously edit while traveling -
The Apple 14.2" MacBook Pro with M2 Pro Chip ($1999 - $3000)
I purchase the M1 version of this laptop at the beginning of 2022 and have been extremely happy - 3 USB-C ports, HDMI, SD card reader, dedicated MagSafe power and a gorgeous OLED screen all combine to make this a powerful computer that is travel friendly. It has handled editing large amounts of photos, large photoshop files, and even 8K video files without any hesitation. Lightroom and Photoshop fly on this machine. The only downside - the model I ordered is $2800, not cheap but I expect this laptop will last me many years. Battery life is excellent! If you are not editing video I would recommend the base model.
Base Model 14.2” M2 Pro with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD $1999 - Buy at B&H Photo
Recommended upgrades - 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD $2599 - Buy from B&H Photo
Pair with one of the monitors recommended below for at-home dual screen or bigger screen editing. You could also upgrade to the 16” Macbook for a larger screen while traveling but you are now carrying around a 5lb machine compared to closer to 3.5lbs for the 14” Macbook pros. Recommended 16” Macbook - 12-Core, 19-Core GPU, 1TB SSD, 32GB SSd - Buy at B&H Photo.
For editing at home -
For light editing - Apple 24" iMac with M1 Chip Mid 2021 ($1299)
The 1 iMacs released in 2021 are great machines. A beautiful high-quality screen at 4.5k resolution and the M1 chip provide solid performance similar to my experience with the Macbook Air above. I have no reservations about recommending this for basic Lightroom and Photoshop editing unless you plan to edit and export many files in one sitting and need a machine that can handle higher-end video editing. Buy from B&H Photo (upgraded to the 8 core, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD) Downsides of this machine - you are limited to 16GB Ram which in the future may feel limiting but I saw no issues when editing on the Air M1 with the same amount of RAM. This is also an all-in-one machine - which makes it super easy to set up but you pay a little more for having that convenience. Note that the iMac will likely be updated sometime in 2023 so you may want to wait or consider option 2 the Mac Mini below.
For serious editing - Pair a Mac Mini M2 ($1500) with 4K monitor ($400-$1600)
This will give you an excellent editing computer, noticeably more powerful than the M1 iMac listed above but it will cost you a little more. Of course, if you already have a monitor or choose a small monitor you can save. Recommended Mac Mini M2 Pro 10-core 16-Core GPU with 16GB Ram, 1TB SSD Buy from B&H Photo
Pair with the LG 27BL85U-W 27" 16:9 HDR FreeSync 4K IPS Monitor for $450 Buy from B&H Photo
Power User -
With the Jan 2023 release of the Mac Mini M2 Pro, you have a small machine that in many ways is going to perform similarly to the Older M1 Max/Ultra Studio. For most users and photo editors, the power in the Mac Mini M2 Pro will be plenty. Only if you plan to do serious video editing do you need to consider the Mac Studio.
Mac Mini M2 Pro ($1899) paired with a high-quality 4K monitor ($400-$1600)
Pair with the monitor listed above or the new Apple 27" Studio Display which provides a gorgeous 5K screen $1600 Buy from B&H Photo
Mac (option 2) - Buy the 14 or 16” version of the MacBook M2 Max $3100 - $3500
Upgrade to the 14” or 16” Macbook Pro M2 Max for a powerful machine that works well on the road or at home. Just know that the 16” is less travel friendly at 4.7lbs plus the charging brick. At home, you can use a second screen alongside the laptop to have a very capable editing machine that remains somewhat travel friendly.
