Best Budget Monitors for Photo Editing – A color-accurate, high-quality display designed with photo editing in mind is as important as your camera gear used for landing the shots. You want to make sure that your audience is experiencing your content through the same lens, so working with a color-calibrated panel makes a huge difference to the photos you publish.
You don’t need to break the bank to get a pro-level monitor, there are many budget-friendly options. I hope my list of the best photo editing monitors under $300 has set you on the right path to up your editing game.
ROUND UP
1.Acer R240HY bidx
Pros & Cons
- 23.8" Full HD IPS widescreen with 1920 x 1080 resolution
- Response time: 4ms, refresh rate: 60 hertz, pixel pitch: 0.2745 millimeter. 178 degree wide viewing angle, display colors: 16.7 million
- The zero frame design provides maximum visibility of the screen from edge to edge
- Signal inputs: 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI (withHDCP) & 1 x VGA. Does not support HDCP 2.2, the version this monitor supports is HDCP 1.4
- No picture visible using the OSD menu, adjust brightness and contrast to maximum or reset to their default settings. Brightness is 250 nit. Operating power consumption: 25 watts
- Monitor only, without speaker
The Acer R240HY is a 24-inch midrange monitor that uses an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel to deliver good color accuracy and solid gray-scale performance without drawing a lot of power. It is equipped with three video inputs and features a sleek bezel-free design, but it lacks USB connectivity and ergonomic adjustments, and it won’t give you the same level of detail that you get from its high-resolution sibling and our current Editors’ Choice for midrange monitors, the Acer H257HU
You won’t find any advanced settings, such as the 6-Axis-Color and Gamma settings that you get with the Acer H257HU. Picture presets include User, ECO, Standard, Graphics, and Movie modes.
2.HP VH240a
Pros & Cons
- This Certified Refurbished product is manufacturer refurbished, shows limited or no wear, and includes all original accessories plus a 90-day limited hardware warranty.
- Response Time — 5ms with overdrive for a smooth picture that looks crisp and fluid without motion blur
- Built-In Speakers — Integrated audio speakers provide great sound for your content (2 watts per channel)
- Thin Bezel-Less Frame — A thin and virtually frameless ultra-widescreen monitor provides a seamless multi-monitor set-up with 3-sided narrow bezels
The VH240a employs a 23.8-inch (measured diagonally) in-plane switching (IPS) screen, with full HD/1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) and a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The panel has a respectable pixel density of 92 pixels per inch (ppi), which is more than enough for typical home or office use, though photo or video enthusiasts will likely want a screen with a higher pixel density.
As is typical of IPS displays, the VH240a has very wide viewing angles, rated at 178 degrees for both vertical and horizontal. I saw a minimum of color distortion or posterization, even when I viewed the screen from the most extreme off-center angles.
3.Dell 27 LED
Pros & Cons
- Device Type - LED-backlit LCD monitor - 27", Aspect Ratio -16:9, Contrast Ratio - 1000:1
- Aspect Ratio is 16:9; Viewing Angle is 178° vertical / 178° horizontal; Brightness (Typ.) is 300cd/㎡
- Panel Type - IPS, Full HD (1080p) 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz, Response Time - 8 ms (grey-to-grey normal); 5 ms (grey-to-grey fast)
- Input Connectors - HDMI, VGA
- Does NOT have VESA Mount
- Easily tilt the monitor to get just the right viewing angle
The Dell 27 looks very plain compared to its more pricey, Alienware-branded siblings like the Alienware 25 and Alienware 34. The curved screen is framed with a simple black band and a narrow black bar flush with the active display on the top and sides, with a slightly wider bottom bezel holding the Dell logo.
It mounts onto a similarly plain black stand with a hexagonal base that holds the monitor steady. The stand can slide and tilt up and down (vertical height 15.5 to 19.4 inches, vertical angle -5 to 21 degrees), but it doesn’t rotate from side to side.
4.Samsung LC24F392FHNXZA
Pros & Cons
- Renewed products work and look like new. These pre-owned products have been inspected and tested by Amazon-qualified suppliers. Box and accessories may be generic. All Renewed products come with the 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee.
- 1800R curvature for an immersive viewing experience
- Glossy black, ultra slim design;Product Dimensions With Stand(inches): 21.6 x 16.5 x 8.1 inches Product Dimensions Without Stand(Inches): 21.6 x 12.8 x 3.4 inches
- AMD FreeSync and Game Mode; Power Supply Type: AC 100~240 Volts
- Eco friendly with power saving; Mac compatible : Yes
The curvature of the Samsung LC24F392 24″ Curved LED Monitor provides a truly immersive viewing experience that lets you enjoy big, bold and stunning panoramic views while you work or play. With its design inspired by the curve of the human eye, this monitor delivers a comfortable and enjoyable viewing experience for your home or office use.
Featuring an ultra-slim and sleek profile and AMD FreeSync technology, this monitor allows users to enjoy smooth images, even during the fastest moving scenes.
5.Philips 241E1S
Pros & Cons
- Philips E-Line 24" (23.8" viewable) LCD monitor with Full HD 1920x1080 and IPS panel for wide-viewing angles and full colors
- SUPERB PICTURE QUALITY: IPS LED wide view technology with 106% sRGB & 91% NTSC color gamut coverage
- SMOOTH GAMEPLAY: AMD FreeSync technology provides fluid, artifact-free gaming performance with support up to 75Hz refresh rate
- DESIGNED FOR YOUR WELL-BEING: LowBlue mode reduces harmful shortwave blue light for your wellbeing + Flicker-Free technology regulates brightness and reduces eye fatigue
Philips 241E1D has a clean and minimalist design in overall, frameless design and a very basic looking stand. It’s not as fancy as the gaming monitors you’ll find out there but this design seems great for office or home office if you’re looking for a Scandinavian look setup for your work desk. Apart from the frameless design and the stand, the bottom frame of the Philips 241E1D actually looks really similar to the Philips 242M8.
Philips things together for the 241E1D – panel at the front, not covered by any kind of frame which we’ll normally see on a common monitor design. While you can technically call it a frameless monitor with this design, you will still see a visible black edge on the monitor because of how the panel is designed.
WRAP UP
Best Budget Monitors for Photo Editing – It comes as no surprise, as your only way of judging your photos’ color gradients, brightness, and contrast is through your monitor’s lens and the data it reveals to you. Don’t worry; you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on reference monitors or monitors for work in general.
We don’t suggest going for 40 inch 4K monitor or an ultra wide screen because a good vertical monitor with less eye strain that you find to also be the best budget monitor will suffice for photo editing. We also recommend our best monitor for video editing lineup.
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