Picture Perfect Monitors for Photographers on a Budget

If you’re a photographer building or expanding your business, you need several essential items to succeed. First, a camera and lens are required to take good-quality photos. Buying the best option within your budget for your business is crucial for capturing high-quality, colorful, detailed images. Second, you need a computer monitor that displays colors accurately, is factory-calibrated to meet your standards, and offers a color gamut range. BenQ has the best photography monitors that won’t break your budget and guarantee color accuracy to benefit your business.

Accurately reproducing the images you capture is the essence of photography. Post-production work in applications such as Lightroom, Capture One, and Affinity Photo allow for infinite adjustments and creative choices. The monitor you use to view your images and utilize these applications must represent colors exactly, so calibration is critical. Your monitor must be able to process the entirety of the color gamut and color space.

The BenQ PhotoVue Photographer and Monitor SW series have all been certified by Technicolor and comply with 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB, and 100% Rec.709 color gamut specifications. Most models in the SW series come with a Hotkey Puck, a device that enables users to switch between Adobe RGB, sRGB, and Black and white modes effortlessly, quickly adapting to your workflow. Other monitors feature a Color Mode HotKey for quick color mode switching. Some models offer an optional, detachable shading hood that reduces screen glare from ambient lighting and guarantees the best possible viewing of your work.

Let’s look at two monitors in our PhotoVue line packed with features for photographers on a budget.

If you are building your photography business on a budget, the BenQ SW240 is your best monitor option. It is a 24-inch monitor with anti-reflection technology, perfect for photo editing and graphic design. View your images with the same stunning color, precision, and clarity as your camera. The SW240 covers 99% of Adobe RGB color space and 100% of sRGB color space, has 1920x1200 resolution, and has a 14-bit Look-up Table (LUT) color. It is an excellent option for photographers who need a quality monitor on a budget.

BenQ’s Adobe RGB color space gives photographers a set of new color management features that offer a better range of color reproduction for shades of blue and green, resulting in a more realistic color representation for outdoor and nature photography. The 14-bit LUT improves RGB color blending accuracy, reproducing impeccable color. Having an average Delta E ≤ 2 in Adobe RGB and sRGB color spaces assures color accuracy for all your images.

While the SW240 does not come with a HotKey Puck for switching between color modes, it does come with a Factory Calibration report to ensure color accuracy. It can be recalibrated as needed with the calibration tool. It is Calman, Pantone, and Pantone SkinTone Certified and supports the Palette Master Ultimate assistant tools. This monitor is the best option for building your business on a budget.

If you have a larger budget or are expanding your photography business, the BenQ SW272Q Photographer Monitor is for you. It is 27 inches with a 2560x1440 resolution and is HDR10 compatible, making it the perfect option to preview the HDR effect of video content during the editing process. It covers 99% Adobe RGB color space, 100% sRGB color space, and 98% P3 color coverage with Delta E ≤ 1.5 and a 16-bit LUT for color bending precision. In addition, SW272Q features a unique panel coating technology called Fine-Coated Panel, which can vastly reduce the reflection from ambient light and avoid eyestrain due to long-term use.

The SW272Q comes with a HotKey Puck G3 and has built-in Color Mode that enables you to swiftly switch between the three preset color modes: Black and White mode (three different settings), sRGB mode, and Adobe RGB mode. You can customize your preferred preset modes based on your personal display needs by pressing the HotKey for 5 seconds.

You can also purchase a detachable shading hood designed for landscape orientation as an accessory. The Shading hood bridge (HB27) is an optional accessory for a multi-screen setup with more than one 27-inch PhotoVue monitor. BenQ carefully selected the shading hood and bridge material to reduce reflected light. A unique fabric absorbs the light to keep you focused on the displayed colors and images. With the use of BenQ’s Palette Master Ultimate software and a calibrator, you can tune and maintain the monitor's color performance to maintain color accuracy and reliability.

The SW272Q has a TUV Certification for Anti-Reflection and is Calman, Pantone, and Pantone SkinTone Verified. Not only does BenQ have exclusive software like Palette Master Ultimate and Paper Color Sync, the SW272Q also supports third-party calibration software such as LightSpace Ready and Calman. This monitor is the best option for you to expand your business.

Devoted to meeting the latest professional color standards, BenQ has developed AQCOLOR technology to uphold the concept of “Accurate Reproduction.” BenQ has invited a color expert to lead the team and has actively participated in ICC (International Color Consortium) and ISO (International Standard Organization) to establish color-related standards and implementation. Get colors you can trust as BenQ empowers creative professionals with AQCOLOR technology to help inspire ideas and make projects come to life.

Whether you’re a budding photographer looking to build your profession or a current professional who wants to expand your business, we have the monitors for you. Get the color accuracy guarantee you need to grow with optional accessories to improve your workflow. BenQ PhotoVue Monitors can elevate your photography game without emptying your pockets.