Best Monitor For Photo Editing Under 500 2023

Consumers often ignore the specifications required to buy a monitor-they are usually more engrossed with the RAM, processor or other features of the PC.

People who rely on podcasting, gaming, live-streaming and photography for earning a living, need to keep a high-end monitor handy. A large monitor with a high resolution is worth an investment, because it promises clarity and sharpness of image which cheaper models might not be able to fulfill.

These days such high end monitors are available at affordable prices. The best monitor for photo editing under 500 comes with an array of useful features, like backlit technologies that reduce blue-light intensity to relieve your eyes off stress and fatigue.

They also come with high refresh and response rates, which indicate that your monitor is speedy, to meet your fast-paced lifestyle.

If you are willing to opt for one yourself, this article will help you.

Editors' Picks: Top Monitor for Photo Editing Under $500 

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  Preview
  Product
  Rating
• Bestseller No. 1
  
  ASUS PA248Q 24" ProArt Professional 1920x1200 IPS HDMI Eye Care Monitor,Black
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• Bestseller No. 2
  
  BenQ SW240 PhotoVue 24 inch Color Accuracy IPS Monitor for Photography
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• Bestseller No. 3
  
  Dell Ultra Sharp LED-Lit Monitor 25" Black (U2518D)| 2560 X 1440 at 60 Hz| IPS| Vesa...
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• Bestseller No. 4
  
  ViewSonic VP2458 24 Inch 60hz IPS 1080p Monitor with Ultra-Thin Bezels, 100% sRGB, Color...
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• Bestseller No. 5
  
  Dell U2717D IPS 27" UltraSharp InfinityEdge Slim Widescreen LED LCD Monitor VESA
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• Bestseller No. 6
  
  Samsung SD850 32" WQHD (2560x1440) 16:9 Aspect Ratio LED-LitMonitor (LS32D85KTSR/ZA)...
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• Bestseller No. 7
  
  LG 27UK850-W 27" 4K UHD IPS Monitor with HDR10 with USB Type-C Connectivity and FreeSync,...
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List of Top 10 Photo Editing Monitors Under 500

1. HP 27er

2. Dell U2415

3. ASUS VP28UQG

4. LG 32MA68HY

5. Philips 276E8VJSB

6. SceptreC248W-1920RN

7. Dell Ultra

8. BenQ EX2780Q

9. ViewSonic VX2776

10. Acer R240HY

Comparison Chart For Top 10 Photo Editing Monitors Under 500

Best Monitor For Photo Editing Under 500 Reviews

1. HP 27er Full HD LED Monitor

For professional photographers, a high-end monitor is essential in their day-to-day affairs. The monitor must be able to display crystal clear images and videos without any interruptions in the flow-in other words sharp and fluid vision.

Monitors by HP are a bounty to a photographer, its LCD screen being a treat to the eyes. Its 27" ultra-wide view screen with 1920x1080 full HD resolutions, generates crisp, vibrant and close to life images and videos.

It provides 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, with its response time standing at an amazing 7 ms Gray to Gray to maximum 28 ms G to G, which makes every photo and video spring to life. The monitor displays magnificent color accuracy, thanks to Technicolor Color Certification.

This monitor by HP comes equipped with 178° anti-glare IPS viewing and bezel-less design, meaning it covers every scene vividly from any angle. In short, these displays make you see more and better.

LED backlighting with a brightness of 250 nits make every video and photograph lively, allowing you to stare at the monitor for hours without hurting your eyes.

The monitor could be tilted 5° backward and 25° forward for convenience in viewing especially when you want to have a better look at your photo-editing outcomes or when you are watching something with all your friends together.

This HP monitor is super-thin, being only 6.3mm in its thinnest section, which make it less space consuming, more stylish and light-weight. It flaunts versatile connectivity with 2 HDMI and 1VGA support for laptops and multi-monitor arrangements.

Product Highlights

• 27" wide screen, 1920x1080 resolutions, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio

• 7-28 ms response time, Technicolor Certification, anti-glare, anti-bezel

• LED backlighting, 250 nits, can be tilted 25° forward and 5° backward

• 6.3 mm thin, 2 HDMI and 1VGA connectivity, IPS viewing

2. Dell Ultrasharp U2415 - Best Dell Monitor For Photo Editing

Podcasters, among other things, must have a high-resolution monitor handy. The monitor should be able to play the videos that he captured with his webcam to and fro with fluidity, and should not hang or break in the middle of editing.

The monitors by Dell have a superb aspect-ratio of 16:10 flaunting large wide-angle screen perfect for any sort of live-streaming or gaming experience.

Dell takes pride in their 24" U2415 monitors displaying videos and images at 1920x1200 resolutions, with an ultra-wide viewing angle of 178°x178°, so that nothing misses out from the screen.

The monitor's response time is 19 ms black to white, and 6-8 ms G to G, gifting you the fluidity that you always wished for while watching videos, editing or gaming, simultaneously reducing the strain on your eyes.

Its bezel design and thin exterior, only 6.9mm at its thinnest section, make it light-weight (less than 1 lb) and chic. It is pivoted on an arm at 90° clockwise and anti-clockwise movability,keeping the thinnest edges of the monitor side-by-side so as to improvise the viewing experience. It is also wall mountable.

The monitor could be tilted, swiveled and its height adjusted anytime to optimize your comfort and productivity. It can also be connected via versatile methods-2 HDMI ports, USB ports for charging and powering, DisplayPort and mini Display Port.

Its top-notch PowerNap feature allows you to correct the light intensity whenever you wish-you can dim or brighten the screen to your convenience. This feature allows the monitor to transition into a Sleep Mode, and save power, while not in use.

Not only this, this product takes pride in their eco-friendly manufacturing process. The exterior of this monitor is made of BPA free material, its glass being arsenic-free and LED panels mercury-free.

Product Highlights

• 24" wide screen, 16:10 aspect ratio, 0.27mmx0.27mm pixel pitch

• Contrast ratio 1000:1, color gamut 16.78 million colors, 1920x1200

• Wide angle 178°x178°, response time 6-19ms, 6.9mm thin,

• Wall mount, single arm, can be tilted and swiveled, multi-connections

3. ASUS VP28UQG - Best 4k Monitor Under 500

If there is one thing that gamers and live-streamers depend on with their life, it is their PC monitor. Gamers need large screens if they want to go live, and they need high resolutions for playing high-end games.

Monitor VP28UQG by ASUS is a dream for gamers and podcasters. If immersive viewing experience is what you are aiming for, these 24" power 4K displays with only 1ms response time, together with their exclusive Adaptive Sync characteristic, will give your video-streamings a smoothness like never before.

The monitor is dedicated to reduce strain on your eyes, thanks to ASUS's Eye-Care technology, equipped with varying levels of blue-light filters and flicker-free backlights.

These ASUS gaming monitors create stunning visuals at resolutions of 3840x2160 and a pixel density of 157 PPI. The monitor produces sharper and clearer images than 1080p because of its higher pixel intensity-this works great when you are watching a video or live-streaming a high-specification game.

Its response time is fastest in its class-so say goodbye to blurred or smeared images, every viewing experience would be fluid. Its Adaptive Sync technology further makes sure that that the visuals never break or frame rates do not look choppy.

This ASUS version of a monitor also offers GamePlus gaming tools to enhance your gaming experience and make you a better gamer.

Its 'crosshair' feature allows the gamer to pinpoint the target with maximum accuracy, a 'timer' feature allows you to keep track of time during recurring respawns or drops, a navigation joystick to make your character move anywhere on screen, with an additional FPS Counter and Display Alignment characteristics for other gaming perks.

In short, this monitor's 4K UHD display, with a wide angle view of 170°/160°, and 60Hz refresh rate will produce visuals you have only dreamt about. The monitor also comes with versatile DisplayPort and HDMI connections.

Product Highlights

• 24" wide screen, Adaptive Sync, Eye Care technology, 3840x2160 res

• Pixel density 157 PPI, response time 1ms, 4K UHD, 60Hz refresh rate

• DisplayPort and HDMI connections, contrast ratio 1000:1

• 5 way OSD joystick monitor control, GamePlus features

• Ultra-low blue light and flicker-free backlight technology

4. LG 32MA68HY - Best Value Monitor For Photo Editing

Vloggers or videographers need wide-angle, bezel-less and high-resolution monitors for their PC, to present a fluid video experience to their audience.

The 32" LG monitors will fit all requirements of podcasters. With an aspect ratio of 16:8, and 70% larger screen than 24" monitors, these monitors offer mind-blowing immersive viewing experiences.

Such wide-angle screens will allow you to take a better look at your accounting spreadsheets, edit photos, video-conference and watch videos. The monitors offer versatile connectivity via USB, DisplayPort and HDMI.

Wait till you get your hands on the On-Screen controls with the help of which you can change preset settings, adjust brightness and colors.

A very exciting feature of these LG monitors is its Screen-Split feature, which facilitates multi-tasking-so now you would be able to browse the web while video-conferencing. This feature permits 4 different windows and 4 different picture-in-picture choices to be opened up simultaneously.

And yes, it is VESA compatible, means anytime you feel like watching a video with friends, you can take the monitor off the stand and mount it on the wall. In this way, you can save desk space and share your experience with others.

The monitor also flaunts a Reader Mode which reduces strain on your eyes while researching for long hours or photo-editing. Last but not the least, its ArcLine Design makes it stylish, versatile and ergonomic.

Product Highlights

• 32" wide screen, On-Screen Controls, Screen Split, Wall Mountable

• Versatile connectivity via USB and DisplayPort, Reader Mode

• ArcLine Design, 60Hz refresh rate, IPS Panel, Contrast ration 1000:1

• 5ms Response Time, 178°/178° viewing angle, 1920x1080 res

5. Philips 276E8VJSB - Best 27 Monitor For Photo Editing

Models or fashion-enthusiasts depend on photo-editing monitors to make their photos more crisp and vibrant. One of the finest features of these monitors is their ability to create a sharp color contrast to make any photo Vogue worthy.

The 27" ultra-chic monitor by Philips will serve all your photo-editing needs faithfully. Their 4K UHD monitors can generate images and videos at a premium resolution of 3840x2160 which adds a razor-sharp precision to your visual productivity.

These monitors support detailed imaging for CAD solutions and various 3D graphics apps, and they can give you a through wide-angle view through your spread-sheets.

It can generate images and videos with a color depth of 10 Bit in combination and 1074 million color, thus bringing out the natural color of every scene and capture without the need to use any color gradation or banding technique.

These monitors by Phillips have ultra-narrow bezels, therefore you will be able to see more and better-no more trouble at viewing the corners of the screen, everything will be clearly visible.

These chic monitors also come fully equipped with IPS technology which presents the audience with a wide-angle view of 178°/178°, so that you can watch the display clearly from any angle.

IPS displays also create a more superior video experience, by producing more vibrant and crisp quality images, as compared to the standard TN technologies.

A very interesting feature of these Phillips creations is Multi-View technology, with which you will be able to split the display into 4 windows and multi-task easily. This MultiView technology also supports dual-connectivity so that you can work on your PC and notebook at the same time.

The monitors are also powered with flicker-free backlit technology which relieves your eyes off strain and fatigue. This will help you a lot when you are trying to read a long paper on the screen or carrying out heavy-duty photo-editing sessions.

Product Highlights

• 27" wide screen, 4K UHD, 3840x2160 res, 10 Bit color depth, bezel-free

• IPS technology, wide-angle, Split Screen, back-lit, refresh rate 60 Hz

• Response time 5ms, Versatile connectivity via USB and HDMI, Dual Connect

• Aspect ratio 16:9, Contrast ratio 1000:1

6. Sceptre24" Curved LED - Best 24 Inch Monitor For Photo Editing

Photo editors absolutely depend on high-end photo-editing monitors for daily functioning. They need editing tools which can create superb color accuracy and razor-sharp color contrast to add uniqueness to every photo.

The Sceptre monitors, with their awesome curved design, present the audience with an unparalleled immersive viewing experience. The 24" monitor offers a blue light shift mode which can reduce blue light emitting, replacing it with warm light that soothes the eye. Flicker-free backlit technology enhances this even further.

This is critical when your work requires you to keep your eyes glued to the screen for longer hours, say for research purpose, for analyzing financial documents or carrying out complex editing work. The Sceptre monitors offer a wide array of connectivity including USB and HDMI ports as well.

When you need to take a better look at something on the display or want to share the monitor with a second person, you wish you could tilt the screen-- with Sceptre monitors you can do that with ease.

These monitors can be tilted 15° backward and swayed 5° forward to optimize the viewing experience without making your head and shoulders ache.

The videos generated by these monitors will envelop you from all sides with their 1800R curvature of the screen in combination with their bezel-less structure-so next time you watch a video; you will fall in love with the lively sensation they bring!

Photo-editing and live-streaming will take place at incomparable speeds now-- thanks to this monitor's fast response time and refresh rate.

With an amazing 75Hz refresh rate and 8 ms response time, these monitors will generate super clear images, without any loading or blurring, no matter how fast the videos maybe.

Product Highlights

• 24" wide LED monitor, blue light shift mode, flicker-free backlit

• Versatile USB, VGA, HDMI connections, can be tilted, 1800R curved screen

• 75Hz refresh rate, 8 ms response time, bezel-free, built-in speakers

• VESA wall mountable, 1920x1080 FHD res, headphone ports

How to Setup your Monitor for Photography

It's hard to take a good photo if you can't even see what's on your monitor. Whether you're just beginner photographer or have been at it for years, learning how to setup your monitor for photography will make the process easier and help you take better photos.

Step 1
By default, monitors have a (usually around 90%-100%) contrast ratio. If your monitor displays more than 100%, adjust the contrast until it displays 100%. This will make text and details easier to see.

Step 2
Change the Brightness and Contrast -3 or -1 to 50, if a lesser value is too dark for you, go up to 75, if you're on a bright sunny day with lots of ambient light go down to 25

This lets you see clearly at most times without having to lower the brightness. Your eyes tire from looking at screens often this way.

Step 3
Change the Screen Color Temperature to 6500K - Not too blue, not too red

Take a photo of your screen or use your camera to take a photo. To get an accurate reading, take a photo of the screen when you're looking at it from an angle after adjusting your monitor to show at least 100%. Taking a photo of the screen while looking straight on usually results in inaccurate readings.

Step 4
Keep it simple, Start with the above steps and don't worry about color management and other things just yet until you get used to how different changes make photos look better or worse. Most of the time focusing on what's important for a particular shot is what makes photos look better than anything else.

Are gaming monitors good for photo editing?

A question that often comes up is whether a gaming monitor has good picture quality and accurate colors for photo editing. The answer is yes, but there are caveats.

1. Know your monitor's specifications

When you're looking at monitors, the first thing you should do is check out their specifications. The most important spec for photo work is Adobe RGB (also called sRGB). It tells how wide the colors the monitor can display are. Gaming monitors often have a wide gamut with a different black level than what photographers prefer, and they may have smaller color depth than professional graphic monitors. So it's important to check these specs, because if not knowing what Adobe RGB means is like walking into a book store and not knowing whether it carries encyclopedias or romances.

2. Know your working space

The next thing to check is how the monitor will work with your workflow. Adobe RGB is smaller than sRGB and much smaller than the gamut of most gaming monitors. In addition, a lot of photographers work in ProPhoto RGB, which is even larger than Adobe RGB. So if you're not using a HDR display or editing on a computer that outputs ProPhoto RGB, it makes sense to get a monitor that has its color set to Adobe RGB and then use software to convert it to ProPhoto RGB for your final edit.

Many gaming monitors come complete with colorimeters and software so people can set them up right away for editing photo images.

How To Choose The Right Monitor For Photo Editing Under 500

Picture Clarity

For photo-editing purposes you would need a display which can generate images quickly, with high clarity and sharpness. These are governed by the number of pixels which are present in the vertical and horizontal column on the screen, and higher the number of pixels, more the clarity.

Most photo-editing displays offer resolutions of 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1024x768, 2560x1440 or 3840x2160. They could also be referred to as FHD (1920x1080), 1440p, QHD (2560x1440), or 4K (3840x2160).

4K resolution monitors could be a bit expensive, but if you are a photo-editor, gamer or podcaster you might consider getting one for yourself.

The best photo editing monitor under 500 offers 1080p or the FHD versions which are high in popularity and superbly reliable. FHD version is also energy efficient.

Color Contrast

On the screen, the difference between the intensity of the lightest color or white and the darkest color or black, expressed as a ratio, is called the contrast ratio. The higher the ratio, the sharper and more realistic the images will appear-in short a higher ratio will generate more close-to-life images and videos.

This higher contrast ratio is specifically effective when you are watching a video showing wilderness, animals and birds of exotic colors, or when you are photo-editing, trying to enhance the background or the nuances on a person's face.

Reliable brands of LCD monitors offer a ratio of 1000:1 which are quite good.

LCD screens use what is known as Dynamic Contrast (DC) or Advanced Contrast Ratio (ACR) which lowers the power of backlit technologies and amplifies the transmission through the LCD, thus helping to make dark scenes in a video. For example, appear clearer when being watched in a dark room.

Brightness is measured in candela per square meter or cd/m2, and higher the candela measurement, brighter the images, just something for you to know and remember, in case you are looking for it on the packaging. Plasma monitors could produce a contrast ratio as high as 5,000,000:1.

Other Features: NitsAnd Refresh Rate

Nit: Nit is a unit for brightness and differs with various sources of light. Monitors usually have average nits of 200 to 300. Between 300 and 500 nits, it is even better. Higher the number, brighter the display.

Refresh Rate: Refresh rate may often get ignored by consumers, but it measures how often a monitor can change an image in 1 second. Again the higher the number, the faster and healthier is the display. Monitors usually have 60Hz, 120Hz or144 Hz refresh rates.

Refresh rate has no relationship with how bright or clear an image is, but it is very important during gaming or photo-editing. Refresh rates prevent an image from getting hung or distorted, which is extremely annoying while you are working. So if you are a gamer, aim for a higher Hz number.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which Is The Best Monitor For Photo Editing?

The monitor that will be best for your photo editing depends on personal preference and expertise. In general, the best monitor for photo editing should have a high frame rate, proper color contrast, and at least a full HD display. It should also have a widescreen aspect ratio to ensure a satisfactory editing experience.

2. Is Curved Monitor Good For Photoshop?

Curved monitors provide an immersive viewing experience that means the monitor displays pictures very close to the real-life ones. This factor will enhance the overall photoshopping experience.

A curved monitors' aspect ratio is 21:9 aspect ratio, which is wider and taller than a regular monitor. The ultra-wide curved monitors have a huge screen space, perfect for editing and finalizing multiple pictures at a time. So, the curved monitors are quite good for photo editing.

3. Is HDR Monitor Good For Photo Editing?

Yes, HDR monitors are good for photo editing since they provide high contrast, so the color and brightness level of the HDR monitor will be higher than the SDR monitors. Pictures will also look better on the HDR monitor, and you can see every color grading properly. Sometimes it might even produce pictures visually more impactful than a 4K monitor.

4. Is IPS Good For Editing?

An IPS monitor is suitable for editing for professionals due to the fact that it offers a high refresh rate, level, and a higher sRGB reproduction rate. The IPS monitor also offers a great viewing angle, so you won't have to adjust your chair again and again to get the right viewing angle.

Final Word

Finding the best monitor for photo editing under 500 is no doubt a challenging task. While purchasing a monitor, pay a lot of attention to the specifications. If you are a photo or video-editor or your profession requires you to do a lot of it, you would need a monitor with a generous screen and high resolutions.

The good news is, there are some monitors that come with wonderful features which will enhance your convenience and productivity at work.

They are equipped with features like backlit technology, higher refresh rates, and versatile connectivity. Some versions manufactured by Dell, ASUS, Acer and Phillips, have wall mountable options even. Choose a monitor that will meet all your needs.

Related posts:

1. Best Monitor For Photo Editing Under 200 - Top 10 Picks in 2023

Buy now at Etsy, Walmart, eBay (subject to availability)

ASUS PA248Q 24" ProArt Professional 1920x1200 IPS HDMI Eye Care Monitor,Black - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

BenQ SW240 PhotoVue 24 inch Color Accuracy IPS Monitor for Photography - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Dell Ultra Sharp LED-Lit Monitor 25" Black (U2518D)| 2560 X 1440 at 60 Hz| IPS| Vesa - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay

ViewSonic VP2458 24 Inch 60hz IPS 1080p Monitor with Ultra-Thin Bezels, 100% sRGB, Color - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay

Dell U2717D IPS 27" UltraSharp InfinityEdge Slim Widescreen LED LCD Monitor VESA - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

Samsung SD850 32" WQHD (2560x1440) 16:9 Aspect Ratio LED-LitMonitor (LS32D85KTSR/ZA) - Walmart, Etsy, eBay

LG 27UK850-W 27" 4K UHD IPS Monitor with HDR10 with USB Type-C Connectivity and FreeSync, - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay