The Best Monitor for Photo Editing Under $500

Having one of the best monitors is vital if you are a photographer or videographer.

It takes full gear to produce extraordinary photos, not only a high-end camera.

If you want to work with precision and accuracy, a monitor developed with photo editing will allow you to reach your dreams.

Besides giving you color accuracy, it also helps achieve uniform and even brightness across the entire screen.

Also, it isn’t about your viewing comfort and content.

Instead, it would help get a proper rendition of color, detail, and contrast in your photos.

It is about time you learn how to capture your images creatively and turn them into masterpieces with advanced editing tools. 

What Is the Best Monitor for Photo Editing Under $ 500?

You certainly want to improve your photos, but you also have to ensure they won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Let’s review the best monitors under $ 500 that offer the ultimate bang for your buck!

Acer SB220Q Ultra-Thin Monitor

This is one of the most budget-friendly monitors for image editing.

It has a 21-inch screen with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080p.

This works well for novice players in the world of photo editing. 

The bezel around the screen is called the “Zero Frame” design by Acer. This indicates that it is fragile.

It makes up for a good-looking screen creating an edge-to-edge display.

You can say goodbye to ghosting and motion blur with Acer SB220Q.

With that said, you can kickstart your career without worrying about your editing tasks.

A primary concern regarding this model is that it doesn’t include a Display Port option for connectivity.

HDMI helps you get done with the job in that case.

Also, to cut the bulk of the monitor, its power supply has a brick instead of internal wiring.

It delivers 93% of the sRGB color space. While it’s not 100%, this is already more than good for amateur editors. 

The monitor has a reasonable refresh rate of 75Hz and response time.

Its ultra-thin IPS panel with Freesync technology gives you incredible results.

Pros

• Easy to set and use
• Light on pocket
• Ultra-thin bezel
• AMD Freesync

Cons

• No USB port
• Lacks VESA mount

This monitor is the best choice if you are running on a budget.

You can’t adjust functions like brightness and contrast.

But some of the hidden settings will get you an edge in editing and gaming.

Dell UltraSharp U2419H

Dell is a certified hardware company recognized for its quality and coherence.

The Dell UltraSharp U2419H is not an ordinary 24-inch monitor you can purchase.

However, it makes a sound investment for photographers, giving a good combination of performance and value.

Its IPS image quality gives brilliant color space coverage for the money invested.

The monitor has a response rate of 5 to 8 milliseconds.

This denotes that it isn’t designed for gaming, where low response times could make oodles of differences in players’ performance.

Also, the lack of in-built speakers means you have to hook up your sound system.

The factory color calibration ensures the accuracy of Delta-E is lower than 2.

This is the quality offered by some expensive monitors.

Its height-adjustable stand lowers and raises the monitor from 13 centimeters to a point where it is 4cm above your desk surface.

Its flexible mount indicates that you can turn the screen through 80 degrees and tilt it up to 21 degrees.

Having it all with Dell UltraSharp is indeed a steal deal for photo geeks.

Pros

• Affordable
• FreeSync
• 98% sRGB coverage

Con

• Only one-year warranty

The layout of Dell UktraSharp is clean and logical.

Despite its traditional four-button approach, it doesn’t take much time to memorize the shortcuts.

Its strong viewing angles and good color coverage mean essential photo work will suffice.

Philips Brilliance 272P7VUBNB

This monitor by Philips is a premium monitor with some excellent features in store.

It has a blazingly bright panel, and the 4K resolution makes it well-suited to work with photos and detailed imagery.

Plus, the variety of ports gives it an in-built docking station.

This monitor allows you to focus on every minute detail in UHD as it accurately displays every color with 122% sRGB.

Along with this, it also has a 103% NTSC color gamut coverage.

You can transfer your photos and charge the device with its integrated USB station.

This monitor has a highly adjustable stand that is uniquely designed too.

You can fix it in multiple positions and rotate the entire screen from landscape to portrait.

The screen has an inch-thick bezel at the bottom.

Its minimal bezel across the top and the sides makes it a good choice for lining the monitor and keeping it safe.

Pros

• 122% sRGB coverage
• 4K display helps with photo editing
• Multiple USB ports to support different functions

Cons

• Non-responsive OSDs
• It lacks HDR support  

Overall, the Philips Brilliance 272P7VUBNB is a stellar productivity monitor with an integrated docking station that works well with still and motion pictures.

ViewSonic VP2768 Monitor

ViewSonic designed this model for those who require accurate colors.

The 27-inch Viewsonic VP2768 deploys a WQHD In-Plane Switching (IPS) intending to deliver a fantastic color and grayscale performance.

It also brings advanced color settings, an abundant variety of video ports, hardware calibration, and a DisplayPort output for collecting various monitors.

You can rotate its screen vertically if you want to touch up a few points in portrait mode.

Or you can flip it horizontally to show something to a person sitting next to you.

The rear of the cabinet has five function buttons and a power switch to help navigate across the settings.

The only thing to remember though is that you have to supply your own calibration and colorimeter software solutions.

One example of this is ViewSonic’s CS-XRi1 that bundles an X-Rite colorimeter with ViewSonic’s Colorbration profiling program.

Also, it uses a 14-bit LUT for accurate color management.

Pros

• Excellent grayscale and color performance
• Technical calibration settings
• Modern no-bezel design

Cons

• Slow pixel response
• Pricey

All in all, the ViewSonic VP2768 is a feature-rich monitor with a 27-inch IPS display to deliver fantastic color and grayscale performance.

The vibrancy and precision of this monitor are made possible due to its 14-bit LUT engine.

ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV

The ASUS PA278QV is a pocket-friendly 27” 1440p IPS monitor that offers professional-grade color accuracy.

It offers Delta E < 2 factory calibration with 100% sRGB/Rec.709 color gamut.

With this monitor, users get a Quad HD resolution of 2560×1440 pixels.

On a screen of 27 inches, this results in an ideal pixel density of 108 pixels per inch (PPI).

The monitor uses an IPS panel to deliver accurate colors.

It has 178-degree wide viewing angles to ensure that the picture remains steady from every angle.

Moreover, the monitor has a fast 5ms GtG pixels response time.

This indicates that there is no apparent trailing behind the fast-moving objects.

Its buttons are traditional push buttons and not the modern touch buttons found on monitors nowadays.

You can adjust color settings, brightness, and contrast levels without any significant trouble for its standard mode.

Pros

• Multiple ports to connect your devices
• Full-tilt swivel and rotate capacity
• Fully ergonomic stand and several connectivity options

Cons

• FreeSync range could expand more
• IPS glow is visible as anticipated from its panel technology

If you are looking for screen-critical photo editing and some light gaming on the side, then ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is perfect at a price below $ 500.

HP VH240a Full HD 1080p Monitor

The HP VH240a Full HD 1080p Monitor delivers stunning graphics and looks beautiful on your desk too.

It features 1920 x 1080p resolution at 2 million pixels on 16:9 widescreen LED and LCD.

This IPS monitor is worth considering if you are in the market for a monitor that gives sound output and won’t break the bank either.

It has a slim and minimally-designed panel supported by a square base and upright stand arm.

The monitor also provides a wide 178-degree viewing angle which means that the picture will not shift in color and contrast when you view it from skewed angles.

It supports 8-bit color depth via dithering for 16.7 million colors. Meanwhile, it also covers the basic sRGB color space, 72% NTSC.

Although it lacks multiple USB ports, its attractive bezel delivers a cinematic viewing experience.

This makes the display perfect for a multi-monitor setup.

Furthermore, the HP VH240a 23.8-Inch Full HD 1080p has a versatile stand.

It allows you to elevate your screen up to 130 mm and tilt it by -5 degrees, 30 degrees.

You can also swivel by 360 degrees and pivot by 90 degrees.

Pros

• Vibrant colors and wide viewing angles
• Good value for the price
• Crisp image quality
• Ergonomic stand

Cons

• No flicker-free backlight
• No display USB port
• No AMD FreeSync

To sum it up, the HP VH240a 23.8-Inch Full HD 1080p is a brilliant photo editing monitor.

The image quality is sharp, making it a perfect choice for videographers and image editors.

It is appreciable that HP markets its monitor’s color gamut and contrast ratio as standard industry-tier specs.

BenQ GW2480 Proprietary Eye-Care Tech IPS Monitor

The GW2480 23.8″ 16:9 IPS Monitor from BenQ brings a frameless viewing experience.

Its frameless design coupled with the IPS panel offers enhanced 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles.

The monitor combines an ultra-slim bezel with a hidden cable management structure.

Besides this, the monitor also complements BenQ exclusive Eye-Care™ Technology and Flicker-free performance for extended viewing comfort.

The monitor tends to offer exquisite details in any ambient lighting environment.

Its ideal combination of IPS technologies and LED enables the monitor to deliver next-level visual enjoyment.

Plus, it has authentic colors, high contrasts, deep blacks, and sharp details.

Pros

• Prevents eye strain
• 3-year warranty
• More color-coordinated than other monitors
• VESA mountable

Con

• The contrast could improve                        

The expansive 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles allow for uniform viewing and ensure sound imagery for multiple people in the room.

The display features of this monitor, coupled with its specs, make the BenQ GW2480 a viable pick for photographers looking for pocket-friendly options.

ASUS PB278Q 27″ WQHD IPS Eye Care Monitor

Another model with eye-care technology, the ASUS PB278Q 27″ WQHD IPS Eye Care Monitor, can solve all your problems.

It is suitable for students, designers, and editors.

The resolution is fantastic and ultimately what you need, i.e., 2560 x 1440 pixels.

This will bring a tremendous enhancement to your work.

Secondly, this monitor is also ergonomic. This means you can swivel, tilt, and pivot it without much trouble.

It also comes with input-switching controls and an easy-to-navigate structure.

The last thing to address about this monitor is its 100% sRGB color reproduction.

Other monitors have a 98% color spectrum. In this regard, ASUS wins the race.

Pros

• Sharp display
• Built-in speakers
• Bevel for a subtle matte finish

Cons

• Screen rotation in a single direction
• No USB port

Thus, this ASUS PB278Q model will work out well if you have trouble with your eyesight.

Its protective layer and brilliant pixels make it an ultimate choice within the $500 range.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Companies have designed various monitor models intended for specific purposes.

It is essential that you survey the market, check out the reviews, and analyze if a product is worth investing in.

All of these under $500 monitors are made with high-grade materials.

You need to choose a device according to your needs and editing requirements.

Always remember, the monitor should have HDR features with a high resolution so you can edit your photos and videos.