Everybody’s making videos these days, from the 8-year-old down the street to your own grandma. But some people create videos more on a professional level, including career videographers, and even hobbyists who craft 1-minute brilliant little works of art for social media. Any experienced videographer knows that working on a laptop is much preferred over editing videos on a phone or tablet. That’s because the full versions of professional video and animation software require a computer to really utilize all of their amazing features. But just any old computer won’t do! If you’re familiar with working with the large file sizes of HD video, you know that a computer needs a lot of power and speed to be able to handle video editing with ease. See our buying guide below for FAQs, tips and recommendations for the best laptops for videography.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get a PC, a Chromebook, or a Mac for working with video?
The software that you’ll be editing video in is a major factor in your choice of laptops. If you’d like to use Apple’s iMovie or Final Cut, for example, then an Apple Mac laptop is a natural choice. If you prefer Adobe Premiere for editing videos and you’ve always been a Windows person, then a Windows-based PC is a fine choice, although Adobe programs work on Macs, too. Finally, if you’d be happy using an Android or cloud-based video editor, then a Chromebook would work well for you.
What laptop features are important with videography?
Video is a memory hog, for sure, and you’ll need a laptop with a lot of speed and space. One high-definition video file of just a few minutes, for example, is easily several gigabytes in size. If you want to transfer video files to your computer’s hard drive and edit them, you’ll need a laptop with enough space to hold your working and exported video files. Processor speed and RAM are important, too, because applications that edit video take a significant amount of your computer’s RAM to render your video files.
What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a typical PC laptop?
Chromebooks use Chrome OS, a newer operating system that’s a third alternative to the two traditional choices of Mac and PC. Chrome OS is made by Google, and it seamlessly integrates Google apps like Google Docs, Google Sheets, and more. The keyboard on a Chromebook is slightly different, too, and it has a few different buttons for functionality in searching, etc. For editing video on a Chromebook, you’ll need to get an app that is Chrome OS compatible. Chromebooks are easy to use, but they have more limitations and lack the power of regular PCs and Mac laptops.
Buying Guide
Before you make your final choice in a laptop for your video needs, keep these important considerations in mind:
- Operating System: If you’re not sure what video editing software you’ll be using, then it might be a good idea to do a little additional research, or think about what you might have used in the past. Some software for video editing is Apple Mac-based, such as iMovie and Final Cut, and these must be used with a Mac. Adobe’s Premiere is compatible with both PC and Mac, so you could use Premiere on a PC running Windows. Finally, there are many Android-based video editors, and these are native to the Chromebook OS. So, the type of laptop that you choose is closely tied to the video editing software that you’d prefer to use or are familiar with. Use this as a starting point in choosing the best OS for your needs.
- Portability: All laptops are meant to be portable, but some are thinner and lighter than others. Check the sellers’ product descriptions for each laptop’s size and weight, and consider these features if you’ll be taking your laptop on-site for video projects. After all, a small, lightweight laptop is much easier to carry around with your video gear. Another feature that’s relevant to portability is a computer’s durability. Some laptops can withstand drops and extreme temperatures, while others may not be able to. Keep size, weight, and durability in mind if you’ll be taking your laptop while you’re on the go.
- Speed & Drive Space: Think about whether or not you’ll be putting large video files on your computer’s hard drive, or if you’ll be working with video files in the cloud. If you’ll be loading many gigabytes of big, HD video files onto your computer, then a computer with a lot of hard drive space should be a priority. Also, the faster the processor, the more easily your apps will edit your video and apply effects like stabilization, filters, and more.
The options in laptops are diverse, and narrowing it down to one can be a bit of an information overload. We’ve taken a look at many of the options on the market, and here are our top picks of the best laptops for videography:
Lenovo Chromebook C330 11.6” Laptop
Best Overall
Cloud-Based Ease
Lenovo’s C330 Chromebook boots up surprisingly fast, and is a natural for people who make use of Google’s cloud-based apps.
This Chromebook from Lenovo is equipped with a 1600 MHz processor and 4GB of RAM. It has a 64 GB flash solid state hard drive capacity, and has a screen resolution of 1366×768 pixels. This Chromebook works seamlessly with Google’s cloud-based applications, and is similar in user experience to an Android phone.
Pros:
- Solid state drive boots up in seconds
- Less than 1 inch thin
- 10-hour battery life
- Fast speed with 1600 MHz processor
Cons:
- Limited hard drive space
- Difficult to set up
ASUS L210 11.6” Laptop
Best for Office 365
One Year MS Office License
If Microsoft Office 365 includes the apps you like to work in, then this lightweight laptop from ASUS is a good fit.
This 11.6-inch L210 laptop from ASUS has a backlit LED display, is ultra thin, and weighs a mere 2.3 pounds. This laptop has an Intel Celeron 2.8 GHz N4020 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. It comes with Windows 10, and includes one year of MS Office 365.
Pros:
- Lightweight and thin – 2.3 lbs and 0.7” thin
- Comes with full Windows license
- Quick 64GB eMMC flash hard drive
- Also available with a 15.6” screen
Cons:
- Windows 10 not compatible with Google
- Speakers have a low max volume
Dell ChromeBook 11.6” HD Laptop
Most Sustainable
Reuse with a Refurbished Computer
With this laptop, you’ll get a fully refurbished Dell Chromebook that’s been restored to its original working functionality.
This Dell Chromebook has a 2.58 GHz Celeron processor with a speed of 12800 GHz, RGB of RAM, and a 16 GB solid state hard drive. It’s fully refurbished, and has a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It also has two USB 3.0 ports, 3 USB 2.0 ports, and a headphone jack.
Pros:
- Feel good about reusing and recycling with refurbished
- Lightweight at 2.8 pounds
- High performance Intel Celeron N2840 processor
- Lightening speed start-up
Cons:
- May show some cosmetic wear
- No function keys
Apple 13.3” MacBook Air Laptop, 2020 Model
Best for Large Files
Used by Professional Videographers
Do everything you want, and more, quickly and easily with Apple’s sought-after MacBook Air, a popular choice with videographers.
This MacBook Air laptop is lightweight and high performance, and allows you to use any applications you’d like, whether they’re cloud-based Google apps, MS Office, or Apple applications. This computer has a 13.3-inch screen, and has an Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU for 3.5x faster performance than previous models.
Pros:
- Compatible with iOS apps, MS apps, or Google
- Handles large files easily
- Up to 18 hours of battery life
- Choose from gold, silver, or space gray colors
Cons:
- Does not have a USB port (requires adapter)
- No SD card ports
SAMSUNG Galaxy Chromebook 4, 11.6” Laptop
Most Durable
Perfect for Active People
SAMSUNG’s 11.6-inch Galaxy Chromebook will hold up well for students and people who travel with their laptops.
This Chromebook from SAMSUNG has an 11.6-inch screen and a fast Celeron N3450 processor. This laptop is very thin at only 0.66 inches, and has a 64GB hard drive. What sets this laptop apart from other Chromebooks is its impressive durability, which makes it a safe bet for people on the go.
Pros:
- Military-grade durability – drop-safe and temperature-safe
- Advanced security features protect from viruses
- Long 12.5 hours of battery life
- Voice commands with Google Assistant
Cons:
- Lacks a delete button
- Basic functionality
