{"id":93638,"date":"2024-06-25T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=93638"},"modified":"2024-06-25T14:38:51","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T19:38:51","slug":"pure-viewing-pleasure-a-6k-display-is-the-single-biggest-upgrade-for-mac-photo-editing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/93638-pure-viewing-pleasure-a-6k-display-is-the-single-biggest-upgrade-for-mac-photo-editing\/","title":{"rendered":"Pure Viewing Pleasure: A 6K Display is the Single Biggest Upgrade for Mac Photo Editing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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See previous article: The Golden Age of Photography is Now (and Tomorrow): A Visual Retrospective on How We Got There<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dell U3224KB 6K display<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Whether it is images or spreadsheets or high-res video clips, you can\u2019t beat a 6K display<\/strong>. It is pure viewing pleasure that has to be experienced to be understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But those who spend a lot of time viewing or editing photos will certainly see the biggest benefit from upgrading to 6K. Let\u2019s look at why 6K is so much better than 5K or 4K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Images look fantastic<\/em>. While 5K displays are more common these days and some excellent displays have stuck with that resolution, the 6K resolution (21 megapixels) feels much more immersive and detailed than 5K<\/strong> (14 megapixels). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 50% more pixels in an expansive 32-inch form factor, a 6K display is a very different feel from a 27-inch, 5K display like the Apple Studio Display or the iMac 5K<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you go 6K, you won\u2019t ever want to go back to 5K or 4K or a tiny laptop display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to exact resolution, this spec varies slightly between Apple and Dell, the only two 6K displays on the market as I write this. More on that below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dell 6K offers 6144 X 3456<\/strong> resolution ~= 21.2 megapixels<\/strong>. This is notably higher than the 6016 X 3384 of the Apple Pro Display XDR. That difference doesn\u2019t sound like much, but the extra 128 pixels across helps many common camera images fit in their entirety<\/em>, as opposed to being clipped-off\u2014or worse\u2014scaled to fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camera image size vs. 6K<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of today\u2019s digital cameras were and still are 24 or 26 megapixel resolution, ranging from 6000 X 4000 or thereabouts, to 6192 X 4128 across range. The Dell 6K accommodates all 24MP and lower resolution cameras fully<\/strong> in image width<\/span> and is only a few pixels short for 26MP cameras (eg 6192 X 4128). Height is not quite enough, but short of an 8K display<\/a> that\u2019s the best you can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12 megapixels: 4032 X 3024 eg Apple iPhone<\/a>
18 megapixels: 4928 X 3264<\/span> eg Leica M9<\/a> and Ricoh GR<\/a>
20 megapixels: 5472<\/span> x 3648 eg Sony ZV-1<\/a>
24 megapixels: 6000<\/span> X 4000 eg Leica M240<\/a> and Sony RX1R<\/a> and many others
26 megapixels : 6240<\/span> x 4160 eg Fujifilm X-S20<\/a>
45 megapixels: 8256 x 5504 Nikon Z8<\/a>
60 megapixels: 9504 x 6336 Sony A7R V<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, a Leica M240<\/a> image doesn\u2019t quite fill the screen horizontally and overflows just a bit vertically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Corn Lilies, Leica M240 image 5976 X 3992 on 6K display<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WARNING: you might feel disappointed when viewing your iPhone pictures on a 6K display. The 12-megapixel resolution doesn\u2019t come close to filling the screen and the 48MP modes are little better than blurred-up 12MP versions. Still, they\u2019ll look very nice. But you might want a real camera at some point, like the Sony A7R V<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apple iPhone size image on 6K display<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Which Mac?<\/h2>\n

Nearly all Macs produced in the past few years can directly connect a 6K display, but be sure to check your specific model.<\/p>\n

The best Macs for use with external displays are the Mac Studio,<\/a>\u00a0Mac Pro<\/a>, and Mac mini. Of course, these require a display anyway. Laptops work well, particularly the MacBook Pro models, but they vary in the number of available Thunderbolt ports (more is better). The MacBook Air series can also work, but with fewer ports, you might have to plug other stuff into the display.<\/p>\n

To properly use a laptop with an external display, you\u2019re going to need a dock. The OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock<\/a> gives you three Thunderbolt ports, a USB-C and USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and HDMI port and all without the need of a bulky external power brick. And if speed is what you need, the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock<\/a> provides Thunderbolt, USB-C, USB-A, and DisplayPort connectivity along with 10GbE and a CFexpress card reader.<\/p>\n

Tips:<\/p>\n