Arzopa Z3FC portable monitor review – a great second screen for photographers at a tempting price

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Amateur Photographer verdict

Photographers looking for a second screen for photo editing on the move will find the Arzopa Z3FC to be a good choice. Its QHD resolution, sRGB coverage and slim design are all very real attractions.

Pros

Super-slim, portable design
Good detail and useful colour gamut
Comprehensive kit with case and cables
Attractive price

Cons

Speakers aren’t great
Case doesn’t have a separate cable pocket

The Arzopa Z3FC is a portable monitor with a 16.1in screen, that’s designed to be used with laptops, tablets, smartphones and gaming consoles. With a slimline, lightweight design, it’s easy to carry around. For photographers, it’s likely to be most useful as a secondary screen for editing photos and videos on a laptop.

Arzopa Z3FC at a glance:

$199.99 / £159.99
16.1in screen size
2560 x 1440 QHD resolution
107% sRGB colour gamut
400nits brightness, 180Hz refresh
336 x 228 x 9.3mm, 780g
arzopa.com

There are plenty of portable monitors around, though, so why this one in particular? Firstly, it offers a decent colour gamut, which Arzopa describes as 107% sRGB. In contrast, many cheap screens don’t even specify a gamut, which likely means poor colour rendition that’s unsuitable for photography work. Secondly, the Z3FC’s 2560 x 1440-pixel QHD resolution means it can display detail just that bit more finely than regular 1920 x 1080 screens.

I also really like this monitor’s streamlined design. It’s essentially a flat slab measuring 336 x 228 x 9.3mm, with no protrusions thanks to its neat fold-away kickstand. I’ve found it’ll fit into pretty much any of my bags that are advertised as holding a 15-in laptop. A padded protective sleeve is included, with the only slight disappointment being that it doesn’t have a separate pocket for the cables.

Arzopa Z3FC key features:

Compatibility: This screen can be used with laptops, tablets, smartphones, and gaming consoles
Connectors: You get one mini-HDMI and two USB-C input ports, all of which can accept video signals. The second USB-C is used to power the monitor when using an HDMI input, or low-power USB-C inputs, for example from smartphones.
Integrated stand: A fold-out kickstand is integrated neatly into the back and supports the monitor at a wide range of angles
Kit contents: A soft fabric protective case is included, along with an HDMI cable and 2 USB-C cables – one for display and the other for power only

Arzopa Z3FC portable monitor kit contents. — A full set of cables and a protective soft case come in the box. Image credit: Andy Westlake

In use

With most laptops, this monitor will work simply by plugging it into a USB-C port, from where it will draw both signal and power. But with other devices, it will likely need an additional 5V, 2.4A USB-C input. That could be either a mains power supply or a powerbank.

You get a full set of good-quality cables in the box that should cover pretty much every eventuality. The USB-C video cable has a 180° connector, which is particularly neat if you want to place the screen to the left of your laptop. The other USB-C cable is for power only and won’t carry a video signal, which caught me out the first time I tried to use it. There’s also an HDMI cable.

Arzopa Z3FC portable kickstand. — The neatly integrated stand will support the monitor at a wide range of angles, and even vertically. Image credit: Andy Westlake

As the screen has an HDMI input, you might even think of wiring it to a camera for live view or playback. However, this wasn’t very useful when I tested it with my Sony A7R V, as the camera’s 3:2 output was cropped on the 16:9 screen. There’s no obvious way to fix this from either the camera or monitor menus, so I wouldn’t recommend buying it primarily for this purpose.

Using the DataColor Spyder X colorimeter, the screen achieved its advertised colour gamut and calibrated to a good match for my laptop screen. In practice, I’ve found it particularly useful for running Adobe Bridge while I was editing photos in Camera Raw on my main screen. Colours and fine detail are both displayed very nicely.

Arzopa Z3FC portable monitor buttons. — Brightness is easily adjusted using + and – buttons, while OSD brings up the onscreen settings display. Image credit: Andy Westlake

A set of buttons on the side control the onscreen display (OSD), where you can fine-tune the colour, contrast and so on. The interface is a bit clunky, but that’s true with most monitors I’ve used. Generally you’ll only need to adjust the brightness, which you can do directly with the + and – keys.

The screen has small built-in speakers at each edge, and chances are they’ll hijack your computer’s audio output. They’re not particularly good though, giving low-volume, tinny sound. So you may well want to switch back to computer audio, especially if you plan on using use this screen to edit videos or watch movies. Of course, this isn’t a problem when editing photos.

Arzopa Z3FC portable monitor connector ports — Along with mini HDMI, there are two USB-C ports, both of which can be used for either video feed or power. Image credit: Andy Westlake

Arzopa also makes a wide range of other portable monitors, with sizes from 14in to 17.3in, and different spec LCD panels. For example, if you’re on a tighter budget, the 16.1in Z1C combines 1920 x 1080 resolution with 100% sRGB coverage for around $100 / £100. Alternatively if size is more important to you, the A1M is 17.3in, 1920 x 1080, and 103% sRGB for $160 / £150.

Arzopa Z3FC: Our Verdict

If you’d like a portable monitor for photo editing with your laptop, the Arzopa Z3FC fits the bill nicely. It’s easy to carry, easy to use, and displays your images nicely. Best of all, it’s affordable, and regularly available on Amazon with significant discounts, too.