Apple iPad Pro M4 use case?

[tangosix]

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The new Apple iPad Pro M4 has the potential to be big for mobility.   Will it replace laptops for travel?  

Is this a solution for tethering on a project sight?  

I recently returned from a few weeks in Italy;  my days of carrying heavy laptops are over and relying on poor internet is also over.    

I am wondering if the new iPad Pro will solve these issues of 1.  loading raw files to the iPad hard drive in LR without internet connection and 2.  allowing us to accurately edit on the go.  

How do you gents plan on using the iPad Pro?  

 

 

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[zeitz]

Lightroom is pretty good on the iPad.  I didn't like Photoshop at all.  If you are going to add a keyboard, you might as well get a MacBook Air.  I don't think you can use a monitor calibrator with an iPad, so accurate editing is iffy.  My experience with the iPad is that there is nothing wrong with it that a real operating system wouldn't fix.  It is a magnificent piece of hardware.  It has a cell phone operating system.

[GlennS]

Call me when I can run Lightroom Classic and Niksoft on an iPad, and I'll be interested.  I tried editing photos with my ipad when away on holiday last year and found it an awful experience.  Just didn't understand it at all.

"It is a magnificent piece of hardware.  It has a cell phone operating system."  <--  agree!

[jaapv]

I don't see me replacing my Macbook Air in a hurry - Exactly the same configuration as my desktop - ideal.

[LocalHero1953]

The limitations I experience in travelling are down to (a) a small screen that limits the amount of processing I'm willing to do and (b) the low capacity wifi in most rental apartments and hotels. Neither of those will be improved by a any high powered tablet or laptop. I do basic processing and uploading for social media on my MacBook Pro M1 Pro - its power and storage are good enough. 

[hansvons]

14 hours ago, tangosix said:

The new Apple iPad Pro M4 has the potential to be big for mobility.   Will it replace laptops for travel?  

No, not at least when you want proper writing and video or image editing. It's not the iPad's size or screen quality (they're excellent). It's the operating system and the issues that come with it, such as critical applications not running on it. LR on iPad isn't what LR Classic is; the same can be said about C1 mobile and Pro, Photoshop, you name it. Then, the missing keyboard is an issue, too. And if you were solving that with an external keyboard, you could as well get a MacBook Air in size and weight.

The iPad is brilliant for presentations, writing small stuff, emails, social media, web browsing, and simple image editing. If that's what you are after, it's of great value. 

[GlennS]

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And for that reason the all-powerful M4 chip is largely irrelevant.  Maybe for video editing on the go, that could be a use-case for it.  But for editing photos, give me a laptop (and a mouse) any day.

[tangosix]

The two issues to resolve for me are:

1.  It appears that you can load the files from the camera to an I-pad via the USB-C cable or a chip dongle, and load them to a Lightroom folder that is locally stored.  I had never done that before.  Correct me if I am wrong.   Even the Q3 files are monstrous.  I want the iPad LR to work like LR classic I suppose.  

2.  Editing in Lightroom using the pencil in a way that keeps me working on the plane, or in the airport, or coffee shop without wifi.  That is why I have continued to use LR Classic so far.  

Perhaps I am reaching and want the iPad to solve more than it is capable of.  

 

 

[soccerrick10]

Maybe my use case is simplified compared to others.  But, I've been using my iPad Pro 13" M1 using Lightroom Mobile for editing my M11M files for one year now.  It has been great.  I find it easier to use the iPad than my Mac mini which has been relegated to being my print server using Canon Professional Print & Layout software to my Canon Pro-1000.

I'm about ready to upgrade to the M4 13" because I want to have cellular capability.  The pencil is a fantastic tool for editing and every time I go back to a trackpad / mouse for editing, I find it very frustrating.  Over the past year, I've taken almost 10,000 photos on the M11M and edited the "keepers" fully on the iPad.  Once edited, I pull them up on the Mini, convert to TIF files and printout.  

If Canon would create Professional Print for iPad, I could easily get rid of my Mini.  Besides my photography hobby, I've run my business for the past 5 years entirely on my iPad.  The only thing holding up the iPad is lack of software parity and some tweaks needed to the file manager. 

[soccerrick10]

Here is my first go at producing a project portfolio using the M4 iPad Pro (95%) and Mac mini (5% for printing).  I produced 12 photos (photo of the month) over the past year.  I fully edited each photo using the iPad, output the file as a TIFF, pulled down the files from iCloud using the Mac mini.  I used the Canon Professional Layout and Print program to print 5x7 prints on the ProGraph 1000.

I ordered a portfolio box from Etsy that included 8x10 mats.  I then mounted the photos.  Using the iPad, I created a write up on each location in Pages and printed on 3x5 white labels.  I put the appropriate label on the back of each photo.  I then transferred the edited TIFF files to the provided jump drive via the iPad, iCloud and a Hyper Drive USB-C hub that has a USB-A port for transfer to the jump drive.  Photos are attached as illustration.

Having said all that, the only thing I couldn't do on the iPad is the best quality B&W printing.  I need the mini to print to the Canon ProGraf 1000 printer.  But, the mini is my home entertainment, print and file server, so it is readily available when needed.  The advantage the iPad Pro 13” M4 gives me is pencil editing (huge advantage to me), mobility, OLED screen and Nano texture glass (another huge advantage when editing out and about).

Let me know if you have any questions.  I am fully satisfied with my solution.

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Edited October 28, 2024 by soccerrick10

[stuny]

Any recent iPad with the keyboard (very cool, BTW) will weigh more than a Mac Air, and not be as versatile.  I've been traveling with a Mac Air in two generations (the latest is about 3 years old, and 12"), while Barbara travels with her recent iPad (not pro) plus keyboard.

[Alvin Greis]

I bought 11’ M4 to work with Leica Fotos. Absolutely fantastic: lightweight, powerful and compact. But only for checking on-flight. Lightroom and Photoshop works very fast, but have limited possibilities (at least for my own purposes). So it’s a great addition to laptop or desktop. But I don’t think it’s a real replacement for professional needs for now because of software limitations. And yes, it will work for fun, makes your shooting smoother and easier.

Edited October 28, 2024 by Alvin Greis

[soccerrick10]

9 hours ago, stuny said:

Any recent iPad with the keyboard (very cool, BTW) will weigh more than a Mac Air, and not be as versatile.  I've been traveling with a Mac Air in two generations (the latest is about 3 years old, and 12"), while Barbara travels with her recent iPad (not pro) plus keyboard.

I know this is not a discussion about weight but, the M4 13" iPad and new Magic Keyboard weighs 1241g while the MacBook Air weighs 1240g.  The new iPad really is amazing.  Everyone just needs to decide the best tool for their uses.  My whole point was to answer the original poster as to whether it's possible to import and edit images on the iPad while traveling.  For me, it is very possible.