The iPad Pro 12.9”
I’ve been using various iPads since they were released and about 12 months ago I bit the bullet and upgraded to the big daddy, the 4th generation 12.9 inch iPad Pro.
My film photography workflow is to self develop black and white films and have a local lab process my C41 negatives. I scan on a Noritsu LS600 hooked up to 27” iMac at the maximum resolution, and then import them into Lightroom for levels, contrast and crop adjustments, and finally use Photoshop for dust and scratch removal.
When I purchased the 12.9” iPad I was really hoping that it could replace the Lightroom and Photoshop steps, for no other reason that to get me away from the computer desk.
I purchased the non cellular version with 128gb of ram, and also got the pencil.
Whats it like?
My first impression when I lifted the iPad out of the box was Whoah! It’s a big heavy rig. Initially I found it difficult to hold one handed, however I quickly adjusted to the extra weight. I’d definitely recommend people see one and hold one before committing to purchasing one though.
The screen is huge and beautiful, and the colours are amazing. Motions, swiping and opening photos is a great experience. Its very responsive with zero lag, and images just look nice and crisp. Looking at older iPads and their tiny screens is the equivalent of looking at 8 bit Commodore 64 games on an iPhone for me now.
Battery life is pretty good. I use mine quite heavily for web browsing, emails, watching videos and listening to podcasts, and the battery easily lasts a day and a half.
Can I edit photos on it?
100%. But without keyboard shortcuts and having to tap tool icons around the 12.9” screen is a slower process.
The Adobe creative cloud and file syncing works really well, and edits transfer quickly and seamlessly between the iPad and desktop. A soon as I import images into Lightroom they’re automatically syncing with the creative cloud and subsequent edits are transferred almost immediately.
Lightroom is amazing for sorting, rating and flagging photos - very quick and easy. Making adjustments such as curves, crops and using presets is still a bit of a pain in the ass though.
Photoshop for the iPad is improving and spot removal in it with the pencil is fantastic, but editing a Lightroom image in photoshop is limited to smart preview sized images only, even if you’ve locally stored them on the ipad. Any edits you do are saved as a seperate copy about 1/4 of the size of the original image. Very disappointing and throughly defeats what could be the ideal workflow option. FFS Adobe. The workaround is to go back to the computer, export full size images to dropbox and then import them into photoshop from there.
Photoshop is easily replaced by Affinity Photo. Affinity is an amazingingly powerful photoshop replacement, and without the subscription pay model that Adobe users despise. I primarily use Affinity for dust and scratch removal, and dodging and burning - again minus the direct edit from Lightroom.
I really hope the next upgrade of Lightroom includes full size exporting for editing, then it would be a game changer.
Whats working with the pencil like?
Fantastic. Theres no lag and having a hand/palm resting on the screen while writing or drawing doesn’t even register. Scratch and dust removal is a wonderful experience with the pencil, as is dodging and burning. Feels far more natural than using a mouse, however it’s a bit of a slower process changing tools, brush sizes and opacities in the iPad compared to a desktop. You’re moving your hand and arm around a 12.9” area as opposed to just a few inches of hand movement of a mouse.
If you purchase a matte screen protector it’ll feel like you’re writing on paper with a pencil. I buy cheap ones off Amazon - 3 for $35, not the ridiculously expensive ones that all the social media brand ambassadors promote $60 - $80. I’m still on my first protector and its just wearing out now after 9 months - it still works, just loses the paper feel.
Can it be used as a laptop replacement?
Definitely. If you’re happy with the iPad operating system as opposed to the full Mac or Windows software, it can easily replace a laptop. It has plenty of power and can connect to keyboards, mouses and trackpads. The speakers sound amazing too.
Summary
It’s a fantastic tool. After using it for 12 months I’d recommend it to anyone with strong hands.
Could I survive without it? Yep definitely. Do I want to? No.
Just buy one. You know you want to.
