Can iPad Pro on iOS 11 store RAW files from DSLR memory card?

[F1Fan]

I know that the "Can iPad Pro replace laptop?" issue has been discussed ad infinitum here, much to the annoyance of some forum members, so I'll try to be concise and specific with my question, which I pose to those using an iPad Pro running iOS 11.

Thinking of a photography workflow, I was wondering if I sold my MacBook Air, can I take pics off my memory card (using the SD card adapter), and upload RAW images to the iPad to later upload to my iMac when I get home. I use Lightroom mobile, but I think if you upload pics to LR mobile it doesn't actually store the entire RAW file unless you store it to the Adobe cloud account, which is limited in capacity.

So was thinking more with the new "Files App" - has anyone tried this? May want to sell the MB Air if this works, as that's really the last thing I for which I require a notebook.

Thanks and happy shooting!

 

[canesalato]

Hi, actually you don’t need the Files app. You ca store. Your rats in the photo library or in Lightroom (you can store even without uploading to the adobe cloud).But yeah, if you want to use Files, you can, but you still have to pass from the Photo app to import from the adapter. The process and the interface suck.

 

[F1Fan]

Hi, actually you don’t need the Files app. You ca store. Your rats in the photo library or in Lightroom (you can store even without uploading to the adobe cloud).But yeah, if you want to use Files, you can, but you still have to pass from the Photo app to import from the adapter. The process and the interface suck.

Thanks for the reply. I purchased an iPad Pro (wanted to capitalize on the prices from a source that hasn't adjusted their prices yet after the recent price increase from Apple). So I have one new in box, but haven't opened it yet, was on the fence about keeping it vs returning it; thinking if I could sell my MB Air I could more easily justify the cost.

Maybe I'll just go ahead and give it a try. I'm not a pro or anything, just an amateur and I find myself bringing my MB Air on a trip for the sole purpose of emptying my memory card at the end of every day. As long as I can back them up safely, and get them into Lightroom when I get home, that's all I need. I can see how it's a pain though - perhaps it would just be easier at that point to bring the MB Air and portable external?

 

[Newtons Apple]

I have downloaded my RAW files to my 10.5 from my Nikon

 

[F1Fan]

I have downloaded my RAW files to my 10.5 from my Nikon

Oh good news - I shoot a Nikon D500, primarily. May I ask what is your destination when you do this? Do you just store them in the native "Photos" app?

I don't know why I never thought of this, as I'm sure it would work. I just wonder if it would be more cumbersome than using the new "Files" app as I would want to get them out of my "Photos" library when I got home to avoid duplicating the same photos in the Lightroom catalog.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Oh good news - I shoot a Nikon D500, primarily. May I ask what is your destination when you do this? Do you just store them in the native "Photos" app?

I don't know why I never thought of this, as I'm sure it would work. I just wonder if it would be more cumbersome than using the new "Files" app as I would want to get them out of my "Photos" library when I got home to avoid duplicating the same photos in the Lightroom catalog.

I am a PhotoShop user for years and years. I do not work with RAW that much as my Nikon takes some outstanding .jpegs. I mainly use the iPad for viewing to confirm I am getting what I need. My professional days are over except for friends and family so well exposed .jpegs still work great for me most the time. I ama ashamed to say that my iPhone gets more images than my Nikon these days. Have not have the Leica gear out in over a year. The good new is the Leica lenses have all gained substantially in value . . . That does not happen often.

Enjoy, the iPad works great and do what you wish.

 

[canesalato]

Thanks for the reply. I purchased an iPad Pro (wanted to capitalize on the prices from a source that hasn't adjusted their prices yet after the recent price increase from Apple). So I have one new in box, but haven't opened it yet, was on the fence about keeping it vs returning it; thinking if I could sell my MB Air I could more easily justify the cost.

Maybe I'll just go ahead and give it a try. I'm not a pro or anything, just an amateur and I find myself bringing my MB Air on a trip for the sole purpose of emptying my memory card at the end of every day. As long as I can back them up safely, and get them into Lightroom when I get home, that's all I need. I can see how it's a pain though - perhaps it would just be easier at that point to bring the MB Air and portable external?

If it’s just this I guess it will be easier with an iPad and the adapter, depending on your shooting style. The iPad is much lighter and generally more resistant than a macbook. Just remember this. With the current implementation you can either import all the photos in the sd card (or all the photos that you have not imported already) OR select them one by one. There is no “rubber band selection” or similar and no drag and drop. Also, thank to the lazy implementation, there is no quick view or similar. You have to decide if you want to import or not based on a small thumbnail. As I said, these limits may be dealbreakers or irrelevant. It depends on your workflow and on your willingness to adapt it to the iPad. If you just import everything to have a complete backup of the sd, I think the iPad is going to be good.

 

[pika2000]

I can already transfer RAW to my iPad since earlier iOS. Simply transfer them using the Photos app.
The question is, do you want to edit the RAW files directly on the iPad. If so, I see people recommending shooting RAW only (not RAW + JPEG). If your shoot RAW + JPEG, the RAW files are still transferred to the iPad, but any editing will open the JPEG instead.

Of course if you only use the iPad as temporary storage and edit the files later with your computer, it’s not an issue.

 

[F1Fan]

I am a PhotoShop user for years and years. I do not work with RAW that much as my Nikon takes some outstanding .jpegs. I mainly use the iPad for viewing to confirm I am getting what I need. My professional days are over except for friends and family so well exposed .jpegs still work great for me most the time. I ama ashamed to say that my iPhone gets more images than my Nikon these days. Have not have the Leica gear out in over a year. The good new is the Leica lenses have all gained substantially in value . . . That does not happen often.

Enjoy, the iPad works great and do what you wish.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to using it! I agree with the .jpegs vs RAW, that often we can get caught up in the processing of images so much we lose the impact of the actual subject matter and composition. So with friends and family, that makes a lot of sense. I still like to shoot RAW for landscape images to allow for better preservation of detail, so nice to have the option. (I've been getting into printing lately, trying to get my better images off the hard drive and onto paper and hanging on a wall, and RAW definitely helps with these types of images).

And no shame in taking more shots with the iPhone! I'm sure many of us are that way. After all, the best camera is the one you have on you, and as much as I love my Nikon and would love to have a Leica with great glass, they don't do much good when you can't bring them with you!

There is no “rubber band selection” or similar and no drag and drop. Also, thank to the lazy implementation, there is no quick view or similar. You have to decide if you want to import or not based on a small thumbnail. As I said, these limits may be dealbreakers or irrelevant. It depends on your workflow and on your willingness to adapt it to the iPad. If you just import everything to have a complete backup of the sd, I think the iPad is going to be good.

You bring up some good points - I'll have to think about that one. I've been trying to get better about not dumping my entire memory card into my library, only to make more work for myself later at home when I have a huge # of out of focus images to sort through. So that certainly may limit the utility of being on iPad only. In a way, it could force me to review images in camera and delete straight off the memory card - so I guess it force a good habit, but I could easily see it not working out that way!
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Of course if you only use the iPad as temporary storage and edit the files later with your computer, it’s not an issue.

It would be a nice bonus to start some editing while on the road, so I don't have to come home to a bunch of images to edit, but since I don't currently use my MB Air to edit while on the road, just having the storage would be a good enough feature to replace the MB Air.

I really wish Lightroom allowed for the main catalog to live on a network drive, so I wouldn't have to travel with an external hard drive for my LR catalog. I know many people keep their catalog on an external drive and travel with it, but I don't want to risk having my entire catalog on a less reliable portable drive that's also more likely to be lost/damaged. So for now, just temporary storage would be good enough.

 

[seadragon]

One thing I hate is that raw photos still have to pass through the photos app. Why can’t they give us the ability to import directly into LR or such? So frustrating. And the Files app is not what I was hoping it would be. Sigh...

 

[canesalato]

One thing I hate is that raw photos still have to pass through the photos app. Why can’t they give us the ability to import directly into LR os such? So frustrating. And the Files app is not what I was hoping it would be. Sigh...

Unfortunately, the Files 1.0 app is one of the most limited and buggy apps Apple has every written.