Who uses a tablet with their photography?

George Lama · 08-30-2011, 08:05 PM

Actually, it's a real "old-school" hard drive... I would be really worried about this on a tablet as this is a huge risk factor considering how you use/transport tablets. And since it's not mentioned on the system specs, I doubt it has a free-fall sensor (not that it would help much).

Archos 70 Android Tablet Packs a Hulking Hard Disk Drive | PCWorld

I use the iPad1 for multiple things, even to help manage servers, but definitely not for serious editing of images. One of my shoots would probably kill the poor iPad :-) For light edits, you can do well with either iPad or a decent Android dual core tablet (like the Acer Transformer). I do some light snapshot editing using Photoshop Express on both on the iPad and my Android phone.

It's possible that the Android/iOS tablets will get to the point where they can run Lightroom/Aperture/Photoshop and do heavy duty editing, but obviously not yet. Until then, for those of us hoping to do full editing on a tablet, our only options are some pretty pricey models from a few PC vendors selling Win7-based monster tablets.

**manishved** · 08-30-2011, 10:16 PM

I will be experimenting with a Windows 7 based-tablet for a tethered shoot next week.

Francis · 08-30-2011, 10:51 PM

I bought an Acer Iconia W500 tab especially for my very recent holiday, to be able to view and PP photos. It is a Win7 platform. The Iconia comes with a keyboard dock so you can use that in case you don't want to use the touch-screen, which is a nice feature. Unfortunately, without external data storage (either usb hdd or ssd) the 32GB machine simply cannot store that much raw pef files. It has an SD card slot so I used that a little. I didn't want to invest in an external hdd while on holiday since I have a new one at home. The Iconia uses an AMD C-50 chip, which is not the fastest on the planet.

I guess if you want to do something similar, it would be best to create all the presets and defaults you can so that you can easily PP files. Win7 is not really the best touch-screen OS out there though I slowly got used to it.

Good luck with your experimentation!

EdwardConde · 08-30-2011, 11:36 PM

Originally posted by opiet70

There are plenty of apps out there, but all are dumbed down versions. I don't see a full version coming out for a few years yet...at least until the market matures a bit more for tablets. I hope I am wrong...

I think there will only be lite version or versions that are limited because it is for a mobile device. I use like 3 different apps on my iPad that on a desktop I could probably just do with Aperture or LR. I think Apple's original thought for the iPad was to be a consumption device, not a creative device. It is the developers that are pushing the limits on hardware of these devices... I am sure it is the same for Andriod and other mobile OSs.

Francis · 08-31-2011, 01:04 AM

This is why I got a Win7 tablet, hoping that the "new" APU (the all-in-one CPU) would be able to handle LR. It can, but its a bit slow.

mtansley · 08-31-2011, 04:52 AM

What I would REALLY like for the ipad & 2 is a light version of Adobe Lightroom. It could also be available for other tablet platforms as well.

It would have some of the features of the full version but it would also maintain a thumbnail or otherwise reduced size catalogue of your photo collection on your desk or laptop (subject to space).

It would have limited editing BUT when you upload to the main machine the untouched photo AND the corrections would be also imported into the desk/laptop version as if you'd imported it directly. By having the ability to also import your corrections it would be the best of both worlds, simple editing in the field and the ability to send those edits to your masters.

Price would have to be low.

Actually, if Apple would do the same with Aperture it would be a great combination.

opiet70 · 08-31-2011, 05:42 AM

Originally posted by mtansley

What I would REALLY like for the ipad & 2 is a light version of Adobe Lightroom. It could also be available for other tablet platforms as well.

It would have some of the features of the full version but it would also maintain a thumbnail or otherwise reduced size catalogue of your photo collection on your desk or laptop (subject to space).

It would have limited editing BUT when you upload to the main machine the untouched photo AND the corrections would be also imported into the desk/laptop version as if you'd imported it directly. By having the ability to also import your corrections it would be the best of both worlds, simple editing in the field and the ability to send those edits to your masters.

Price would have to be low.

Actually, if Apple would do the same with Aperture it would be a great combination.

Have you looked at Photosmith (Grand Tour | Photosmith – the iPad mobile companion for Adobe Lightroom). It was mentioned by someone in this string and actually has me looking at an iPad as a potential piece of gear. It's not LR, but fills several gaps and seems to integrate well between the iPad and LR.

stormtech · 08-31-2011, 05:53 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by EricBrown

I picked up the new Toshiba Thrive. I am starting to use it for my photography. I like the fact it has an SD card slot and Droid has an app to view RAW files called RAW Droid. I can view or show clients on a much larger screen. I usually like to edit later when I can view the images on a my laptop.

Just got a Thrive myself a couple weeks ago, mainly since it has the integrated SD slot.

For now, my main use as far as photograph is to be able to view my images on a large screen while out in the field to check the shot for focus, etc.

Also the ability to transfer images from an SD card to the tablet memory or on to a USB drive is nice instead of buying more/larger SD cards.

One other nice feature is that when you are near a WiFi signal, you can easily upload any pics to Picassa.

mtansley · 08-31-2011, 05:59 AM

Originally posted by opiet70

Have you looked at Photosmith (Grand Tour | Photosmith – the iPad mobile companion for Adobe Lightroom). It was mentioned by someone in this string and actually has me looking at an iPad as a potential piece of gear. It's not LR, but fills several gaps and seems to integrate well between the iPad and LR.

Thanks for providing this link, I'm viewing the details now.

Trust independent developers to come up with a solution quicker than the actual manufacturer (Adobe)

EdwardConde · 08-31-2011, 06:18 AM

About what percentage of LR/Aperture's features do you use on your photos? There are some great apps out there made by independent developers that low cost. The 2 that I mentioned before Filterstorm/Filterstorm Pro are both under $10. Snapseed made by NiK Software is a $4.99 app... both offer a lot for the price IMO.

mtansley · 08-31-2011, 06:31 AM

Originally posted by EdwardConde

There are some great apps out there made by independent developers that low cost. The 2 that I mentioned before Filterstorm/Filterstorm Pro are both under $10. Snapseed made by NiK Software is a $4.99 app... both offer a lot for the price IMO.

At the moment, I really only need to adjust exposure, WB, some basic retouching (spot removal, removal of really distracting elements) etc and do some limited cropping.

There are quite a few apps that let you edit, the ones you mention are ones I'm looking at.

What I would find useful though is that any corrections I make to my photos on the iPad are carried over to Lightroom without affecting the original photo. i.e. They become part of the history of that photo so I could roll back or change the image as I wish back in LR on the laptop.

opiet70 · 08-31-2011, 06:13 PM

Originally posted by mtansley

Thanks for providing this link, I'm viewing the details now.

Trust independent developers to come up with a solution quicker than the actual manufacturer (Adobe)

Yeah, sad but almost always true. From what I'm seeing, most tablets out there - via some type of 3rd party application - can do basics. Basics being viewing the shot, viewing EXIF data, basic editing, and in some cases sync'ing with LR or Aperture. What I'm not seeing as a consistent offering is a robust file system (I don't consider under a Gig a robust file system).

As such, the solution I was hoping for doesn't seem to exist. The new tablet from Archos may fit a chunk of this need, but I'm not willing to jump on the Archos bandwagon until I can read reviews and hold it in my hands. However, many photographers out there have been able to use standard tablets without a robust file system pretty effectively with workarounds. Based on what I've read here, I need to re-evaluate.

mtansley · 08-31-2011, 06:26 PM

I think that part of the problem is that tablets are fairly new, although they've been around for quite a while, suddenly now they are new and all the rage.

They are full of 'gee whiz' stuff (yes, even Apple iPads) and I don't believe they've settled down yet. The iPad isn't perfect (I expect to rot in hell for that statement if the Apple fanboys have anything to do with it) but it does do some of what I want, it's actually useful for other things as well (reading my digital photography magazines).

You almost do have to experiment to see what works. 10-15 years ago, laptops came on the scene (if my memory serves me correctly) and people wondered what you would do with those 'expensive' computers. Now they're down in price and you see them everywhere. It won't take as long for the tablets to calm down since people are used to consuming content on the go but I imagine eventually we will be able to do what we want to do with them.

I guess the answer is to keep looking and once in a while taking the plunge and experimenting.

**boriscleto** · 08-31-2011, 07:08 PM

Originally posted by mtansley

10-15 years ago, laptops came on the scene (if my memory serves me correctly) and people wondered what you would do with those 'expensive' computers. Now they're down in price and you see them everywhere.

Flip style laptops have been around since about 1981-82. At the time they cost around the equivalent of $18,000. I remember my father having a laptop for work in the 1990-1992 time frame. Apple's first laptop was the Macintosh Portable of 1989 ($11,000 equivalent). It was replaced by the PowerBook 100 in 1991. Trivia: the Portable was the first off-the-shelf laptop used on the Space Shuttle and it sent the first email from space.

2003 was the year Steve Jobs declared the "Year of the laptop." It was the first year Apple sold Aluminum laptops, after selling Titanium laptops for two years, and the first year laptops outsold desktops. Eight years later we are living in the "Post PC era."

Tablets aren't really that new either. Microsoft tried to sell pen based tablets for a decade before the iPad showed up. Linux base tablets have been around just as long.

EdwardConde · 08-31-2011, 07:50 PM

I have been on this handheld PC/PDA/Tablet thing since 96... I always saw them for what they are, a scaled down version of a larger OS. Full of limitations but enough power to do basic things... When I got the iPad back in 2010 (G1). I forced myself to do as much as I could with it to get an idea of what was easy to do and what was a pain in the arse... I figure in several years these devices will be the norm and apps like LR and Aperture will run on them...

I think the reason the iPad is successful is cause Apple doesn't license the OS to anyone and manufacture their own hardware. Unlike MS (Handheld PC, Mobile PC and Windows Mobile) and Google they license out the OS to different hardware makers that put their own spin on the device... Making updates to the OS's difficult. I remember with Windows CE, you had to wait and hope that the hardware manufacture would come out with the new version that MS just supplied them. Half of the time they didn't and if you wanted the new features you had to buy a new device... I think Google is realizing this and their upcoming purchase of Motorola is probably their way of getting their own hardware and following Apples steps... Anyhow went on a rant there for a bit..

I am really digging this thread...

08-31-2011, 07:08 PM	#29
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by mtansley 10-15 years ago, laptops came on the scene (if my memory serves me correctly) and people wondered what you would do with those 'expensive' computers. Now they're down in price and you see them everywhere. Flip style laptops have been around since about 1981-82. At the time they cost around the equivalent of $18,000. I remember my father having a laptop for work in the 1990-1992 time frame. Apple's first laptop was the Macintosh Portable of 1989 ($11,000 equivalent). It was replaced by the PowerBook 100 in 1991. Trivia: the Portable was the first off-the-shelf laptop used on the Space Shuttle and it sent the first email from space. 2003 was the year Steve Jobs declared the "Year of the laptop." It was the first year Apple sold Aluminum laptops, after selling Titanium laptops for two years, and the first year laptops outsold desktops. Eight years later we are living in the "Post PC era." Tablets aren't really that new either. Microsoft tried to sell pen based tablets for a decade before the iPad showed up. Linux base tablets have been around just as long. Last edited by boriscleto; 08-31-2011 at 07:16 PM.

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08-30-2011, 08:05 PM	#16
George Lama Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Buffalo/Rochester, NY Photos: Albums Posts: 1,133	Actually, it's a real "old-school" hard drive... I would be really worried about this on a tablet as this is a huge risk factor considering how you use/transport tablets. And since it's not mentioned on the system specs, I doubt it has a free-fall sensor (not that it would help much). Archos 70 Android Tablet Packs a Hulking Hard Disk Drive \| PCWorld I use the iPad1 for multiple things, even to help manage servers, but definitely not for serious editing of images. One of my shoots would probably kill the poor iPad :-) For light edits, you can do well with either iPad or a decent Android dual core tablet (like the Acer Transformer). I do some light snapshot editing using Photoshop Express on both on the iPad and my Android phone. It's possible that the Android/iOS tablets will get to the point where they can run Lightroom/Aperture/Photoshop and do heavy duty editing, but obviously not yet. Until then, for those of us hoping to do full editing on a tablet, our only options are some pretty pricey models from a few PC vendors selling Win7-based monster tablets.

08-30-2011, 10:16 PM	#17
manishved Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: N. Calif Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,651	I will be experimenting with a Windows 7 based-tablet for a tethered shoot next week.

08-30-2011, 10:51 PM	#18
Francis Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hilversum Photos: Gallery Posts: 215	I bought an Acer Iconia W500 tab especially for my very recent holiday, to be able to view and PP photos. It is a Win7 platform. The Iconia comes with a keyboard dock so you can use that in case you don't want to use the touch-screen, which is a nice feature. Unfortunately, without external data storage (either usb hdd or ssd) the 32GB machine simply cannot store that much raw pef files. It has an SD card slot so I used that a little. I didn't want to invest in an external hdd while on holiday since I have a new one at home. The Iconia uses an AMD C-50 chip, which is not the fastest on the planet. I guess if you want to do something similar, it would be best to create all the presets and defaults you can so that you can easily PP files. Win7 is not really the best touch-screen OS out there though I slowly got used to it. Good luck with your experimentation!

08-30-2011, 11:36 PM	#19
EdwardConde Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,520	Originally posted by opiet70 There are plenty of apps out there, but all are dumbed down versions. I don't see a full version coming out for a few years yet...at least until the market matures a bit more for tablets. I hope I am wrong... I think there will only be lite version or versions that are limited because it is for a mobile device. I use like 3 different apps on my iPad that on a desktop I could probably just do with Aperture or LR. I think Apple's original thought for the iPad was to be a consumption device, not a creative device. It is the developers that are pushing the limits on hardware of these devices... I am sure it is the same for Andriod and other mobile OSs.

08-31-2011, 01:04 AM	#20
Francis Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hilversum Photos: Gallery Posts: 215	This is why I got a Win7 tablet, hoping that the "new" APU (the all-in-one CPU) would be able to handle LR. It can, but its a bit slow.

08-31-2011, 04:52 AM	#21
mtansley Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,139	What I would REALLY like for the ipad & 2 is a light version of Adobe Lightroom. It could also be available for other tablet platforms as well. It would have some of the features of the full version but it would also maintain a thumbnail or otherwise reduced size catalogue of your photo collection on your desk or laptop (subject to space). It would have limited editing BUT when you upload to the main machine the untouched photo AND the corrections would be also imported into the desk/laptop version as if you'd imported it directly. By having the ability to also import your corrections it would be the best of both worlds, simple editing in the field and the ability to send those edits to your masters. Price would have to be low. Actually, if Apple would do the same with Aperture it would be a great combination.

08-31-2011, 05:42 AM	#22
opiet70 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 499 Original Poster	Originally posted by mtansley What I would REALLY like for the ipad & 2 is a light version of Adobe Lightroom. It could also be available for other tablet platforms as well. It would have some of the features of the full version but it would also maintain a thumbnail or otherwise reduced size catalogue of your photo collection on your desk or laptop (subject to space). It would have limited editing BUT when you upload to the main machine the untouched photo AND the corrections would be also imported into the desk/laptop version as if you'd imported it directly. By having the ability to also import your corrections it would be the best of both worlds, simple editing in the field and the ability to send those edits to your masters. Price would have to be low. Actually, if Apple would do the same with Aperture it would be a great combination. Have you looked at Photosmith (Grand Tour \| Photosmith – the iPad mobile companion for Adobe Lightroom). It was mentioned by someone in this string and actually has me looking at an iPad as a potential piece of gear. It's not LR, but fills several gaps and seems to integrate well between the iPad and LR.

08-31-2011, 05:53 AM - 1 Like	#23
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	Originally posted by EricBrown I picked up the new Toshiba Thrive. I am starting to use it for my photography. I like the fact it has an SD card slot and Droid has an app to view RAW files called RAW Droid. I can view or show clients on a much larger screen. I usually like to edit later when I can view the images on a my laptop. Just got a Thrive myself a couple weeks ago, mainly since it has the integrated SD slot. For now, my main use as far as photograph is to be able to view my images on a large screen while out in the field to check the shot for focus, etc. Also the ability to transfer images from an SD card to the tablet memory or on to a USB drive is nice instead of buying more/larger SD cards. One other nice feature is that when you are near a WiFi signal, you can easily upload any pics to Picassa.

08-31-2011, 05:59 AM	#24
mtansley Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,139	Originally posted by opiet70 Have you looked at Photosmith (Grand Tour \| Photosmith – the iPad mobile companion for Adobe Lightroom). It was mentioned by someone in this string and actually has me looking at an iPad as a potential piece of gear. It's not LR, but fills several gaps and seems to integrate well between the iPad and LR. Thanks for providing this link, I'm viewing the details now. Trust independent developers to come up with a solution quicker than the actual manufacturer (Adobe)

08-31-2011, 06:18 AM	#25
EdwardConde Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,520	About what percentage of LR/Aperture's features do you use on your photos? There are some great apps out there made by independent developers that low cost. The 2 that I mentioned before Filterstorm/Filterstorm Pro are both under $10. Snapseed made by NiK Software is a $4.99 app... both offer a lot for the price IMO.

08-31-2011, 06:31 AM	#26
mtansley Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,139	Originally posted by EdwardConde There are some great apps out there made by independent developers that low cost. The 2 that I mentioned before Filterstorm/Filterstorm Pro are both under $10. Snapseed made by NiK Software is a $4.99 app... both offer a lot for the price IMO. At the moment, I really only need to adjust exposure, WB, some basic retouching (spot removal, removal of really distracting elements) etc and do some limited cropping. There are quite a few apps that let you edit, the ones you mention are ones I'm looking at. What I would find useful though is that any corrections I make to my photos on the iPad are carried over to Lightroom without affecting the original photo. i.e. They become part of the history of that photo so I could roll back or change the image as I wish back in LR on the laptop.

08-31-2011, 06:13 PM	#27
opiet70 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 499 Original Poster	Originally posted by mtansley Thanks for providing this link, I'm viewing the details now. Trust independent developers to come up with a solution quicker than the actual manufacturer (Adobe) Yeah, sad but almost always true. From what I'm seeing, most tablets out there - via some type of 3rd party application - can do basics. Basics being viewing the shot, viewing EXIF data, basic editing, and in some cases sync'ing with LR or Aperture. What I'm not seeing as a consistent offering is a robust file system (I don't consider under a Gig a robust file system). As such, the solution I was hoping for doesn't seem to exist. The new tablet from Archos may fit a chunk of this need, but I'm not willing to jump on the Archos bandwagon until I can read reviews and hold it in my hands. However, many photographers out there have been able to use standard tablets without a robust file system pretty effectively with workarounds. Based on what I've read here, I need to re-evaluate.

08-31-2011, 06:26 PM	#28
mtansley Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,139	I think that part of the problem is that tablets are fairly new, although they've been around for quite a while, suddenly now they are new and all the rage. They are full of 'gee whiz' stuff (yes, even Apple iPads) and I don't believe they've settled down yet. The iPad isn't perfect (I expect to rot in hell for that statement if the Apple fanboys have anything to do with it) but it does do some of what I want, it's actually useful for other things as well (reading my digital photography magazines). You almost do have to experiment to see what works. 10-15 years ago, laptops came on the scene (if my memory serves me correctly) and people wondered what you would do with those 'expensive' computers. Now they're down in price and you see them everywhere. It won't take as long for the tablets to calm down since people are used to consuming content on the go but I imagine eventually we will be able to do what we want to do with them. I guess the answer is to keep looking and once in a while taking the plunge and experimenting.

08-31-2011, 07:50 PM	#30
EdwardConde Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,520	I have been on this handheld PC/PDA/Tablet thing since 96... I always saw them for what they are, a scaled down version of a larger OS. Full of limitations but enough power to do basic things... When I got the iPad back in 2010 (G1). I forced myself to do as much as I could with it to get an idea of what was easy to do and what was a pain in the arse... I figure in several years these devices will be the norm and apps like LR and Aperture will run on them... I think the reason the iPad is successful is cause Apple doesn't license the OS to anyone and manufacture their own hardware. Unlike MS (Handheld PC, Mobile PC and Windows Mobile) and Google they license out the OS to different hardware makers that put their own spin on the device... Making updates to the OS's difficult. I remember with Windows CE, you had to wait and hope that the hardware manufacture would come out with the new version that MS just supplied them. Half of the time they didn't and if you wanted the new features you had to buy a new device... I think Google is realizing this and their upcoming purchase of Motorola is probably their way of getting their own hardware and following Apples steps... Anyhow went on a rant there for a bit.. I am really digging this thread...