Photo editing: iPad vs Photoshop.

[peepboon]

Recently I got my hands on the iPad. I love it so much as the photo editing apps are superb! There is an app called Snapseed which is out of this world amazing. The results are superb. Check out this:

*For those gear heads: Nikon D700, 50mm F1.4, SB900, O-Ring flash*

Photoshop:


Snapseed (iPad)


Plus point: Snapseed allows the user to edit RAW files!

Note: I think I could have achieved something a lot closer to the photoshop version if I spent more time on it and didn't use the texture filters or the focus filter.

Apart from that though, I am seriously impressed with the iPad's capabilities. Teamed up with great apps such as Snapseed and you have an awesome tool. Especially if you plan to do some light editing, etc.

If you want to see a few more comparison shots, check my blog: CLICK

[handsome pete]

Were you trying to achieve similar results? Because those images are wildly different.

If not, then that might be a better method for comparison.

[peepboon]

Ah, I was just showing the capabilities of the Snapseed app. I was testing the app first before I edited it on my laptop.

Perhaps not a comparison but impressed on how well it handles?

[OreoCookie]

This may not be a comment on the photo editing app, but I find the reflections of the ring flash in the sun glasses to be very distracting. Other than that, I can't really comment on the capabilities of the iPad app, the two renderings just look as if you went for two very different looks.

But in any case, if it's fun manipulating images on your iPad, then by all means, who cares what app you've used.

[Keleko]

I highly recommend PhotoForge 2 as well. It is very much like working with Photoshop. It even has layers and layer masks. I used that and Snapseed for a majority of my vacation photos while I was on vacation, and I was very pleased with the results of both. PhotoForge 2 can handle RAWs as well.

[mackmgg]

I'm not sure if the D700 uses SD or CompactFlash, but you should really check out the Eye-Fi. I've got one of those and it's great! I can shoot photos, upload them wirelessly directly to my iPhone (or iPad in your case), and edit them right away. The camera connection kit probably works just as well, but I love the convenience of shooting, and the photos already being on my iPhone when I get to it later.

[peepboon]

Great suggestion guys, I will check it out. For light editing, its really powerful! Much better than I expected! Imagine what it could do if the iPad/iPhone had pressure sensitive touch screens like the Wacom Tablets! O.O

[Bonch]

I don't see the advantage. First photo is an order of magnitude better then the second, FWIW. Try crunching hundreds of 25MP RAWs on the iPad.

[MattSepeta]

Originally Posted by peepboon

Great suggestion guys, I will check it out. For light editing, its really powerful! Much better than I expected! Imagine what it could do if the iPad/iPhone had pressure sensitive touch screens like the Wacom Tablets! O.O

I'm waiting for that day. Heck, I would love even a basic app that lets me "Tether" my ipad to my imac for use in Aperture 3 or Photoshop.

Scratch that... I would love some special apps that compliment pro apps like Aperture 3, FCP, PSCS, etc... So I can more efficiently use my iPad while at my computer. I currently have "Air Screen" or something cant recall the name, that turns the ipad into a 2nd display through wifi. I keep my Gmail open on it and it is aactually quite useful for the price ($4.99 iirc).

EDIt:

Originally Posted by Bonch

I don't see the advantage. First photo is an order of magnitude better then the second, FWIW. Try crunching hundreds of 25MP RAWs on the iPad.

Yep. My old iMac (2.4 ghzc2d 6gb ram) was too slow for me to edit RAWs, so I don't even want to try on an iPad.

The real potential for the iPad in pro applications, IMO, is as a peripheral accessory. Not to be used for editing, storing, etc.

Think:

-There are teleprompter apps and mounts for tripods to rig an ipad functioning as a teleprompter.

-Imagine if there was a cable to go from dSLR (or vidi cam) to ipad to use while shooting video and need the larger, HQ ipad screen for precise focus

-Use ipad for logging shoot info. Some sort of app that could somehow communicate with camera and note EXIF info and you can easily add notes? That would be awesome.

-At weddings I carry around a folder with the timeline, shot list (if any), addresses and directions to locations, contract copy, etc. I have been meaning to try out a wedding or two using just the ipad for these sorts of logistics. ----This is where I get lost on the whole stupid "ios" ecosystem. If I could easily have a folder on the "Desktop/springboard" that contained text documents, photos, PDFs, etc I might just go this route.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by Bonch

I don't see the advantage. First photo is an order of magnitude better then the second, FWIW. Try crunching hundreds of 25MP RAWs on the iPad.

Agreed. Not enough horsepower to do a proper workflow. Also there's no way of custom profiling with XRite tools on iPad?

I'll stick to a desktop to make sure the color is accurate.

[handsome pete]

Originally Posted by MattSepeta

-Imagine if there was a cable to go from dSLR (or vidi cam) to ipad to use while shooting video and need the larger, HQ ipad screen for precise focus

There are video camera solutions that allow this. Unfortunately nothing for DSLRs.

[MattSepeta]

Originally Posted by handsome pete

There are video camera solutions that allow this. Unfortunately nothing for DSLRs.

that's what I figured. Willing to bet it is apples "proprietary" bag of hurt that is preventing a company from creating the cable.

It's a shame, I would spend for a cable/app combo like this.

[peepboon]

@MattSepeta Downloading that screen app as I type

I agree that it does have a lot of potential. Just hope that developers can come up with such apps, peripherals.

There is an app made by Adobe where it allows you to select tools on the iPad which could help improve workflow when using photoshop on your Mac. It also doubles as a mirrored image of what you are editing.

What I am disappointed about is that the iPad is not truly tethered when using a DSLR connected to it. I thought you were able to see the image straight away without having to import it first.

@Bonch - I did edit my post saying that I thought it wasnt a fair comparison ><;; hehehe. But I am still impressed by it though.

[MattSepeta]

Originally Posted by peepboon

@MattSepeta Downloading that screen app as I type

AirDisplay is the name of it

[M-5]

I went on a trip last week with my iPad 2 and my DSLR. I uploaded the photos to the iPad with the camera connection kit, and I tried using Photoforge 2 to edit the photos. The interface is pretty, and there are a lot of settings you can manipulate, but it was almost unusable for me because you had to wait for a status bar to load every time you made an adjustment, which was just not in anyway efficient.

[Keleko]

It's editing a very large image, so there will be a bit of a wait time for changes to show. It didn't bother me waiting for the changes to update.

[rusty2192]

I think the real value of photo editing apps like these is not to replace your workhorse computer for editing, but to supplement it. I will probably get either Snapseed of Photoforge before I go on my next trip in a few weeks. This way, I can just take the iPad and the DSLR, both of which would be going with me regardless, and I can edit the photos and upload them to my SmugMug site (via photosync app I just got) all while still on the trip. I see this as a great way to keep friends and family informed of your doings while away.

The photosync app is even universal, so I installed it on both the iPad and iPhone and they can send photos over bluetooth to each other, so even if I'm away from wifi, I can upload to the iPad, edit, send over to iPhone, and then upload to SmugMug over 3G. Sounds good to me.