Can You Use an iPad Pro for Professional Editing?

Summary

In this video, Chris TZ, a photographer and videographer from Ontario, Canada, shares his experience using an iPad Pro with an M2 chip for photo and video editing. He discusses the pros and cons of various editing apps like Lightroom, Photoshop, Da Vinci Resolve, Luma Fusion, and Final Cut Pro, highlighting their limitations and functionality on the iPad. Chris also delves into the necessity and challenges of iPad accessories for a complete workflow, comparing the setup's portability and cost-effectiveness to traditional laptops. He concludes with a nuanced recommendation, suggesting the iPad is suitable for simple editing tasks and as a secondary device but falls short for professional, full-featured editing needs.

Takeaways

• 😀 Chris TZ, a photographer and videographer from Ontario, Canada, has been using an iPad Pro 11in with M2 Chip for photo and video editing for clients.
• 🖌️ He appreciates the comfort and hands-on feel of editing on Lightroom with the Magic Pencil, despite some functionality limitations compared to the desktop version.
• 🖥️ Photoshop on the iPad lacks advanced features like AI masking and has issues with communication with Lightroom, which can be frustrating for seamless workflow.
• 🎞️ Da Vinci Resolve on the iPad is powerful but buggy, especially with certain codecs, requiring workarounds like shooting in ProRes to avoid crashes.
• 📱 Luma Fusion is praised for its intuitive interface and basic editing capabilities, but falls short in color grading finesse and available graphics and transitions.
• ✂️ Final Cut Pro is a non-starter for Chris due to the inability to edit off a hard drive, as all work is saved locally on the iPad's storage.
• 💼 The iPad setup requires numerous accessories like cases, screen protectors, keyboards, mice, and various adapters, which can be costly and cumbersome.
• 🔥 Chris often experiences the iPad overheating during intensive tasks, leading to performance issues and the need for cooling breaks.
• 💻 The iPad's portability and cost-effectiveness are highlighted as pros, but the lack of full app functionality and small screen size are significant cons for heavy editing tasks.
• 📱 Chris recommends the iPad for light editing, travel, or as a secondary device, but advises against it as a primary editing tool for professionals needing full app features.

Q & A

What is Chris TZ's profession and where is he based?

Chris TZ is a photographer and videographer based in Ontario, Canada.

What device does Chris use for photo and video editing?

Chris uses the iPad Pro 11-inch with the fourth generation and M2 Chip for his photo and video editing.

What are the main apps Chris uses for editing on the iPad?

Chris uses Lightroom, Photoshop, Da Vinci Resolve, Luma Fusion, and Final Cut Pro for editing on the iPad.

What are some pros and cons Chris has experienced with the Lightroom app on the iPad?

Pros include a comfortable editing experience with the Magic Pencil and decent responsiveness. Cons are the lack of a calibration tool, limited masking functionality, and poor communication with Photoshop.

How does Chris feel about the functionality of Photoshop on the iPad compared to the desktop version?

Chris feels that the iPad version of Photoshop lacks many functionalities of the desktop version and is not ideal for heavy editing tasks.

What issues does Chris encounter with Da Vinci Resolve on the iPad?

Chris finds Da Vinci Resolve to be buggy and crash-prone, especially with certain codecs, and requires shooting in ProRes to avoid issues, which takes up a lot of storage space.

What are Chris's thoughts on Luma Fusion for video editing on the iPad?

Chris thinks Luma Fusion is great for basic edits and simple audio work, but the color grading experience is not as fine-tuned as he would like, and the available graphics and transitions are not very good.

Why is Final Cut Pro not a viable option for Chris on the iPad?

Final Cut Pro is not a good option for Chris because it cannot edit off of a hard drive and saves everything locally, which is not feasible for him due to storage limitations on the base model iPad.

What are some essential accessories Chris needs to maximize the functionality of his iPad for editing?

Chris needs a case, screen protector, keyboard, mouse, Magic Pencil, USB-C Hub, card readers, dongles, and a stand to fully utilize the iPad for editing.

What are some of the frustrations Chris experiences with using the iPad for professional editing tasks?

Chris is frustrated by the lack of full functionality in apps compared to their desktop counterparts, the small screen size, the iPad overheating during intensive tasks, and the complexity of managing multiple USB-C dongles and accessories.

Would Chris recommend using an iPad as the primary device for photo and video editing?

Chris would recommend the iPad for simple editing tasks, travel, or as a secondary device, but not for heavy editing or when full app functionality is required, suggesting that in such cases, investing in a laptop might be a better option.

Outlines

00:00

📱 iPad as a Photo and Video Editing Tool

Chris TZ, a photographer and videographer from Ontario, Canada, shares his experience using an iPad Pro with M2 Chip for photo and video editing. He discusses the main apps he uses, including Lightroom, Photoshop, Da Vinci Resolve, Luma Fusion, and Final Cut Pro. He highlights the pros and cons of each app, such as the comfort of using the Magic Pencil in Lightroom, the lack of certain features like calibration tool and AI masking, and the compatibility issues with Photoshop. He also mentions the challenges with video editing in Da Vinci Resolve due to its bugs and crashes, and the limitations of Luma Fusion for color grading and transitions.

05:00

💼 The Struggle with iPad Accessories for Professional Use

Chris elaborates on the extensive list of accessories needed to maximize the iPad's functionality, such as cases, screen protectors, keyboards, mice, Magic Pencils, USB-C hubs, card readers, and stands. He points out the high cost of these accessories, which can add up to a significant expense. He also discusses the inconvenience of the 'USB-C hub jungle' and the limitations it presents, such as the inability to eject media safely or format external hard drives on the iPad. He expresses frustration with the iPad's overheating issues and the reduced functionality compared to a laptop.

10:01

🤔 Should You Use an iPad for Your Editing Needs?

Chris concludes with a nuanced recommendation on using an iPad for photo and video editing. He suggests it's suitable for those who need a portable device for light editing tasks, travel, or as a secondary device. However, he advises against it for professionals requiring full app functionality or those who can afford a dedicated laptop. He emphasizes the limitations of the iPad's small screen and the frustration of reduced app features, leading him to consider returning to a laptop for his work.

Keywords

💡iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is a high-end tablet computer designed by Apple Inc. In the video, the user, Chris TZ, mentions using the iPad Pro 11-inch fourth generation with the M2 Chip for photo and video editing. It's highlighted as a portable and powerful tool for creative professionals, illustrating its use for editing and delivering client work, showcasing its importance in the video's theme of mobile productivity.

💡Lightroom

Lightroom is a photo editing software developed by Adobe. Chris TZ discusses using Lightroom on the iPad Pro for photo editing, appreciating its responsiveness and the comfort of using the Magic Pencil. However, he also points out the lack of certain features like the calibration tool and advanced masking capabilities, which are crucial for professional photo editing. This keyword is central to the video's exploration of the iPad's capabilities for photo editing.

💡Photoshop

Photoshop is a widely recognized image editing software also by Adobe. In the script, Chris mentions the limitations of the iPad version of Photoshop, particularly its reduced functionality compared to the desktop version. This keyword is significant as it reflects the video's theme of evaluating the iPad's suitability for professional creative work.

💡Da Vinci Resolve

Da Vinci Resolve is a professional video editing software that Chris TZ uses for video editing on his iPad. He describes it as 'extremely capable' but also 'buggy and crashy,' indicating the software's potential and the challenges he faces. This keyword is integral to the video's discussion on the iPad's video editing capabilities.

💡Luma Fusion

Luma Fusion is a video editing application designed for mobile devices. Chris TZ mentions using Luma Fusion for basic edits and simple audio work, appreciating its user interface and intuitiveness. However, he criticizes its color grading capabilities and the quality of its graphics and transitions, which are essential for video editing. This keyword is relevant to the video's assessment of the iPad's video editing tools.

💡Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a video editing software developed by Apple. Chris TZ expresses his disappointment with Final Cut Pro on the iPad due to its inability to edit off a hard drive, a critical feature for professional video editors. This keyword is significant as it reflects the video's theme of evaluating the iPad's functionality for video editing.

💡Magic Pencil

The Magic Pencil, also known as the Apple Pencil, is a stylus designed for use with iPads. Chris TZ mentions using the Magic Pencil for a more hands-on editing experience, suggesting it as a tool that enhances the iPad's creative capabilities. This keyword is important as it illustrates the video's focus on the iPad's potential as a creative tool.

💡USB-C Hub

A USB-C Hub is an accessory that expands the connectivity options of devices with a USB-C port. Chris TZ discusses the need for a USB-C Hub to connect various devices and accessories to his iPad, highlighting the complexity and cost associated with setting up a fully functional mobile workstation. This keyword is crucial to the video's exploration of the iPad's portability and the ecosystem of accessories required for professional use.

💡Portability

Portability refers to the ease with which a device can be carried and used in different locations. Chris TZ emphasizes the iPad's portability as a significant advantage, allowing him to edit photos and videos on the go. This keyword is central to the video's theme of evaluating the iPad as a mobile creative tool.

💡Overheating

Overheating is a common issue with electronic devices when they generate too much heat during intensive tasks. Chris TZ mentions that his iPad overheats during extended editing sessions, which can lead to performance issues and the need for cooling down. This keyword is relevant as it points to a potential drawback of using the iPad for professional editing work.

Highlights

Chris TZ, a photographer and videographer, has been using an iPad Pro 11in with M2 Chip for photo and video editing for clients.

Lightroom on the iPad offers a comfortable editing experience with the Magic Pencil, but lacks certain desktop features like calibration tool and advanced masking.

Lightroom's communication with Photoshop on the iPad is inconsistent, causing frustration.

Photoshop on the iPad is limited in functionality compared to the desktop version, making it suitable only for basic edits.

Da Vinci Resolve on the iPad is capable but buggy, with issues handling certain codecs and a small workspace that hinders detailed color grading.

Luma Fusion is praised for its intuitive interface and basic editing capabilities, but its color grading tools are not as refined as Da Vinci Resolve's.

Final Cut Pro on the iPad is a non-starter due to the inability to edit off a hard drive, as it saves everything locally.

iPad requires numerous accessories to function as a full workstation, which can be expensive and cumbersome.

The iPad setup is highly portable and offers a good user experience, but it lacks the full functionality of desktop applications.

iPad's small screen size can be a limitation for detailed video editing and color grading work.

Overheating can be an issue with the iPad during intensive tasks, causing performance degradation.

The iPad's ecosystem lacks certain functionalities like safely ejecting media and formatting external hard drives.

Chris recommends the iPad for simple editing tasks, travel, or as a secondary device, but not as a primary editing device.

For those who require advanced Photoshop features or work with high-resolution files, the iPad may not be suitable.

Chris advises against buying an iPad for professional editing if one can afford a proper laptop, as the iPad's limitations may hinder workflow.

Despite some positive aspects, Chris is considering switching back to a laptop due to the iPad's limitations.

Transcripts

so I've been using an iPad for all of my

photo and video editing for the past

nine months but should

you what's up y'all my name's Chris TZ

I'm a photographer and videographer

based in Ontario Canada and I do all my

editing and delivering for my clients

with the iPad Pro 11in fourth generation

M2 Chip iPad today we're going to go

through the main apps that I use a whole

bunch of the accessories that I found

helpful uh My overall pros and cons with

this setup and whether or not I think it

would be a good option for for somebody

like yourself to use I don't want to

take forever on the apps here because

there's lots of reviews that you can go

to and check them out but here's sort of

a broad vision of what I feel like is

good and bad about each app starting

with Lightroom I really like editing on

Lightroom overall on the iPad I think

using the Magic Pencil is really

comfortable and it really feels a little

bit more Hands-On than using a mouse I

found overall that the app was pretty

decently responsive and quick to any of

the changes I would make it maybe lagged

a little bit more than I was used to on

a desktop but overall it was pretty good

there's a few things though that are

lacking in the Lightroom app that really

bothered me one of them being no

calibration tool I love the calibration

tool and not having that is just super

frustrating it also lacks a lot of the

functionality in masking that we've

gotten over time in Lightroom like you

know the AI masking and all that stuff

is just not even close to being there

you have basically like detect subject

detex sky and then the basic ones

there's workarounds but I don't want

arounds I just I want the full

functionality of the app you know the

last thing I found is that Lightroom

doesn't really communicate with

Photoshop super well I'll like send

something over to photoshop and it'll

just not happen it'll open up Photoshop

and then nothing will happen I'll try

sending it again nothing will happen

I've checked permissions I've checked

everything and it works sometimes but a

lot of the times it doesn't and that's

just annoying I mean these apps are by

the same developer they should work

together right moving on to photoshop

it's okay if I'm making like basic edits

you know know I'm trying to put together

a thumbnail for YouTube or something

like that I can do it it's it's not

ideal though it lacks so much of the

functionality of actual Photoshop I

think it probably will get there but

it's always a question of like how long

do you want to wait for the technology

to catch up to what you need versus just

going with something that already works

right for video editing I'm mainly doing

things in Da Vinci resolve or at least

I'd like to but the big problem that I

find with d Vinci resolve is that it's

very buggy and crashy I I have problems

all the time with certain codecs and

that's really frustrating I don't want

to have to shoot in prores all the time

CU it just eats up so much you know

space on my memory cards but that's kind

of the only way to get a smooth

experience and to not have any issues

when I'm exporting having said that I do

think overall it is an extremely capable

app like it's way better than I thought

it would be I thought they would just

pull back everything and you know when

you first get it all you have is the cut

and color page but if you have a

keyboard you can get all the the other

ones using shortcuts and then you can

get the full thing I think the color

page on it is awesome it works really

really well my only issue is that

because I'm just on an iPad and it's

small it means the window I'm using to

actually do all my coloring is even

smaller so like everything you're seeing

me do is on this tiny little iPad and

honestly it's it's starting to get to me

it's it's frustrating speaking of luma

Fusion it's great for basic edits for

very simple audio stuff if you just want

to put out a simple YouTube video then

it's it's going to do well for you I I

do quite like it the user interface Is

Awesome on it actually I find it's very

very intuitive and I think that speaks

to the fact that this was an app that

was actually made for iPad as opposed to

being a desktop program that they then

tried to make work for an iPad despite

what you might hear on YouTube I would

say that the color grading on Luma

Fusion that experience is not great like

I just find that every time you make a

change it's just like a very hard change

like I just I feel like it's like it's

like a blunt force object as a opposed

to In Da Vinci when you can really

fine-tune things and of course that's

what da Vinci was originally made for

right this color grading tool so that

makes sense but it's just not what I

would like it to be lastly I would just

say all the graphics and transitions

that are available in it they are not

very good I mean the base ones kind of

suck but that's fine you can get plugins

and all that stuff but then you're just

paying more but you would do that on a

laptop anyway so you know that stuff

cost money cuz people have to make it

and that's how it should be the last one

Final Cut Pro this is one I was excited

about because it seems like it should be

a really good solution it's a native app

made by Apple so it it should work well

but there's a total non-starter for me

is the fact that you can't edit off of a

hard drive and it saves everything

locally I I can't do that I have a base

model with 128 gigs it's it's not

possible moving on to accessories the

thing about an iPad is it's kind of like

a cinema camera like you need a whole

bunch of accessories to really get the

full functionality out of what it can do

for you so for my setup right away I

realized I was for sure going to need a

few things I needed a case

I needed a screen protector keyboard

mouse Magic Pencil USB C Hub card

readers dongles a stand there there's

all this stuff that's a lot of stuff and

and it starts to get expensive you could

really easily spend like 1,000 extra

dollars just on accessories and at that

point why why not just buy a laptop that

solves most of those problems at a

minimum I can't really go anywhere

without a USBC dongle a Magic Pencil and

like an external hard drive of some sort

right that's not a huge deal but if I

want to treat it like a mobile

workstation that's not everything I need

I I do actually need a keyboard and I do

actually need a mouse sure I could get a

case that has an integrated trackpad and

keyboard but I find that that's really

tight and everything is kind of on top

of itself like if this is my setup and I

am trying to type and use the trackpad

at the same time and move stuff around

it's just it's all tight right because

this is such a small setup that's one of

the pros of it but in that case it's

kind of a con the other thing is that

those are expensive and all of a sudden

that price point for this accessibly

priced iPad is going up and up and up

and then I'm spending all this money

that I could have just spent on a laptop

and that's what I keep coming back to I

could have just spent it on a laptop now

I happen to already have a keyboard and

a mouse and I didn't want to spend that

extra money so that was fine but that

just means that there's separate items I

have to take with me as opposed to just

being integrated right so something to

note the biggest frustration I have is

the whole USBC hub jungle situation that

I have Okay so let's say we want to take

something off of this this is a prograde

reader it has a CF Express type B and a

SD card reader so if I want to take

something off of this and I want to put

it onto an external hard drive I need to

have a dongle that will have more than

one uh USBC Port that works as not just

like a power delivery cuz this one has a

power delivery on one side then it has a

10 GB per second on the other side

that's cool but if I want to take

something off of this I need to plug it

into here and then if I want to put it

onto a hard drive I need to have another

10 GB per second Port now to be fair

they do make those you can get ones that

have like five of those all at once the

problem with those is that they they

limit the amount of functionality that I

have in other ways like they don't have

like a little Port here for uh my

headphones which I need because you know

the iPad doesn't have any way to play

headphones they don't have an ethernet

port things like that they don't have a

micro SD reader all these little things

which just means I have to put more

stuff in and that's frustrating do do

you see why that's frustrating and then

add on to that the fact that you can't

eject media like if you put an SD card

in on a laptop you hit eject and it

ejects it and makes sure it's safe with

the iPad you just pull it out and hope

for the best apple says it's not a

concern but honestly I've had more

issues in this last nine months with

corrupted files with issues with reading

things improperly than I ever had before

using a laptop so I don't know one other

thing that just occurred to me that is

really frustrating is that you can't

actually format an external hard drive

on the iPad so I have to borrow my

partner's laptop to format my external

hard drive just so that I can you know

go use it again after the iPad has

caused it to corrupt so yeah cool cool

cool solution so that's the iPad

accessories now what are the basic pros

and cons of this setup that I have right

now the pros I would say number one is

that it is super portable I mean I can

just take this I have like a little case

on here my apple pencil as long as I

have the photos on here that I need I

can go to a cafe and hang out and go

edit and that's really nice I like doing

that that's part of my workflow and I

enjoy being able to do that so easily

number two is that it's cheap it's not a

super expensive setup as is this is a

ton of power for the price you can get

this for a very very good price right

now and you are going to get a hell of a

lot out of it I find the user interface

on this really good it's very intuitive

it's easy to use if you're used to using

an iPhone this will feel very natural to

you if you're used to using a laptop

from Apple it will also feel very

natural to you they they did a great job

with it and they obviously put a lot of

effort into that it's nice it it it does

what you expect it to do in that sense

finally I I think it's fun like I like

editing my photos on this I like the

idea of editing the videos on this when

it works well overall I I think think

the experience of this thing is is great

and and that's important if you enjoy

using it you're going to want to use it

more right but there's some serious cons

and the biggest one that frustrates me

is that nothing just seems to have as

much functionality as it would if I just

bought a laptop every app and every

other little thing on this seems to just

be kind of like it's sort of like they

throttled it a little bit to make sure

that you're still going to go buy a

laptop and that's probably what they've

done they could probably make this more

functional but then why would you go by

a laptop another thing is the small

screen is really starting to get to me I

can't handle doing my video editing on a

small screen where the actual preview is

like tiny tiny tiny and I have to like

squint to see what my colors look like I

also find that a lot of times my iPad

will overheat you know if I have it

plugged in and I'm working on it and I

have an external hard drive set up and

all that it it overheats I have to take

it off of it stand and let it just sit

and not touch it for a while so that

it'll cool down and it won't give me

like an overheating warning it's just

everything will start to work really

poorly like I'll start getting all these

glitches and and then I'm just left

with like okay I have to abandon what

I'm doing right now so that this iPad

doesn't freak out and just wait and that

that's wasted time and effort and it's

it's just really frustrating so

ultimately the question here is would I

recommend going with an iPad as your

only device for your photo and video

editing means yes and no yes if your

plan for this is that you're mostly just

going to use it for like daily

activities simple photo editing simple

video editing and like you travel a ton

and you just need this tiny discret

little thing or if you're going to be

using this as a secondary device that

you can bring with you on set that you

can bring with you around to preview

things that you can work on when you're

not at your desktop this is an awesome

option so I would for sure recommend it

in that situation where I wouldn't

recommend this is if you're somebody who

needs to use Photoshop for anything

other than the very simple tasks you are

going to be so frust ated by this if

you're doing heavy editing or you're

using you know higher res files or you

need to do multiple overlays or whatever

you're also going to be really

frustrated with this experience it's

just not going to hold up with the base

model now maybe if you bump up and you

go to more RAM and you go to more you

know all that stuff you can get there

but at that point it's costing as much

as just getting a laptop so I don't know

why you would do that if you need full

functionality from all these apps like

if you're used to using these apps and

all the little things that are in there

are actually things you use like for me

like calibration is super important and

I don't have that in Lightroom and that

just pisses me off if you are like me

this is going to be frustrating for you

and finally I would say don't buy this

if you can scrape together the cash to

get the laptop you actually need if you

can put together enough funds to get the

laptop that you really want I would not

even consider spending money on this I

just don't think it's worth it so a bit

of a mixed bag there right like yes I

would recommend it in some cases no

wouldn't in others there's things I love

about it there's things I hate about it

but overall I'm ready to get a laptop

and I sure do hope I can put together

the funds to make that happen soon so

that's it thank you for watching let me

know are you editing on an iPad is that

something that you've used what's your

experience with it any tips anything

that you can put in the comments for

other people your advice that would be

awesome thank you so much as usual go

out create something let me see it and

uh have a great day

peace