Sync Ipads with LR Classic

[bobbabe]

Lightroom Version Number

11.2

Operating System

1. macOS 14 Sonoma

I am ready to replace an old Ipad. I haven't used it for any editing of my photos as of yet- only my desktop Mac. Has anyone had any problems using an iPad with LR Classic? If so, what are they? Any drawbacks even if I were to have a keyboard and touchpad as part of it? If a macbook has a huge advantage I would crtainly consider that instead.Thanks in advance. JK

 

[clee01l]

The problem that you need to resolve and accept is that Lightroom Mobile does not replace Lightroom Classic. Not all of the LrC functionality is available on the smaller platform. And not everything syncs between the Adobe Cloud and Lightroom Classic. Here is a Link that describes what syncs and what doesn't. https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/sync-faq.html

I find it best to not keyword in Lightroom and only mark for rejections those photos I want to delete. Lightroom does not delete images for 60 days and instead puts them in a "Deleted" album I save keywording and deleting rejected photos for LrC/

 

[Conrad Chavez]

I am ready to replace an old Ipad. I haven't used it for any editing of my photos as of yet- only my desktop Mac. Has anyone had any problems using an iPad with LR Classic?

Before answering the question, it may need to be clarified because there are two ways to read the question as written. Are you asking about:
Using Lightroom Classic on the iPad
or
Using Lightroom Classic for macOS/Windows together with Lightroom on iPad

The first one isn’t possible, the iPad version of Lightroom is fully linked to cloud storage and won’t link to images on iPad internal or external storage. Lightroom on iPad works more like the non-Classic version of Lightroom on Mac/Windows, but lacks the new Local tab in desktop Lightroom.

The second one works well. Many of us use the mobile versions of Lightroom to both auto-import into Lightroom Classic the photos taken on those devices, and to edit Smart Previews of images synced up from Lightroom Classic. But before doing this, you do want to study, understand, and accept the (many) quirks of that workflow.

 

[bobbabe]

Thank you. If i were to use a Macbook instead of an ipad, would importing from the camera and some degree of editing be a better way to go? Obviously I would have to use the OS version of Lightroom that is compatible with the Macbook (pro?). I do notuse the web based LR now, only LR Classic on my desktop.Thanks again.

 

[clee01l]

Thank you. If i were to use a Macbook instead of an ipad, would importing from the camera and some degree of editing be a better way to go? Obviously I would have to use the OS version of Lightroom that is compatible with the Macbook (pro?). I do notuse the web based LR now, only LR Classic on my desktop.Thanks again.

I don't think so. If you are going to use Lightroom mobile with Lightroom Classic, a 12.9 " iPad Pro gives you about the same image size as a 13" MacBook Air or 14" Mac book pro. I retired an older 13" MBP in favor of a 12.9" M1 iPadPro. A 1TB iPadPro and a 1TB MBA similarly equips are about the same price and the MBA is a little heavier. If you are going to use an MBA for travel then Lightroom Classic and a separate travel Catalog is required to be merged into the master catalog on the desktop. I went the iPadPro route initially to get away from having to use a travel catalog and the need to merge catalogs when I returned.

 

[Gnits]

There are no simple answers to your question, as so much depends on your own circumstances, in terms of hardware, workflow, volume of images, nature of travel and many other factors.

A big advantage of using a Macbook is that you are already familiar with using Lightroom at home and you have all options available to you in terms of Lr Classic, Lightroom Web, Lr Cloud and Lr Mobile. Regardless of Mac or iPad, be comfortable you have enough storage on your computer (iPad or Mac) for your intended workflow. Be aware that Lr Mobile on an iPad cannot process images on an external drive (but can copy images from and to an external drive.

For me... a dedicated Windows guy, with a well specified Windows Machine at home, I bought an iPad Pro for photo travel (tempted by USB C functionality) but discovered too late that I did not purchase enough disk storage on my iPad for some of my trips, thinking I could use external Ssd's. Also, for lots of reasons I am comfortable with using Lr Classic on my main machine. Even though I now bring my iPad Pro when travel, I use that only for casual web / email /YouTube use and bring a small MacAir to handle backup of my cards to Ssd drives and adhoc editing to confirm I am happy with images captured and can create a few jpgs for email, web use.

I intend to revisit this workflow when I buy a replacement iPhone Pro Max in the autumn, with a big decision for me to make in terms of how much storage to purchase with the iPhone.

Ps. Cletus point (overlapping posts) re travel catalog if using Lr Classic for travel is very valid and your overall workflow needs to be well considered.

 

[Conrad Chavez]

Thank you. If i were to use a Macbook instead of an ipad, would importing from the camera and some degree of editing be a better way to go? Obviously I would have to use the OS version of Lightroom that is compatible with the Macbook (pro?). I do notuse the web based LR now, only LR Classic on my desktop.Thanks again.

I’m making two big assumptions about how you work, so if they’re correct, then this reply might be useful:

• You’d like to do more editing on the go/during travel, which is not possible with your current desktop Mac.
• You prefer editing images stored on your own local storage, using Lightroom Classic features.

If those are correct, then an M2/M3 MacBook Air would be more in line with that:

• You can continue working as you have, and not have to learn how to integrate the cloud versions with Lightroom Classic.
• The cloud versions do not have all of the features of Lightroom Classic, so by sticking with Classic on a Mac, you don’t have to give up any features.
• The MacBook Air is thin and light enough that it essentially the same weight and thickness as an iPad with a keyboard.
• The iPad Pro has gotten so expensive that it’s often cheaper to get a MacBook Air, especially if you also want a keyboard+trackpad and Apple Pencil. The new 13" iPad Air is a nice alternative that saves money.

If you want to replace the desktop Mac with a Mac laptop, it should be straightforward; just migrate everything to the new one.

If you want to use Lightroom Classic on both Macs with the same images and catalog, then you need to understand how to either use one catalog with two Macs; or how to use one catalog as your primary, then understand how to sync metadata and images between that and the catalog on the other Mac (a manual process).

If price is important, then (in US dollars):
13" M2 MacBook Air with 16GB memory and 256GB storage: $1199
13" M3 MacBook Air with 16GB memory and 256GB storage: $1299
13" M4 iPad Pro with 8GB memory, 256GB storage, Apple Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil: $1777
13" M2 iPad Air with 8GB memory, 256GB storage, Apple Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil: $1377

So the iPad is not a budget option, and also, the MacBook Air turns out to be the lightest overall solution if you would need all of those accessories to be happy with an iPad. The way to make the iPad cheaper, lighter, and thinner than the MacBook Air is to drop to one of the 11-inch non-Pro models, and/or don’t bring a keyboard. You can drop another $129 from the cost of an iPad by not buying an Apple Pencil, which is not really needed for iPad Lightroom (although it is nice to use for brushed adjustments).

About the memory, you could get away with 8GB on the Mac, but 16GB is strongly recommended. On the iPads, 8GB is fine. 16GB memory is available but the only way to get 16GB on the iPad is to order at least 1TB of internal storage, which on the 13" Pro starts at $1899…

 

[Gnits]

Vg summary, especially including pricing for perspective.

 

[clee01l]

About the memory, you could get away with 8GB on the Mac, but 16GB is strongly recommended. On the iPads, 8GB is fine. 16GB memory is available but the only way to get 16GB on the iPad is to order at least 1TB of internal storage, which on the 13" Pro starts at $1899…

I have to disagree on the memory and storage requirements. I had an M1 iMac with 16 GB of RAM. With the release LrC v13 and the new Enhanced features, the performance dropped below acceptable levels I would suggests that 32GB of RAM is a minimum. (I now have 64GB) Also the iPadPro does not use external storage in the sam way it uses internal storage. So you probably should opt for the 1TB if you plane to use Lightroom mobile and import images.

 

[Gnits]

I would make the point that spec levels may depend on use..... I have a 13.6 inch MacAir with 8 GB and it is perfectly adequate for travel, even though I shoot with a 62MB camera... as I am using it mainly for backups and to view images, with the very occasional edit for web / email. If this was going to be my travel and main computer then Cletus points are applicable.

Another important point may be weight. I was really surprised by how heavy my MacAir felt (at 1240 grams).... whereas the 11 inch iPad pro was only 444 grams.

I purchased an 11 Inch iPad Pro, but with only 256GB of disk .... which compromised my use of this as my go to travel computer for Lr mobile.

 

[clee01l]

I would make the point that spec levels may depend on use..... I have a 13.6 inch MacAir with 8 GB and it is perfectly adequate for travel, even though I shoot with a 62MB camera...

What happens if you try to run Denoise enhancement on one of those 62mp RAW images?

 

[Gnits]

1 min 42 seconds to Denoise a 68.6 MB Arw and create an 87.6MB dng.

I would not expect a travel computer to be a top performer, but if desperate .. I would happy to run the Denoise option with such a timing.

The images I am likely to need Denoise when travelling would be much smaller a6700 raw files, which I often use in social situations, especially if the flash does not fire, I know Denoise saved a vip image from a pure black 12,800 iso image in exactly those circumstances.

My travel needs are fairly simple ... reliable and easy to use backup tools and an ability to have a peek at captured images, occasionally refining a raw or jpg for web or email use.

I prefer to process my images when I get home, with a more powerful rig and a 32 inch calibrated screen. I recognise that everyone's travel needs differ and we all evolve towards an optimum personalised workflow.

 

[clee01l]

1 min 42 seconds to Denoise a 68.6 MB Arw and create an 87.6MB dng.

My Denoise on similar images usually runs at about 8 seconds. When I had an M1 iMac I was getting 30 seconds and thought it unacceptable. So I got the M2 Mac Studio.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gnits]

Agreed… but when travelling….. I will very rarely need to use Denoise, will never bring an M2 Mac Studio and screen with me and if I need to Denoise an image , 1 min 42 seconds is perfectly acceptable in an emergency situation.

As in your case, I would not be happy with such times on my main rig, which is why it has 64GB of main memory 12 GB of video memory, a very new high end graphics card and the fastest NVme M2 drives available at the time of purchase.

If the original poster plans to use a MacBook as his main computer and also use for travel, then decent storage and memory would be recommended, but if the MacBook is just a travel tool then lower specified / priced units may be more practical.

 

[Conrad Chavez]

I have to disagree on the memory and storage requirements. I had an M1 iMac with 16 GB of RAM. With the release LrC v13 and the new Enhanced features, the performance dropped below acceptable levels I would suggests that 32GB of RAM is a minimum. (I now have 64GB) Also the iPadPro does not use external storage in the sam way it uses internal storage. So you probably should opt for the 1TB if you plane to use Lightroom mobile and import images.

I would make the point that spec levels may depend on use..... I have a 13.6 inch MacAir with 8 GB and it is perfectly adequate for travel, even though I shoot with a 62MB camera... as I am using it mainly for backups and to view images, with the very occasional edit for web / email. If this was going to be my travel and main computer then Cletus points are applicable.

Both great points. I should clarify that I specced the Mac as a travel laptop, and also because those specs were more consistent with what you can get out of an iPad. You can do more direct comparisons when the Mac is limited to how an iPad can be specced.

If the new Mac is to be both a main and travel Mac, expected to be capable of quickly processing everything from phone photos to high megapixel raw images from ILCs, then the Mac laptop should probably be specced like mine, 32GB unified memory with 1TB internal storage. However, at this point you can no longer find an iPad that matches those specs because no iPad comes with more than 16GB memory, so you get the Mac. And if there was an iPad that could match that Mac, it would cost a lot more than the Mac.

The other thing I should clarify is that I’m not saying everyone has to stick with Lightroom Classic on a Mac. If bobbabe had said (as many do) that they are looking forward to storing all their images in the cloud so they don’t have to manage them, and they prefer how Lightroom on iPad OS works compared to macOS, then I would have said forget the Mac and get the iPad.

 

[clee01l]

The other thing I should clarify is that I’m not saying everyone has to stick with Lightroom Classic on a Mac. If bobbabe had said (as many do) that they are looking forward to storing all their images in the cloud so they don’t have to manage them, and they prefer how Lightroom on iPad OS works compared to macOS, then I would have said forget the Mac and get the iPad.

This would be great if Lightroom could do everything that Lightroom Classic could do.

Note:
Features like Select Subject and Select Sky in Masking are unavailable on some iOS devices. For the complete list, see Devices compatible with features like Select Subject and Select Sky.
Lens blur is compatible with iOS devices with a minimum of 4 GB RAM. View Lens Blur to access a list of compatible devices.

Add to that things like Smart Collections, Hierarchical Keywords, Printing and a Map Module that shows All of your image on a map instead a a map for the image that you are viewing.

 

[Selwin]

Dear @clee01l , in this post you have described in detail how you use Lr mobile on your iPad as a front end to Lr Classic, along with caveats and limitations. Although we know that you developed this workflow, you did not touch at all on why the iPad is your favourite travel Lr tool. I mean you could have chosen to buy a top level MacBook Pro, with ample memory, storage and CPU power, and bring that wherever you want to work on your library, be it on the go or at home.
So I could think of two things preferring the iPad: touch screen and weight. is this what appeals you (and which in particular) or am I missing something else entirely?

 

[clee01l]

Dear @clee01l , in this post you have described in detail how you use Lr mobile on your iPad as a front end to Lr Classic, along with caveats and limitations. Although we know that you developed this workflow, you did not touch at all on why the iPad is your favourite travel Lr tool. I mean you could have chosen to buy a top level MacBook Pro, with ample memory, storage and CPU power, and bring that wherever you want to work on your library, be it on the go or at home.
So I could think of two things preferring the iPad: touch screen and weight. is this what appeals you (and which in particular) or am I missing something else entirely?

I had an aging 13” MBP I tried Lightroom on it to test out travel with the idea of replacing the Travel Catalog and “Import from another Catalog”. Within the constraints previously mentioned, I discovered the Lightroom Mobile app worked well to bypass the need for a travel catalog. Since I almost never travel to locations where I don’t have an internet connection at night, the Adobe Cloud works well to replace the travel catalog.

The 12.9” iPadPro matches the MBP in size and weighs less. So I upgrades my aging MBP for an iPadPro and later an M1 iPadPro. To supplement the iPadPro I added a Magic Keyboard which is a protective cover for the iPadPro and also have a TrackPad built it. I rarely use the touch screen for Lightroom on the iPad.

While weight was a factor, I think it was the streamlining of the Lightroom process to eliminate the import of the travel catalog that really convinced me to switch away from the MBP.

As for price a 1TB of storage 13” model of either iPadPro or MBA, similarly equipped is about the same $2000 price. A 14” M3Max MBA would cost ~$3200


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Selwin]

I had an aging 13” MBP I tried Lightroom on it to test out travel with the idea of replacing the Travel Catalog and “Import from another Catalog”. Within the constraints previously mentioned, I discovered the Lightroom Mobile app worked well to bypass the need for a travel catalog. Since I almost never travel to locations where I don’t have an internet connection at night, the Adobe Cloud works well to replace the travel catalog.

The 12.9” iPadPro matches the MBP in size and weighs less. So I upgrades my aging MBP for an iPadPro and later an M1 iPadPro. To supplement the iPadPro I added a Magic Keyboard which is a protective cover for the iPadPro and also have a TrackPad built it. I rarely use the touch screen for Lightroom on the iPad.

While weight was a factor, I think it was the streamlining of the Lightroom process to eliminate the import of the travel catalog that really convinced me to switch away from the MBP.

As for price a 1TB of storage 13” model of either iPadPro or MBA, similarly equipped is about the same $2000 price. A 14” M3Max MBA would cost ~$3200


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Okay that makes sense, thank you for clarifying. So you use the iPad + MKB as a laptop more or less, not as a touch screen device.
Wanting to bypass the travel catalog workflow — to me — is an unexpected angle. Using a travel catalog and “import from another catalog” after coming back home never bothered me much. But I see now that everyone’s M.M.V.
I only own large display size MBPs and I find the weight to be a limiting factor while on travels. To me, bringing the iPad concept and form factor on travels has a different appeal: a light weight do-it-all device that slides in any small back pack and allows for all computing I need while on the go: emailing and app’ing, searching for info online for itineraries, music jukebox, movie player, weather forecast, travel diary, news reader, and of course Lr. And being able to use touch screen is a biggie for me: having it on my lap at night while sitting on the couch and passing it to my wife now and then to show her stuff would be so much more convenient than a laptop. I obviously would use it without MKB.
Aside from travels, I find myself on commuter trains regularly to go to work and I always have my 16” MBP in my work backpack with me for work and it weighs over 2kgs. I’m currently looking into if and how a 13” ipad could do all work stuff and replace my laptop for work altogether, where it would only need to dock to a large 27” display in the office and run safari with a Citrix client. If this could work I’m sold on the 13” iPad concept.
It’s a fundamental shift to a different platform so I will take my time to think it over. Your insights do matter and help me make my decision. So thanks!
For the record — and purely academic given your reply — as for the price comparison I mentioned in my previous post, I compared your iPad Pro + desktop ultra combo to a single fully specc’ed MBP, arguing that with the MBP you would not need the desktop anymore. In that scenario a single MBP would have been cheaper.

 

[clee01l]

allows for all computing I need while on the go: emailing and app’ing, searching for info online for itineraries, music jukebox, movie player, weather forecast, travel diary, news reader,

You can do all of these things today on your smart phone. All the iPad adds is a bigger screen. Since I started with a 13" MBP, for travel, going to a 12.9" iPad was not a big shift. At home, I have always had 27" (now 32") dual monitors. Anything smaller is, to me, a serious compromise for heavy duty Lightroom work. So, when I traveled, I found that a 13" MBP was light and portable enough to do light work in LrC. Lr is not as feature rich as LrC. So to me it too is suitable for light work in Lightroom. One of the newest features found in LrC is DeNoise. It is available in both LrC and Lr for the Desktop. It is not availble in Lightroom Mobile due to the difference in platform hardware and architecture. The question for me is do I deem it essential while traveling? My conclusion is no, since I was using Lr mobile before LrC even had a DeNoise function.

 

[Selwin]

Hi Cletus, I must admit I dislike smart phones for their small displays (even though I have the 14 Pro Max) so for any task that takes more than a couple of minutes I grab a larger screen device, such as my iPad Air 2, which is still in pristine condition. I already use it for watching video's, photos, checking and composing e-mails and especially browsing the web, which I find especially cumbersome on a phone. For a short task like finding an address or ingredient, sure it's fine.
So the iPad is in my ecosystem and as I have it at hand, I also use it for lots of other stuff that I could do with a phone, but I prefer the larger display.
The question is not "do I need a new iPad" but "which model and configuration suits me best". After I had decided that I was going to refresh my current ancient iPad, my first thought was to get an iPad 10th gen w/ 256GB storage. But then I remembered the "iPad - Lr mobile - front end" workflow you described a while ago so I looked that up and now I'm going back and forth between that 10th gen and a 13" iPad Pro. Go figure. I'll probably chew on it for a while...

As for monitors: My current MacBook Pro can connect to two different large (even 32") displays without issue. That means that currently the MBP is where all my photos go and it goes with me wherever go to take photographs: on the commuter train, in the caravan and most frequently it sits at home on my desk. My guess is that most photographers use a laptop the way I do. The plus side is that I have all the power I could want, everywhere I go. The minuses are weight and ease of handeling. I'll figure it out...

Thanks for your insights.

 

[Gnits]

I have an iPad Pro 11 inch and think it is too heavy. Handle the different models before you decide.

 

[Selwin]

I have an iPad Pro 11 inch and think it is too heavy. Handle the different models before you decide.

So I did, today. Thank you for that. And a couple of days ago. I find both very light. My iPad Air 2 weighs 437g. The 11” pro 2024 weighs 444g and the 13” 579g. When I handle the 13”, it seems lighter than my iPad Air 2 where in fact it is heavier. Maybe it’s because it’s so thin for it’s size. But I will have a leather case too which may weigh a lot as well. No matter what it will always be worlds better weight wise than my 16” MBP.
If This is your model it’s 468g, which would be just fine for me

 

[Selwin]

I have an iPad Pro 11 inch and think it is too heavy. Handle the different models before you decide.

I did some more iPad Pro 11" and 13" handling today in the store. I also brought my 9 year old iPad Air 2 for comparison
I came to some surprising conclusions.
Keep in mind I always use the touch screen, I don't connect a Magic Keyboard so I handhold it all the time.

- On the 13" model, the middle area of the display is hard to reach with my thumbs when holding it in landscape orientation with my hands left and right. The 13" model I need to hold with one hand and tap with the other hand in order to reach every part of the display. On my old iPad it's mostly using my thumbs unless I type.

- The 11" model is so much wider in landscape orientation than my 9 year old iPad Air 2. Never realized until I held them side by side
- On the 13" model, split screen (two apps on display simultaneously) gives a much better experience than on the 11" model. For instance, on the 13" split screen the Calendar app shows a "weekly view" whereas the 11" shows daily view. Basically the split screen is pretty useless on the 11" and comes to life on the 13" model
- The 13" model doesn't feel like an iPad anymore because it's so large.
- Even the 13" goes in my backpack easily, in the laptop pocket where I normally store my 16" M1 Max.

- on the commuter train, when watching a movie, the 13" will hardly be able to stand on the small dutch window tables so I will need to hand hold it all the time.

I don't care much for cost knowing that it will serve me another 9-10 years.
But it turns out it's not the bigger the better on all points. The 13" display has pluses and minuses, at least for my use cases. Sure, if you get the Magic Keyboard and always use only that setup, larger size is probably always better.