Tablet for on the road

[wreford]

Am considering a tablet for basic editing while on the road, lightroom/ps.

Downloading to portable storage if I have too-

But all the hard work when I get back-

I don't usually shoot tons of images and for now about 24mb raw files

Uploading to Alamy would be useful but not essential

Usual email, blog & social media updating

I have read the usual reviews and the top end is obvious but what more reasonably priced ones could I manage to work with?

Thank you

[Jill Morgan]

I have a Samsung and love it, but don't do any photo editing on it.  If using LR/PS I think the iPad is the only one that Adobe CC supports.  Android models have a light version of PS.

 

Jill

[Matt Limb]

41 minutes ago, arterra said:

Why don't you buy a notebook instead?

 

Cheers,

Philippe

 

I have looked at the iPad option for when travelling - in the end, a MacBook was the answer with an external drive for back up - but still have the iPad Mini 

[KevinS]

I found the iPad limiting and getting the right software frustrating. I do use it for it's intended purpose; email & internet. For photo editing I tried a MacBook Air and love it. It took a while to get used to a small (11") screen, but that is not a hindrance. Light weight and quick start-up are great. The only drawback is the lack of an SD port so I have to carry a card reader. By buying used from a school I was able to get a great price on a unit with 95 battery cycles that looks new. 

[Orange Elephant]

I've been thinking about this too. Would something like a Microsoft Surface Pro be viable?

 

Also, could a surface pro be used for tethering?

[Bryan]

Doesn't the latest version of CC support Android in some way, shape or form?  To quote Adobe's web site, Creative SDK is available for iOS, Android & Web. 

 

Don't pretend to understand these things however, (what's SDK?) nor would I want to edit photos on a tablet, but maybe for live news etc??

[Matt Limb]

1 hour ago, Bryan said:

nor would I want to edit photos on a tablet, but maybe for live news etc??

 

 

The very reason(s) I got a cheap 13 inch MacBook ............. then have a large monitor 'in the office' for the bulk of my work, writing, editing, updating etc etc .....

 

[Ed Rooney]

Matt, me man, where did you find a "cheap" MacBook??? 

 

Oh, while I'm here: tablets are not really ready to do serious editing on the road yet. Soon is my guess. 

[Matt Limb]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

Matt, me man, where did you find a "cheap" MacBook???

 

Cheap as in a basic 13 inch, small drive and a four-year-old model reconditioned and fully refurbished  .............. and not an ounce of regret for an on the road machine to upload, back up and ideal for news

 

 

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

Sounds good. Congratulations. I don't travel anymore, but when I did I took along an Apple laptop. 

[Matt Limb]

9 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I don't travel anymore,

 

But is that not part of photography?    Can you separate the two?

 

 

[Rob C]

14 hours ago, Matt Limb said:

 

Cheap as in a basic 13 inch, small drive and a four-year-old model reconditioned and fully refurbished  .............. and not an ounce of regret for an on the road machine to upload, back up and ideal for news

 

 

 

 

Matt. Do you run Photoshop on your Macbook? If so, do you think it handles it well? I'm looking at a similar Macbook to the one you have, but would need PS on it.

Thanks.

[Matt Limb]

4 hours ago, Rob C said:

Matt. Do you run Photoshop on your Macbook? If so, do you think it handles it well? I'm looking at a similar Macbook to the one you have, but would need PS on it.

Thanks.

 

Rob, Yes, both PS and LR on the MacBook with no issues - I have to confess the vast majority of work is done in LR which is typically news unload or more often a client that wants a few images immediately after an event or photo shoot for social media etc. so easy to email over or ftp to them - so it is basic editing and not 'open heart surgery with PS' but this works fine.  Or it downloads the RAW files and backup to an external hard drive when travelling and no urgent delivery required.  

Difference between the MacBook and main office PC (Windows 10) in the office is the monitor, 13 inches against a 28 inch - key to both, in my mind, with regard to speed is the amount of RAM, 8MB on the Mac Book and 16MB on the PC  -  Hope that helps

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

7 hours ago, Matt Limb said:

 

But is that not part of photography?    Can you separate the two?

 

 

 

In the immortal words of John McEnroe: "You cannot be serious." There's a very long list of different types of stock photography we can do that does not involve travel. I say this as one who spent 20-plus years doing nothing but travel marketing assignments for airlines and tour companies. When I was doing that I was paid a nice fee and all expenses, flying First Class and staying in 5 star hotels. 

 

Keith Morris is said to be Alamy's biggest earner, and he never leaves Aberystwyth, Wales. I'm in New York City and I could shoot all day everyday and not keep up with all the stock subject matter here. 

 

And of course there's, sports, celebs, studio, food, Live News and so on. I hope you're not under the impression that you can turn a profit from travel with the stock fees that are now being paid? Good luck with that.

 

 

[Matt Limb]

31 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

n the immortal words of John McEnroe: "You cannot be serious."

 

Ed, no I was not!

 

I fully get the points you made, and totally agree; stock photography is different things to different people.   For me one of the most enjoyable aspects is being able to travel - and seldom in 5 star luxury - meeting people and witness their customs and lifestyles; one day I may even make some money out of it (as you accurately point out)!  But until then travel and photography are join at the hip - for me!

[Rob C]

2 hours ago, Matt Limb said:

 

Rob, Yes, both PS and LR on the MacBook with no issues - I have to confess the vast majority of work is done in LR which is typically news unload or more often a client that wants a few images immediately after an event or photo shoot for social media etc. so easy to email over or ftp to them - so it is basic editing and not 'open heart surgery with PS' but this works fine.  Or it downloads the RAW files and backup to an external hard drive when travelling and no urgent delivery required.  

Difference between the MacBook and main office PC (Windows 10) in the office is the monitor, 13 inches against a 28 inch - key to both, in my mind, with regard to speed is the amount of RAM, 8MB on the Mac Book and 16MB on the PC  -  Hope that helps

 

 

Great. Thanks for reply Matt.

[Matt Limb]

1 hour ago, Rob C said:

Great. Thanks for reply Matt.

 

My pleasure - let me know how you get on

 

 

[ChrisC]

On 8/12/2017 at 18:44, Matt Limb said:

 

Cheap as in a basic 13 inch, small drive and a four-year-old model reconditioned and fully refurbished  .............. and not an ounce of regret for an on the road machine to upload, back up and ideal for news

 

 

 

 

Hi Matt, I was looking at doing that for a while, is it a Macbook Pro or just the normal  macbook, if so what RAM & Gig?

 

I was told that using LR & a small amount of photoshop was ok with just a normal macbook, without it slowing down too much, but felt the Pro would be a safer bet

Thanks

Chris

[Matt Limb]

10 hours ago, ChrisC said:

Hi Matt, I was looking at doing that for a while, is it a Macbook Pro or just the normal  macbook, if so what RAM & Gig?

 

I was told that using LR & a small amount of photoshop was ok with just a normal macbook, without it slowing down too much, but felt the Pro would be a safer bet

Thanks

Chris

 

Chris, I have MacBook Pro with 8MB RAM and a 500 GB drive (as I said very basic) and it is ample for what I want, remember nothing image wise is stored on it long term as once back in the office all images are transferred and no issues with speed - hope that helps

 

[Robert M Estall]

we've all gone a bit mad for RAM. I've got 20 MB on my 27" Imac, but only because it was cheap and easy to install. It lets me leave every conceivable application running. That's just laziness, not necessity. My previous machine only had 2 MG (that was the maximum back then) and it coped OK. Only times it struggled was when I accidentally scanned a 6x7 original at top resolution and the file was just huge ; something over 250 mgs.

 

These days, SSDs are pretty reasonable and for just on-the-road use in a modest lap-top, 256 GB would be easily enough, even 128 would be OK and save a few £££s I guess news stuff can tolerate lees-than-perfect colour balance, but there is nothing like a decent desk-top monitor in standard lighting to get things right.

 

Having said that, not all our customers are viewing in ideal conditions. I remember when we toted sheets of transparencies around to picture desks, lightboxes were sometimes shocking and as often as not, positioned right up against a window.

[Matt Limb]

1 hour ago, Robert M Estall said:

These days, SSDs are pretty reasonable and for just on-the-road use in a modest lap-top, 256 GB would be easily enough, even 128 would be OK and save a few £££s I

 

I would agree - but as I said this was a reconditioned MacBook Pro so no choice on the spec, but I do find that the RAM does help with uploading etc 

 

 

[Reimar]

2 hours ago, Robert M Estall said:

we've all gone a bit mad for RAM. I've got 20 MB on my 27" Imac, but only because it was cheap and easy to install. It lets me leave every conceivable application running. That's just laziness, not necessity. My previous machine only had 2 MG (that was the maximum back then) and it coped OK. Only times it struggled was when I accidentally scanned a 6x7 original at top resolution and the file was just huge ; something over 250 mgs.

 

I got 36 GB a few years ago, and I find it does help with processing.  I would think 2-20 MB RAM would mean most software would not run today (I think you meant GB, right?)

[Betty LaRue]

Matt, I totally understand where you are coming from in regards to travel.

If somebody travels only to add travel images to their portfolio, then it's going to be difficult to earn enough over expenses unless one really knows where to go and what to shoot to fill gaps.

If one would travel anyway, without being a stock photographer, it's a different game.

 

Loving travel and photography both is a marriage that lasts. Instead of subtracting the expense of travel from image earnings, you are subtracting the earnings from travel, which you probably would do anyway.

 

My first trip to St. Croix was meant to be for photography only. No way will I sell enough to break even, let alone a profit.

My second trip there was a family affair for pleasure....lots of snorkeling and fun. But I still shot pictures. Anything I earn off that second trip will subtract from the expenses of a pleasure trip.

Betty

 

 

[Matt Limb]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

If one would travel anyway, without being a stock photographer, it's a different game.

 

Loving travel and photography both is a marriage that lasts.

 

 

Betty - You have hit the nail on the head, plus are we in business to make money or create wealth? 

 

 

 

 

[ChrisC]

On 8/14/2017 at 07:56, Matt Limb said:

 

Chris, I have MacBook Pro with 8MB RAM and a 500 GB drive (as I said very basic) and it is ample for what I want, remember nothing image wise is stored on it long term as once back in the office all images are transferred and no issues with speed - hope that helps

 

Thanks Matt, I did know that version would be fine as that's what I've been looking at, but I wondered if yours was just a normal Macbook, so might be a bit cheaper. 

But Thanks amyway

Chris