# post processing on a tablet



## Charliedelta (Oct 12, 2013)

I'm thinking about getting a tablet to do some of my post processing. Which tablet is best suited for that?

Also, I use Lightroom 5. Does anybody know if I can "install" it on the tablet?

Thanks


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## cgipson1 (Oct 12, 2013)

Waste of time.. unless you just want Picasa level editing.... and no, Adobe doesn't have an LR for Tablet. There is the  very limited photoshop Touch... (again, picasa level!) If you just want the very basics... you can do some! If you want real editing... no! Since it will also work on your phone, do you really expect it to be a professional APP?

Snapseed is also popular.. but again has limitations. Software Workshop: Use Your Tablet to Edit Photos on the Go | Popular Photography

If you just want something to edit your facebook posts.. then you can use a tablet. If you want high quality editing on full size images... then stick with a real editing system.  

What's the best tablet for a photographer with a DSLR? | Technology | theguardian.com

Adobe Photoshop Touch | Photoshop.com


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## kathyt (Oct 12, 2013)

Forget about it. I have a hard enough time editing on my laptop. I end up going over to my 27" desktop to see what I am doing.


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## JClishe (Oct 13, 2013)

The Surface Pro is a full blown Windows device and is quite powerful, so to answer your question, yes you can install Lightroom on it. You can install any Windows software on it. There are quite a few photographers ditching their iPad's for Surface Pro's.

The Surface Pro 2 will be out on Oct 22 and my local Microsoft Store has a demo unit that I played with for awhile the other day. Microsoft says that the Pro 2 is more powerful than 95% of the laptops currently on the market, and after playing with it, I believe it. That damned Pro 2 actually felt faster to me than my Core i7-3770 desktop editing machine, which kind of ticked me off to be honest.  

The biggest knock against the Surface Pro's have been battery life, they only get like 4-5 hours of real world use. But the Pro 2's have the new Haswell processor and reportedly will get like 7 hours. And there will be an optional keyboard with a battery that adds another couple hours. And there's also a docking station which starts to make the Pro 2 an interesting option as an all-in-one tablet / laptop / desktop replacement. 

But that still begs the question: regardless of how powerful it is or how much battery life it has, can you process photos on a 10.6" screen? I'm not sure....


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## Light Guru (Oct 13, 2013)

JClishe said:


> The Surface Pro is a full blown Windows device and is quite powerful, so to answer your question, yes you can install Lightroom on it. You can install any Windows software on it.



Just because it can run the software does not mean it's going to be a pleasant experience using the software on the tablet.  The Lightroom user interface is NOT designed for a touch screen. For any app to be good on a tablet the app needs to be designed for a touch interface not a mouse or trackpad interface.


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## JClishe (Oct 13, 2013)

Light Guru said:


> JClishe said:
> 
> 
> > The Surface Pro is a full blown Windows device and is quite powerful, so to answer your question, yes you can install Lightroom on it. You can install any Windows software on it.
> ...



Agree 100%. Using Lightroom (or Photoshop for that matter) on the Surface would necessitate using its keyboard which has a built-in trackpad. Or, use any Bluetooth or USB keyboard and mouse.


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## cgipson1 (Oct 14, 2013)

lol, always forget about the surface pro... but the even with that, the limitation Guru mentioned are still a killer! Not to mention the cost.


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## KmH (Oct 14, 2013)

Do tablet displays have color and gamma calibration menu options?

To accurately edit colors and exposure, an electronic display needs to be re-calibrated using a hardware tool whenever the ambient light that falls on it has changed.
That is a real drawback for trying to critically edit photographs with a mobile device.


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## JClishe (Oct 14, 2013)

KmH said:


> Do tablet displays have color and gamma calibration menu options?
> 
> To accurately edit colors and exposure, an electronic display needs to be re-calibrated using a hardware tool whenever the ambient light that falls on it has changed.
> That is a real drawback for trying to critically edit photographs with a mobile device.



At least in the Surface Pro's case, since it's a Windows device, you could calibrate it the same way you calibrate any other Windows device.


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## cgipson1 (Oct 14, 2013)

JClishe said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Do tablet displays have color and gamma calibration menu options?
> ...



Would not work, unless it was in the same exact place all the time, with the same exact light on it... at exactly the same viewing angle all the time.... so it would be a like an underpowered desktop with a 10" screen. (and I don't believe the technology used in the screen is conducive to calibration... not an IPS type panel)


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## Kolia (Oct 14, 2013)

Who was it that explained his workflow using a tablet ?  Maybe in one of the "Photo editing App" topic.

Basically limiting the tablet to its capabilities, he/she would sort thru the pictures from a shoot on the tablet and sync it to Lightroom after getting back the the office.  Just that would accelerate the work flow.

I'm pretty sure any client would appreciate a rapid preview on location, even if the colors aren't exactly as they will be on the final print ? Cropping, sharpening etc is still possible.


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## JClishe (Oct 14, 2013)

Kolia said:


> Who was it that explained his workflow using a tablet ? Maybe in one of the "Photo editing App" topic.
> 
> Basically limiting the tablet to its capabilities, he/she would sort thru the pictures from a shoot on the tablet and sync it to Lightroom after getting back the the office. Just that would accelerate the work flow.
> 
> I'm pretty sure any client would appreciate a rapid preview on location, even if the colors aren't exactly as they will be on the final print ? Cropping, sharpening etc is still possible.



Ha, that was probably me, the same person that recommended a Surface above. 

I have an iPad and an Eye-Fi, and I use an app called Photosmith to rate/review my photos in the field, then sync with Lightroom once I get back to the office to start my editing having already chosen my selects in the field.


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