New iPad Pro + Apple Pencil + USB-C? Powerful, Portable Editing.

The 2018 iPad Pro/Apple

Today, to much acclaim, Apple announced the 2018 update to the iPad Pro, upgrading the device with a redesign that brings it more in line with the designs of the current iPhone lineup. As far as tech specs, the screen on the 10.5” model has been upgraded to a full 11” thanks to the reduction of the bezels. It also now uses USB-C, and combined with the new, wireless charging Apple Pencil, it could be part of a modern two piece power combo for photographers and video editors who need to shoot, edit, and deliver content in real-time in a away that might be harder in a form factor like a dedicated laptop. In certain spaces, this could actually replace my laptop.

The reason I say that is two-fold. The first part comes from the way we capture photos. A lot of newer cameras, such as the Nikon’s Z7 & Z6, and Sony’s α7 III and α7R III, now use USB-C as a means of transferring images. USB-C offers a high bandwidth for transferring information, and with multiple large image files, having the ability to move them quickly from camera into editing tool is highly useful. Having one cable to charge and transfer data is great, when you’re trying to keep the amount of gear on you as light as possible.

Both the Nikon Z7 and the Sony α7R III use USB-C for data transfer./DPReview

The second part of this combination comes from the new iPad Pros themselves. The devices are powerful enough to run “real” Photoshop as well as Lightroom. Import your files on to the iPad, import them into Lightroom, make more edits in Photoshop. Export and upload. This doesn’t change the workflow too much from before, but the speed it improves upon being able to do that work it a major improvement.

For a person like myself, that prefers to travel light for photo shoots but needing something powerful enough to edit, any of the aforementioned cameras, 2-3 lenses, and the 2018 iPad Pro with Apple Pencil. Maybe a tripod or gimbal if the shoot calls for it. This could fundamentally change the way I travel for work, by dropping the laptop and a few cables and simplify everything.

A modern iPad Pro for modern cameras could be the minimalist creative’s dream setup. I can’t wait to see what people will come up with while using it.

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