@CyberNorris…i do agree with you that iPad is not a full on computer replacement,nor it should be regarded as such.

Apple introduced iPad as a device bridging the gap between the Macbooks and iPhone, and as such it’s a valuable tool for other things, but for Lightroom and Photoshop i do not see PC/Mac going to retirement anytime soon.

I was merely saying that iPad should be used for managing other aspects of photography business, not for image editing. …and it can be much more than merely portfolio display

@DPStudent … those are cute extra apps that can be useful, but are not primary tools. I run a few of them my iPod Touch. However the original question was could an iPad be used instead of a full computer. I stand beside my statement that an iPad cannot run the two primary applications that I NEED as a digital photographer… Lightroom and Photoshop.

@CyberNorris, i strongly disagree that iPad would not be capable of running applications that you would need as a photographer.

To prove you wrong, check out http://www.digital-photography-student.com/8-useful-ipad-apps-for-photographers/

I however, do agree with you on a point that it will never beat PC or Mac in terms of editing your photos

Laura, the iPad is not capable of running the applications you would need as a photographer… unless you merely want it to show off your portfolio. It is the best thing out there for a portable portfolio.

You need a MacBook or MacBook Pro (both support an external display) so you can run Lightroom and Photoshop.

Laura – you’ll regret it if you do. The iPad is great for reading newspapers and magazines, surfing the web, looking at photo galleries, emailing and more, but you really need the MacBook for any serious “creating” and that includes the kinds of tasks you’ll need from a computer. All the great photography software resides on computer platforms, not the iPad. For some people an iPad may well replace their laptop – not for professional photographers, though.

hi there wade, i’m a student looking to study fashion photography at university and I do a lot of photography in my spare time. I was hoping to buy a macbook as i thought that would be best for photography but since reading your article i’m starting to think the Ipad would be better.
I need it for uploading and editing as well as storing my images.
Would the ipad be a good choice for me? or should i look into a macbook instead?

Hi Nick.

Easy – here’s how. Email me if you need more help.

Wade.

Hey wade. Excellent article, all of these are apps I use on my iPad daily for photography. I do have one question though. How did you get the strobist stencil into omingraffle on the iPad? For the life of me I can’t figure out how to get it to work.

You can buy cheap sd to cf card adaptors on ebay, lot of people confirming they work. Setup shutter snitch today on jail broken iPad with mywi (for setting up a wifi hotspot) and streaming full size jpegs to the iPad. Works a treat, going to prototype this in the field.

Wade,

Are you aware of a wifi compact flash card? Most pro cams don’t use SD cards.

The EOS 1 level Canons all take both but if you’re using NIkon gear you might be left wanting because Eye-Fi don’t seem to do one and we can’t find anyone else that does. Have to look at the Nikon wireless adapter – WL.