It’s been a while since my last iPad (Pro) workflow post and I thought it was time to share how it’s changed and how I have moved on.
This time last year I posted how I was using the iPad for all of my editing, captioning and sending from out on location, I detailed how well it was working at Cannes 2017. Then something changed. Specifically IOS11 came along.
IOS 11 was touted as the great update that will make the iPad a real contender for replacing the laptop (which I had already done), it would make running multiple programs easier, moving information from one app to another would be easy. Yep – this was the “update we were waiting for”. So in September/ October last year I installed it… and the crashes started… I assumed it was Lightroom not updated for 11 so I waited for an update.. then I assumed that maybe IOS11 did not like my SD reader so I got the new and latest. Still it crashed, still it would not read JPG images off of the SD card.
Finally I gave in and went back to an Apple Store “Genius”, showed them the crashing. They got out a brand new empty iPAD Pro with IOS11. Again crashed reading the JPG’s. Dug around and found an iPAD in stock with IOS10 installed. Bingo, 900 JPG images imported no problem. Back to IOS11 – crash! SO they replaced my iPAD with the “new” one running IOS10.
This replacement worked for a couple of days, until it decided not to allow me to connect to the mobile network unless I updated to IOS11 – It seems once your account has updated to the latest OS there is no way back.
So here I was, left with a £900.00, powerful, fantastic device that would not pull more than 156 Fuji JPG images from an SD card.
The problem was reported to Apple back in November 2017. If you want my support case number, it’s 100365002050 its been open since then. My support engineer (yes I have an assigned engineer at apple), whom I contact after every update to let him know that I have tested it again and its still not fixed. No still not fixed after Apple have logged in and connected to my iPad 3 times. They have had the files that I am trying to import, the crash dump files from my iPAD, a video showing the crash. They have acknowledged the problem, my engineer is very pleasant but the bottom line is 6 months later and my iPAD will still only import 156 JPG images from an SD card (RAW / RAF files are fine).
My iPad is not totally useless though, I did write this on it. Actually its not that bad – I still use it when traveling for non-urgent work where I would work in RAW and I also use it for smaller news jobs where I will be importing less than 150 images or where I will be using WiFi to transfer the images.
ShutterSnitch is still my main stay here. With this simple switch to enable the Fuji WiFi on the app, I can either connect as normal and transfer selected images or I can wirelessly tether to the iPad and transfer every jpg as it’s taken.
The images import into a collection where I can edit them using the recent in-app-purchase of image adjustment to do basic crops and corrections.
I can apply a metadata preset and edit meta data using the Metadata Editor in-app-purchase
Before exporting via FTP or Dropbox to wherever I need them.
ShutterSnitch has come a long way over the past few months meaning for live news work, it is now a one-stop-shop. (So I no longer have to work with the unsupported PicturePro) .
I am more than happy to do a detailed review and technical post on ShutterSnitch if anyone is interested – let me know if you do!
As I am just finishing this post, Adobe Lightroom Mobile has just been updated, my initial look indicates its almost there in terms of capabilities now – cloning and custom presets are supported! I’ll look at this in a future post also. Let me know what you would like to know about first!
I look forward to your comments.
Julie x
Julie Edwards-X 
Julie, I have the same setup and the same problem, I thought I was going mad.
Do you use the Apple fast SD card reader, do you think this is the cause, I have no issues when using £1 Card reader from Poundland, but it is slooow!
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Rob
So you are saying that you can import more than 156 images with the cheap slow reader but not the fast apple reader? (I have the latest USB3 reader plus the older USB2 models, both crash).
J
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Julie,
I believe so, I usually have to r start the iPad and wait as the additional images are in the iOad but haven’t been processed, otherwise I end up with multiple copies when I try to import the missed photos.
I’ll try again, either at the weekend or next week if that’s OK?
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That would be great – thank you . Ill then pass the info on.
I have not tried waiting but recently wondered if that was the case. So maybe do the import, it crashes, then wait until they all show? If it takes a while though it defeats the speed of using the iPad in the first place.
I look forward to your comments. Have a great weekend.
J x
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Hi, I would like to ask you two questions; Method of work with PicturePro.
and the other question, how is your workflow with shuttersnitch when you have to stop the metadata action, and add more information to send it to ftp in an action, previously created
Thank you
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iHi Pedro
I have been asked a few ShutterSnitch questions so I will post next week my full workflow but in simple terms. I now only use an action to export (send) the images, I do not use one on import (if I am working solely in ShutterSnitch)
J x
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Hi Julie. Thanks for the post. I’ve just downloaded ShutterSnitch and Exif add-on. I’m aiming to use for uploading my Fuji images to Alamy. Just trying to get my head around the completion of the Exif forms and ftp upload for Alamy, so I would love to see any tips you have in your next post. Will try and work my way through in the meantime but always good to learn from your experience! Thx again. Paul
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Hi Julie. I am desperately trying to reduce the weight I carry and the complexity of software to capture and transmit images with full IPTC. I use the Canon gear work supplies along with the MacBook Pro which works great but its just too much kit. I have my personal Fuji kit and iPad along with Shuttersnitch, Picture Pro (its had such promise) and various other apps that have largely gone unsupported. Any and all Fuji/Shuttersnitch workflow tips and tricks (more detail the better) that you can pass along would be greatly appreciated, I have gained a lot from your previous writing. Thanks.
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