Final Cut Pro For the iPad Pro

Final Cut Pro (FCP) is a renowned video editing software developed by Apple Inc. Known for its professional-grade capabilities, FCP has long been a favorite among filmmakers and video editors. While traditionally available only on macOS, Apple has introduced a significant expansion by bringing Final Cut Pro to the iPad, revolutionizing the editing experience for mobile users.

The introduction of Final Cut Pro for the iPad opens up a new world of possibilities for video editors on the go. The iPad’s powerful hardware and touch interface combine seamlessly with Final Cut Pro’s robust feature set, allowing users to create high-quality videos with unparalleled convenience.

One of the key advantages of FCP for the iPad is its familiar user interface. Apple has adapted the software to optimize its functionality on the iPad’s touch screen, ensuring a smooth and intuitive editing experience. Users can take advantage of the iPad’s multi-touch gestures and the Apple Pencil to precisely control their edits, making the process more interactive and engaging.

Despite being a mobile version, Final Cut Pro for the iPad retains most of the features found in its macOS counterpart. Users can access advanced editing tools like multi-camera editing, magnetic timeline, and extensive audio editing capabilities. The software supports a wide range of video formats, including high-resolution and HDR content, ensuring compatibility with professional workflows.

Additionally, Final Cut Pro for the iPad leverages the iPad’s powerful hardware, allowing for real-time playback and rendering of complex video projects. The software takes full advantage of the iPad’s A-series chips and Neural Engine, resulting in impressive performance and responsiveness. This capability eliminates the need for users to transfer projects to a computer for rendering, further streamlining the editing process.

Furthermore, Final Cut Pro for the iPad offers seamless integration with other Apple devices and services. Projects can be easily synced across devices using iCloud, enabling users to continue their work on different platforms seamlessly. Users can also leverage the iPad’s built-in camera to shoot, import, and edit footage directly within Final Cut Pro, enhancing the overall efficiency of the editing workflow.

While Final Cut Pro for the iPad brings a host of benefits, it’s important to note that it might not replace the desktop version entirely. The iPad version may not provide the same level of processing power and screen real estate as a dedicated computer setup, limiting its suitability for complex and resource-intensive projects. Nonetheless, it offers a highly capable and portable editing solution for a wide range of video editing needs.

In conclusion, Final Cut Pro’s expansion to the iPad is a significant development for video editors and content creators. By combining the power and portability of the iPad with Final Cut Pro’s professional-grade editing tools, Apple has opened up new avenues for on-the-go editing. Whether editing on location, during travel, or simply desiring a more flexible editing experience, Final Cut Pro for the iPad empowers users to unleash their creativity with convenience and efficiency.

It is time for some minimalism

 

I don't photograph weddings.  I don't photograph people.  I tend to just photograph the world around me.  Cityscapes, landscapes, wild life.  Anything but people in general.  I'm usually in bed by 10pm.  Up in the morning at around 6am.  I have not touched my Sony a7R Mark II in weeks.  I have not touched my Sony or Canon camcorders in much longer.  Not that I have lost my interest or love with photography.  I've been back to work now for several weeks now.  It's just hard to bring all that equipment with you all the time.  I've ordered the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max with the 512GB of storage.  I literally bring my phone with me everywhere.  It's either in my pocket, my hand or right beside me.  I think the iPhone 12 Pro Max with the 512GB of storage will be the right device for me.

I need a severe location change.  I am so unhappy here in Ottawa.  Not that Ottawa isn't a great city.  It is.  It's very beautiful here in the summer and winter.  You can be in the country within half an hours drive in any direction.  There's a lot to do if you have a family.  I've been here for 37 years.  I've done all there is to do in Ottawa.  I've photographed most of it.  I've seen it all.  I need a location change.  I need to move out west to Calgary or even further west.  But east of British Columbia.  B.C is very expensive.  And as nice as B.C is in pictures, the people are not for me.  Not that I'm not a people person, I would rather just be by myself with my camera out in the mountains or by a lake in the mountains.

I think after this contract is finished in March 2021, I'll head out west.  I don't mind doing the camping thing in the SUV for weeks at a time.  I just would need the Canada/U.S border to open up in the winter so I could go down to the States to do photography.

I think once I get the iPhone 12 Pro Max and start using it for my YouTube channel and if the channel grows as I hope it does, I can just live off the YouTube and photography money.  I don't do the donation thing.  I would rather people buy my photography and support me that way.  I want someone to get something of value instead of just giving me money.  I would rather live off my work than live off someone else's hard earned money.

I’ve had enough with laptops/desktops

So I do my photography with a Sony a7R II, a 42.4 megapixel beast.  I shoot my footage with a Canon Vixia HF G50, a 4K/30fps camcorder and I edit everything on a 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive, the 12.9” screen and 4GB of memory.  I was thinking of upgrading the iPad Pro to the 2020 iPad Pro with the 1TB hard drive and 6GB of RAM.  From what I have read, the new 2020 Apple iPad Pro is only 1% faster than the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  Is it worth upgrading?  Hell no.  Not for $1949 plus tax.  I did get the new Apple keyboard though for the iPad.  It should be here in a few weeks.  I have absolutely no need for a laptop or a desktop to edit my photography or my footage.  The iPad Pro is just a beast of a powerhouse.  Maybe I will upgrade in 2021 when they bring out the A14X chip.  The 12.9” screen is just fine.  I can edit fine detail in my photography in Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Photo.  Apple Photos is just fine for my video editing I believe.  I don’t do heavy edits in any app.  I just shoot in RAW for photography.  File sizes are about 85 megabytes and the iPad Pro has no problem handling these types of file sizes.  The Canon Vixia HF G50 outputs 500-600 megabyte files for a minute of 4K footage which is all I use to upload to Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.

The only problem I can foresee for myself is file storage.  I may need to upgrade in a year or two for the 1TB hard drive.  If Apple puts a 2TB, 4TB or an 8TB hard drive into future iPads, there will be no reason to buy a laptop or a desktop.  Apple will just need to upgrade their online storage.  With the current 2TB cap for $12 a month is just not enough.  I’d probably need 4-8TB of online storage.  I would be willing to pay $20-25 a month for 4-8TB of online storage.

My photography setup

During this self isolation period, I managed to clean up my desk and clean up my photography setup.  My setup includes the 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 12.9” screen and the 512GB hard drive.  I have an external 2TB hard drive attached via USB hub and the Yeti Blue Mic.  I also have the Apple Keyboard Folio and the Bluetooth Apple mouse which will be connected via Bluetooth tomorrow whenever iPadOS 13.4 comes out.  The camera is the Sony a7R II which has the 42.4 megapixel sensor.  I am using the Sony f3.5-6.3 24-240MM lens which is a great all in one lens.  Yes, it’s a little slower compared to the f2.8 lenses but it’s also a lot cheaper in price.  

The 2018 Apple iPad Pro is great for editing photos coming from the Sony a7R II camera.  It has more then enough power to edit the 85 megabyte files coming out of the Sony a7R II.  There are minuscule problems with the operating system of the iPad Pro which I hope will be fixed in iPadOS 13.4.  I am hoping iPadOS 14 brings in more features like a better and more stable File system.  The File App has crashed my iPad Pro twice so far when transferring files from the 128GB SD card onto the external hard drive.  Also missing for me is the copy status when transferring files between the SD Card and the external hard drive.  Once those two features are baked into iPadOS, I’d be really happy with the 2018 iPad Pro.  With the 2020 Apple iPad Pro, the GPU is only about 10% faster which is not a reason for me to upgrade.  I also don’t use the 2018 Apple iPad Pro as my primary camera so the new camera system on the 2020 Apple iPad Pro is totally meaningless.  Although the new keyboard folio looks interesting with the track pad, I was never a huge fan of the track pads on any device.  As long as the iPad Pro gets the Bluetooth mouse support tomorrow, I’ll be really happy.

I have noticed an uptick on visits to the site.  With everyone staying home and self isolating, if you are reading this and you see the ads running on this blog, I would appreciate if you would peruse the ads by placing your mouse over them and hitting the left mouse button or using your finger on your iPhone or iPad.  It would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks very much and be safe out there.

The perfect setup. For me.

So I’m sitting here at work waiting for my computer to get setup and finally getting my access to the network.  I brought by 2018 Apple iPad Pro with me today to watch some videos and do some light reading.  I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my computer setup and my photography setup.  I have the 2 terabyte backup plan with Apple.  I’ve had it for several months now.  I think I’m currently using about 270GB worth of data.  Most of that is my photography backup.  I am really happy with the Apple ecosystem.  How simple and easy it is to access pretty much everything.  

My current photography setup consists of a Sony RX100 Mark VII, a Canon Vixia HF R80 camcorder and an Apple iPhone 8 Plus.  My contract with Freedom Mobile is almost up.  Actually May 2020, I’ll be free of Freedom Mobile.  I am not entirely happy with Freedom Mobile.  Their network coverage is absolute garbage.  I could be right down town here in Ottawa and be on some other company’ network or I could have 1 or 2 bars.  The reception is absolutely horrible.  I honestly don’t like Bell or Rogers.  They’re overpriced and their customer service is atrocious.  Mind you Rogers’ network is pretty good.  They’ve had to up their game with the amount of data they give to customers having gone from 4GB a month to 10GB a month. They are about $20 more expensive a month.

What I’m trying to say is that I’m looking into the idea of just using my 2018 Apple iPad Pro and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (256GB) model to do all of my photography and all of my computing needs.  I don’t use Photoshop or Lightroom on my iPad Pro.  Just use Pixelmator Photo on my iPad Pro to edit all of my photography.  I could use the iPhone as well to shoot all of my footage.  The iPhone has excellent video quality and it takes excellent photos.  All of this with a phone.  All my stuff would be backed up to the cloud and be accessible via WiFi with my Apple iPad Pro.  Something definitely to look into.

Apple iPadOS 13.1.2

So I had an issue with the new iPadOS.  Some of the keys would not work when I had my Bluetooth mouse connected.  I posted the issue on the Apple Communities Support Forum about 2 weeks ago.  Today, someone posted the solution to my and others keyboard/mouse problem.  Now, I literally have no issues with the iPadOS.  I just got rid of my Windows 10 laptop permanently.  I still do have one issue with iPadOS.  I actually have the same issue on Windows 10 and Apple desktop operating system.  My Sony RX100 Mark VII is not yet supported.  Not the RAW images anyways.  That should be updated probably within a month or so.  Luckily I have my Sony RX100 Mark VI which works fine with all operating systems.  I am happy with the iPadOS now.  Thankfully.

If you have an iPad

If you have an iPad and are thinking about upgrading to the latest and greatest software from Apple, don’t.  Just don’t.  It’s a buggy mess.  I upgraded today thinking everything would be fine.  It’s not.  When I have Assistive Touch on for mouse support, half my keys on the Apple Keyboard Folio do not work.  All the keys from A to H work but from I to Z do not.  If I disable Assistive Touch, all the keys work.  I have a USB mouse attached to an external dock so maybe the setup is what’s causing the bug.  I ordered a Bluetooth mouse off of Amazon and it should be here in two days.  Suprisingly or not, Apple’ own Bluetooth mouse won’t work with iPadOS 13.1 which is very underwhelming and to be expected from Apple.  Also the software keyboard keeps coming up in various apps even when I disable it since I use the external keyboard.  Apple has some serious coding to do to repair a shit tonne of bugs.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who is having this issue, let alone other issues.

On a side note, the good things about iPadOS so far are that you can connect external hard drives and USB drives.  Just make sure they are formatted in APFS or your iPad won’t recognize them at all.  Once Apple fixes the mouse support, it’ll be very handy.  Some of the apps need to be updated so that we can import photos and footage directly from an external hard drive or an SD card.  That would be very useful.  That shouldn’t take more than a week or two for all the developers to get fixed.  

I do photography on the Sony RX100 Mark VI and VII.  RAW profiles are available for the Sony RX100 Mark VI but not for the VII like I was hoping for.  But with the new files system, I can at least access the footage files from the Sony RX100 Mark VII and store them on the external hard drive which is attached to the iPad Pro.  So still waiting for updates on that.

So if I were you, I’d wait until at least iPadOS 13.2 or 13.3 is released to the general public.  Until then, stay with iOS 12.4.1 or whatever you’re at now.  Let schmucks like me go through the trouble of updating our iPads early so we can go through the shit so you don’t have to.  

Edit:  The Apple Bluetooth mouse does work with iPadOS 13.1 but it screws up the iPad keyboard folio again.

Apple has become a joke

I’ve been using an assortment of Apple products for the past 15 years or so.  I started with a Mac Mini.  I upgraded the hard drive and RAM in that machine.  Now, you can’t upgrade anything since all the parts such as the RAM and hard drive are soldered onto the motherboard of every Apple computer from the iMac Pro to the new Mac Mini.  That’s just the computer hardware side of things.  The iPhone lineup is a joke as well.  Minimal upgrades every year it seems like.  This years new iPhone Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max is a joke.  If I want a real camera, I’ll grab my Sony RX100 Mark VI or Mark VII.  I don’t even consider using my iPhone 8 Plus as my main camera.  The Sony RX100 Mark VI is the perfect travel camera I don’t even use the iPhone for anything but making phone calls and watching the occasional YouTube video.  My iPhone is a phone and and iPod.

The thing that irks me the most now is the software upgrades.  The Apple software is buggy and unstable.  Almost unreliable.  I was hoping that iPadOS would come out when iOS 13 for the iPhone came out on September 19th, 2019.  Nope.  It’ll take an extra week and a half for iPad OS to come out.  More beta testing is needed for iPadOS 13.1.  iPadOS 13 is more than likely not going to come out.  Us iPad Pro users will likely get iPadOS 13.1 on September 30th, 2019.  Luckily I still have my Asus ROG gaming laptop to edit photos and videos on.

On another side note, I start a new job on September 16th, 2019.  It runs till the end of December 2019 with a good chance of extension.  I’m hoping I get extended until March 31, 2020.  Then we just move to Calgary, Alberta.  I am so sick of Ottawa.  It’s so depressing living here.  I want to pay off some credit card debt and then take a week or two to get to Calgary in April 2020.  I cannot stand Ottawa anymore.

I’m studying and learning how to use Affinity Photo for the Apple iPad Pro.  I have it on my laptop as well but I’m finding that I am using the iPad Pro more.  With Apple iPadOS coming out at the end of the month, I’ll be able to use the iPad Pro for 100% of my work.  Hopefully Apple will upgrade the RAW drivers to include the Sony RX100 Mark VII so I’ll be able to use the Sony RX100 VII with the Apple iPad Pro.

Apple and Microsoft need updates

Both Microsoft and Apple need to release their Digital Raw updates to support new cameras that have come out onto the market in the last month or so.  Apple is hopefully releasing their new iPadOS, their iPad Pro centric OS in the next two weeks.  I have the new Sony RX100 Mark VII camera and I can't use any of the pictures yet because they're not supported in any of the software such as Apple Photos on the iPad Pro or ON1 Photo RAW 19.5 running on Windows.  I've had the camera for 2.5 weeks now and it's basically unusable for me on the iPad Pro.  I can grab the videos from the RX100 VII and import them into Wondershare's Filmora 9.  I really just want to actually start using the camera at 100% of its capabilities  Hopefully all the necessary updates will be released in the next couple of weeks.

The problems with iOS 12

iOS 12 is very problematic.  No real file support, no mouse support and no real browser.  I do a lot of photo and footage editing.  I mean a lot.  I need a real file system.  I need mouse support.  The Apple Pencil is fine but a real mouse is better.  I honestly cannot wait for the iPadOS to be release in September.  A real file system.  Mouse support.  File sharing.  Better file management.  Until iPadOS comes out, the 2018 Apple iPad Pro is just a media consumption device that can edit photos and videos just fine.  It's just uploading multiple files via web browser or FTP is just cumbersome.  Till iPadOS comes out, I will need to be using my Windows 10 laptop to edit and upload photos and videos.  It is very unfortunate. 

HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C Hub — for iPad Pro 2018

So the HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C Hub — for iPad Pro 2018 came in today. It’s a pretty snazzy little device.  I wish it just had another USB-C type connector so you can hook up two USB-A devices like a hard drive and Blue Yeti microphone.  Now to make the 2018 Apple iPad Pro an almost perfect device, I need for the iPadOS to come out.  I cannot wait for September when the operating system comes out.  I am missing external hard drive support so I can import my photos and videos to an external hard drive via the HyperDrive 6 in 1 USB-C hub.  I guess one USB-A port is ok.  I don’t think I’ll have my hard drive attached to the iPad on a constant basis.  I want to start podcasting with the iPad Pro and the Blue Yeti Mic.  I have the silver Blue Yeti Mic that I’ve had for years.  I think it goes well with the iPad Pro.

I got the HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C hub for the 2018 Apple iPad Pro today.  I rearranged my desk today and put the Canon printer on the ground.  I can connect to it wirelessly whenever I need to print or scan something.  I am amazed by this 12.9” iPad.  It is so fast.  And the new OS is supposed to be even faster.  I think once every 3-4 years I will buy a new iPad.  Once iPadOS comes out and we get mouse support, external drive support and dark mode, I will be very happy.  I will have no need for a Mac, Windows or a Linux based computer or laptop.

I just wish there were two pieces of software that will be ported to the iPad.  Final Cut Pro X and Audacity Audio Editor.  Audacity is already available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  I wish they would port it over to the iPad.  I can stick with LumaFusion for video editing.  It seems feature rich enough for what I do with video.

So in summary, I wish September was here tomorrow and iPadOS was being released today.  Now I wonder if I can do all my photography and shoot video with just my Apple iPhone 8 Plus and edit everything thru the cloud?  

This is not hype

CI have been watching a lot of YouTube videos on the new iPadOS lately and I cannot wait for the new O/S to come out.  It will completely get rid of my need for a laptop or desktop.  Just the ability to access portable hard drives via USB-C is a game changer.  I can edit footage, photos and music anywhere.  In the car, in bed, on the couch, in a park, on a plane.  I have the 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive.  Honestly, it’s the perfect device with a perfectly sized screen and internal hard drive.  

Apple typically releases a new O/S once a year in fall.  This summer cannot go fast enough.  I will not install any beta software on my main production machine.  I need the software and hardware to work flawlessly.  I also want to do a lot of travel this summer and fall so that’s another reason for the Apple iPad Pro 12.9” iPad with the 512GB hard drive.  It is so portable.  I can travel easily with the iPad, my Sony RX100 Mark VI and my Canon Vixia HF R800.  

I am honestly thinking of getting rid of my Sony A7ii with the 24-240MM lens and the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder.  Yes, they are more pro level devices but I shoot mainly for stock agencies and in the end, it’s not the equipment that makes the photographer.  It’s the photographer that makes the photographer.  I’m thinking of just replacing the Sony camera and Canon camcorder with another Sony RX100 VI.  Just to have a backup.

I could also shoot 4K with the Sony RX100 Mark VI since I only shoot 30-60 second clips to upload to sites like Shutterstock, Pond5 and Videoblocks.  Honestly the Sony RX100 VI is an awesome point and shoot camera that fits into your pocket.  The 24-200MM lens is honestly all I need for what I shoot.  I can shoot landscape, wildlife, architecture and portraits with the camera and the Canon Vixia HF R800 shoots at 1080p at 60fps.  So its all good for me.  

And yeah, the new operating system for the iPad can’t get here soon enough.

I honestly cannot wait

Apple typically releases a new operating system every September.  THis year, a “new” operating system is coming out specifically made for the Apple iPad.  Two of the most important things within iPadOS are going to be external hard drive support and mouse support.  ON a lighter note, dark mode is also coming.  See what I did there?  ;) 

I will no longer need a laptop wether it’s Windows or MacOS or Linux.  Not that I used Linux before but it’s hardly used for photography or editing videos.  You can do it but 99.9% of the people I know use either Windows or Mac.  I cannot justify spending a minimum of $4500 on a MacBook Pro where the keys are crap and the O/S is buggy.  MacOS used to be good under Steve Jobs because Steve actually took quality control seriously.  Tim Cook, not so much.

Once iPadOS comes out in September, I am thinking of lightening my load with my camera gear.  The Sony A7II is a great photographic camera.  It’s a 24.4 megapixel full frame sensor camera.  But it is kind of heavy with the battery grip and the 24-240MM lens on it.  I am absolutely in love with the Sony RX100 line of cameras having owned the RX100 Mark II, IV, V and the VI.  I am thinking of trading in the Sony A7II camera, the grip and lens for another Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I’m also thinking of getting rid of the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder as it’s too big for me size wise for me.  I have the Canon Vixia HF R800 camcorder as well.  I mainly capture wildlife with the Canon Vixia HF G40 and I don’t video much at night so the Canon Vixia HF R800 is good enough for me.  It’s also about half the size of the G40.  I know the G40 has a lot more controls on it so I may just keep it.  I just want to do a lot more travel this year and next and I don’t want to carry around a lot of equipment with me.  Shoot me a quick email or leave a comment telling me what you think or giving me suggestions.  

But yeah, time to think over the next two to three months to see what I will do once Apple iPadOS comes out in September.

The new Apple iPadOS

I honestly cannot wait until Apple releases Apple iPadOS.  It’s honestly the updated every iPad owner has been waiting for.  So far my four favourite things about the operating system are dark mode, mouse support, external hard drive support and the ability to import files from an SD card directly onto the iPad or an external hard drive.  I just have to buy an external USB-C hub and I can attach my earphones, a hard drive, an external mic and an SD card  with the SD card slot.  This OS is why I bought the 2018 Apple iPad Pro in the first place.  With the exhorbitant prices Apple is asking for their laptops, the iPad was a better choice.  The keys actually function properly and the iPad doesn’t underclock the CPU when it’s put into heavy use.  I just hope that my apps will be updated to use the new iPadOS functionality.  I only use LumaFusion for video editing, Pixelmator Pro, Affinity Photo  and  Darkroom to edit my photos.  I also use the iPad as a media consumption device.

I can finally get rid of my late 2013 MacBook Pro and the Asia Windows laptop I got last year.  I won’t need the laptops anymore.  The 2018 Apple iPad Pro will be able to do everything I want.  

The list of software I currently use is Affinity Photo, PixelMator Pro, Darkroom and LumaFusion for my microstock agency business.  I of course use iTunes for music and AppleTV and YouTube for videos.  When the Apple TV service is started in September I will of course subscribe to it.  I already subscribe to Apple Music and Netflix.  I’ll probably end up killing of Netflix when the Apple TV subscription starts.  Netflix sucks right now and has been sucking for a while now.

I’m just thinking about what Apple announced at WWDC2019 and I have to laugh at their arrogance charging $999US for a damn monitor stand.  It’s a monitor stand!!!!!!!!  With what they’re charging for a monitor, they should have included the damn monitor stand.  It’s unreal what they’re charging for the new Mac Pro, the new monitors and the stand that they just announced.  I get it.  It’s high end and it’s for companies that make a killing in movies, commercials and that stuff.  But for me, it’s far overprice.  In the end, I’ll probably just end up buying an iPad every three to four years and spend $2000 on it.  I already have the needed accessories like the keyboard and Apple Pencil.  Now that the iPad is going to have mouse support, I probably won’t even need the Apple Pencil.  I can’t draw worth a damn.  I might just use it to write notes to myself.  But that’s about it.

The only problem with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro

This weekend, my girlfriend and I visited Niagara Falls, Ontario.  I took my Sony RX100 Mark VI and my 2018 Apple iPad Pro with 512GB.  I shot a lot of photos and footage.  We got home around 7:30pm on Sunday.  I uploaded the pictures off of the SD card I use with my Sony RX100 Mark VI.  The iPad Pro, specifically iOS 12 cannot read the Sony file system.  It can get the pictures but not the video because most manufacturers store all the pictures in the DCIM folder.  Sony uses a different file structure.  I think from now on I will have to use my Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder to shoot my video. I only shoot 1080p as I think 4K video is overkill.

I think my solution will have to either bring my Canon Vixia HF G40 with my tripod or buy a smaller Canon camcorder like the Canon Vixia HF R800.  I’m supposed to get a nice tax return next week hopefully so I’ll go to my favourite camera store here in Ottawa and pick it up.  It should be only $300-$400 to pick up a small camcorder like that.

On a complete side note, Niagara Falls is way overpriced as far as your stay and food.  Going to a restaurant is not worth it if you eat close to Niagara Falls.  A complete tourist trap.

The 2018 Apple iPad Pro is a computer replacement

I abosulutely love it.  It is truly an amazing device.  I have not needed to get onto a laptop since I purchased the 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive.  My only regret is not getting the 1TB hard drive with the 1GB of RAM version of the iPad Pro.  Over the past weeks I’ve purchased 4 dongles for my iPad Pro.  I’ve purchased the USB-C to USB-A dongle.  I actually bought two.  I bought the USB-C to headphone adapter so I can listen to music and I bought the USB-C to SD card adapter.  I also bought the Apple Pencil 2 along with the Apple Keyboard Folio which by the way is awesome.  It’s not back lit like other keyboards and it doesn’t have the function keys which I really don’t miss.  I thought Face-ID was a gimmick but once it’s setup it works flawlessly for all my apps and websites that I visit that have passwords.  I don’t even need to type in my passwords after the first time.  I like how Apple thought that out.

I have purchased apps for photo and footage editing.  Affinity Photo and LumaFusion are both amazing apps.  The rest of the apps were either free or or costing less than $6.00.  I can attach my Yeti mic to do podcasts.  Found a free podcast app today thanks to the Apple website.  Yes I am going to do podcasts.  I hate being in front of a camera so podcasts will do.  They will be short and will deal mainly with photography.   

I honestly don’t need a mouse.  I have eight fingers and two thumbs that I can use to write and touch the amazing screen on the iPad Pro.  For finer detail work in my photography of when editing my footage, I can use the Apple Pencil 2.  I don’t think I even need an external hard drive as I pay Apple $12.99 a month for 2TB of storage.  If need be I can always purchase a wireless 4TB hard drive from Western Digital

For my photography, I use a Sony RX100 Mark VI which I can attach through the supplied Sony USB cable and and a USB-C to USB-A adapter.  I can use the Apple USB-C to SD card for my footage shot with the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder.  There is absolutely nothing else that I need.  No laptop, no desktop.  The iPad Pro comes with me everywhere along with my Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I tell ya it’s a great combination for a single shooter type photographer.  The less I have to carry, the better.

I am one happy guy with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I purchased the PaperLike screen protector which is in the mail and should be here soon.  Once that is applied to the iPad Pro, I will be secure in knowing that the iPad Pro is secured in practically every way.  I am so happy with this device.  

The 2018 Apple iPad Pro - Total computer replacement

I got the 2018 Apple iPad Pro about two and a half weeks ago now and I have not touched my early 2013 Apple MacBook Pro or my Microsoft Windows 10 gaming laptop since.  The iPad Pro does everything I need and faster.  Today after going to morning service with my girlfriend we decided to have lunch and go for an afternoon drive in the country since we haven’t done that in months.  I took my Sony RX100 Mark VI with me to do some quick side of the road photography.  

After coming home and changing I took out the SD card reader USB-C dongle I bought from Apple and inserted the SD card into the reader.  I plugged it into the iPad Pro via the USB connection.  And nothing.   No application opened up and nothing happened.  I unplugged the card reader from the iPad Pro and took out the SD card.  I replugged in the SD card reader and re-installed the SD card.  And nothing.  A quick online YouTube search and I have to plug the Sony RX100 Mark VI directly into the camera.  When I got the iPad Pro, I purchased a USB-A to USB-C converter.  I plugged my USB-A cable into the camera and into the USB-C to USB-A converter and voila.  On the Sony  line of cameras, you have to set the camera to be a mass storage device for the Apple iPad Pro to recognize the camera and SD card where the pictures are stored..

I have yet to try using my Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro but I am assuming that it’ll just as easy if not easier to import video files.  Yesterday I purchased 2TB of online storage with Apple as I plan to only use the iPad Pro for the foreseeable future.  I am hoping that iOS 13 will support external hard drives.  I a m so hoping for that.  I can actually do with out a mouse for the Apple iPad Pro.  The Apple Pencil 2 does the job of a mouse just fine.

The apps I use mostly are LumaFusion for video editing which I haven’t used yet.  I of course use Apple Photos to manage my photos along with Pixelmator, Affinity Photo and Google Snapseed to edit my photography.  To upload photos to Shutterstock I use Shutterstocks own app or if I have more than 100 photos to upload at one time I use FTP Client Pro to upload photos and footage to Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.  For writing the blog I use BigTouch Pro.  For other documents like my resume I use Apples own Apple Pages.  For spreadsheets it’s Apple Numbers.  For music, it’s Apple iTuens of course.  Yes iTunes needs a rework but it suits my needs just fine so far.

The only downsides of the 2018 Apple iPad Pro are all the dongles and support for an external hard drive.  In hind sight I should have probably purchased the 1TB Apple iPad Pro.  I know there are other options out there for external storage like wireless hard drives and I probably will look into that at some point.  But right now storage is not an issue.

In conclusion, the 2018 Apple iPad Pro is just an amazing device.  It is not perfect but it’s close to being a full computer replacement for most people who just consume media, surf the net and check emails.  There are pretty much apps for everything.  For the every day mom and pop photographer, an iPhone and an iPad are pretty much all you will need.  Maybe some storage with Apple, Google, Dropbox, Amazon or another provider and you’re pretty much set.  The girlfriend and I are planning on traveling a lot this year so it’s much better for me to just carry around an iPad and one or two cameras.  Currently I am shooting with a Sony RX100 Mark VI, a Sony RX10 Mark II and a Canon Vixia HF G40.  For most photography I will be using the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  For time lapse, I can use the Sony RX10 Mark II.  For sit down stuff I can use either the Sony RX10 Mark II or the Canon Vixia HF G40.  All will work wonderfully with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I cannot wait for the spring, summer and fall to come.

The perfect computer that really isn’t

The perfect computer that really isn’t a physical style like computer but is a computing device.  Of course I am talking about the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I’ve been using the 2018 Apple iPad for a week now as my daily driver to check and reply to emails, media consumption and photo and footage editing device.  I have not even touched my Windows 10 based PC or my early 2013 Apple MacBook Pro.

What I love about the iPad is the portability and accessabitilty.  It is always on and always with me.  I can be setup in less than 15 seconds.  Just pull it out of my carrying case and plop it onto a table.  I have all the apps that I could possibly want.  And the apps are totally inexpensive.  I think I pad $20 Canadian for Luma Fusion to edit footage.  I bought Affinity Photo for $29 for the iPad Pro.  Those are the most expensive apps that I’ve purshased for the iPad and they are all that I really need.  I bought some blogging software for $7.  I’ll have to buy an FTP app to upload footage to Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.  The Apple Pencil 2 is now my mouse.  It’s exactly like a mouse except in a different form factor.   I can take my iPad Pro along with my Sony RX100 Mark VI with me anywhere and I can just blend in without carrying a huge DSLR and laptop with me.  Just my iPad and my pocket camera.

The downsides of the iPad is the dongle life and no support for external hard drives connected via USB-C.  Hopefully iOS 13 will at least fix the external hard drive problem.  You can already connect a 4K monitor to the iPad Pro   I really don’t want to connect to a WI-FI external hard drive.  While working with the iPad, I’ve found workarounds and solutions to the iOS 12 file system.  I haven’t tested my SD card holding my Sony RX100 Mark VI shots yet.  I plan to do that this weekend.  I’ve read somewhere Sony and the iPad file systems are incompatible but that’s just a rumour so far.  I want to test it out for myself.

Now time to go do some photography.

An end to an era

It’s truly an end to an era for me.  I bought my first Apple product probably back around 2005 or 2006.  Since then, I’ve always had an Apple computer beside my iPhone or an iPad.  I’ve actually only had one Samsung product since about 2008.  I’ve always had an iPhone beside my MacBook Pro.  Now that I have the 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive, I no longer need the Apple MacBook Pro.  I bought it in early 2013 just before my now ex wife and I went on a trip to Prague.  Later in 2016 I bought the 5k Apple iMac.  Both computer served me well.  I sold the iMac back in January 2019 and now I’m looking to sell the 2013 MacBook Pro.  It’s a great computer, don’t get me wrong.  It’s got 16GB of RAM and an SSD hard drive.  It’s great at editing my 1080p/60fps footage and my photos that I shoot with the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  It does have a hard time editing 4K footage.  Considering it’s now 6 years old, I don’t think it can handle the 4K footage I’d be throwing at it if I was shooting 4K footage.

I still have a Windows 10 laptop that I bought back in November 2018.  I’ll be using that for printing and scanning my timesheets for work and doing my taxes.  But I think for 99% of my daily needs, I’ll be using my 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I create and consume a lot of media.  I find that I can carry my iPad with me anywhere with my Sony RX100 Mark VI all in one bag and I can be setup in literally less than a minute.  The iPad is always on unless I’m doing an iOS install that needs a reboot.  Apps on the iPad don’t need to reboot the tablet like a program many need to reboot a laptop or a PC.  I haven’t ran the iPad the whole day yet as I’m at work pretty much the whole day.

The apps I currently run are Luma Fusion for footage editing and Affinity Photo for photo editing.  I also use Snapseed and Camera+ 2 in a pinch.  I use the Shutterstock app to upload any photos I shoot with my Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I actually haven’t even had a chance to test that out yet as work has been very busy the last few months.  

I’m currently sitting at a coffee shop writing this post on my iPad Pro just relaxing, writing and listening to music.  It is truly relaxing. Got the ear pods in and just typing away.  Not that I couldn’t do this with my MacBook Pro but this is just more convenient.  I just open up the iPad and open my app and start typing.  I have iTunes running in the background pumping out some cool tones that I relax to.  And considering I live in Canada, I’m sipping on some really warm Timmies steeped tea.  No coffee for this bad boy.

I am really impressed with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro and my Apple iPhone 8+.  I don’t think for most of my productivity on a regular day, I won’t need anything else.  My iPhone, iPad and Sony RX100 Mark VI and I’m all set.  I am truly mobile.  I don’t need to carry around a 4-6 pound laptop.  This iPad weighs less than 2.5 pounds.  I’m pretty sure, in the next ten years, Apple will make the iPad into just a clear sheet of glass that will bend.  On purpose.  ;) 

Blogging off the new 2018 Apple iPad Pro 12.9”

This will be my first blog post from the brand new 2018 Apple iPad Pro 12.9” with the 512GB hard drive and the 4GB of RAM. I can tell you that this thing is truly amazing. It is incredibly fast. It feels blazingly fast compared to my early 2013 Macbook Pro and my 2018 Asus Windows 10 laptop. I finally got the keyboard folio today. I went to the Apple store today again and asked if they had the keyboard folio and neither Apple store in Ottawa did. Best Buy doesn’t even have any keyboards available for the 2018 iPad Pro. I went to one of the local Staples stores and they had none either. They did mention that one of the other Staples stores half way across the city had two and that was the only Staples store in Ottawa to have any. I rushed to the Staples store in the South Keys neighbourhood to grab one. The iPad doesn’t come with anything except a USB C cable and a power brick. That’s it. I so far have purchased a dongle for my earphones which work with my external speakers. I had to buy a USB C to USB A dongle to attach my Blue Yeti mic which works flawlessly. I still need to buy an SD Card dongle so I can transfer my photos and footage from my Canon Vixia HF G40 and my Sony RX100 Mark VI point and shoot camera that I use for my photography business. Now I have to find a proper blogging software since this software I am using now is very limited in its abilities. Also I have to find some voice editing software to remove hiss and clicks from my sound files when I do voice overs for my videos when I actually start doing that. My desk is also littered with cables for these various attachments I have for the iPad Pro. The screen on this is absolutely amazing. The sound quality coming straight from the speakers are truly fantastic. It’s amazing the technology that is in the 2018 iPad Pro. The Apple keyboard is actually pretty good. I can get buy with it. I don’t mind that there is no true multitasking on the iPad Pro. I can actually concentrate on doing just one thing and not multitasking on a few things at once. The fact that there is no mouse is ok. The Apple pencil v2 does all that I need so far and more. I haven’t had a chance play with the Apple pencil yet as I’m still learning the ins and outs on the iPad Pro. The work flow is different for sure than working on a Macbook Pro or a Windows PC. The only limitation that I can currently see is that there is absolutely no support for an external hard drive. I am hoping that with iOS 13, support for external hard drives will happen as I only have the 512GB hard drive in the iPad Pro. Work wise, my contract with CMHC is coming up in 3 weeks and my boss is trying to get us into Shared Services Canada. I also have my name for a deskside support position with Global Affairs Canada which I am not fond off. I do hope we get into Shared Service Canada. I’m 99% sure my girlfriend will get into Fisheries and Oceans which means she’s staying in Ottawa. I still want to go out west to Calgary. I cannot stand Ottawa. I hate this province. I hate this city. I need to get out.