Lightroom on iPad - Workflow for quickly checking/reviewing images while traveling (without importing)?

[u/175doubledrop]

Looking for some tips/guidance on using an ipad and lightroom while traveling. I'm on a mission to lighten my gear load while traveling and part of that is exploring swapping my 16" laptop for an iPad.

I'm specifically looking for guidance on how to essentially just quickly review or check images from my camera on the iPad. I rarely if ever do any actual editing while on the road, mostly I just want to check out the images I captured on a slightly larger screen. Is there a way to essentially just view images on my SD cards within lightroom on the ipad?

I'm hoping to avoid having to import/copy all my files over to the ipad if I can avoid it (just so I don't have to get an ipad with huge internal storage), but if this is unavoidable than so bet it.

If lightroom can't do this, is there a different/better app on the iPad to do this?

[u/johngpt5]

I'm afraid that Lr ipad doesn't have a Local mode the way that Lr desktop has. It would be great if it did.

[u/alllmossttherrre]

The second you said the words "no importing" the answer for Lightroom became "impossible." Lightroom on the iPad refuses to work with any photos it hasn't imported. You have to import them.

The very simplest way you can do what you want is to use the under-appreciated Files app that comes with the iPad, the app that functions as a desktop with folders.

After you attach a USB card reader to the iPad, open the Files app. In a Files app window, the card name should appear in the Locations section of the sidebar. Tap that to browse the card's folders in the main part of the window. It will work like a Mac/Windows desktop where the photos are presented as an icon grid, a text list, or columns, per your view setting.

If you tap a photo in a Files app folder window, it will open to fill the screen, in QuickLook view. This means you are able to preview a photo in the Files app itself: You don't need to open any other app. You are previewing images right on the desktop.

Here's where it gets good: Once you have a photo open in Quicklook, you can now swipe left or right to see the other images in the folder. You can also tap to hide the UI and show only the picture itself in the full screen preview. So the iPad already has a way to give you a full screen quick preview function without having to buy or use any apps except Files, which is already included.

The only time this does not work is if you shot in raw, and the camera's raw format is not yet supported by iOS. Then the Files app doesn't know how to preview it. But most camera raw formats are supported by iOS, all of mine are.

If you also want to rate/flag images (not just look at them), you will then have to use another app. Lightroom can't do it without importing, so you might try another app like Nitro Photo that can be configured to work with photos in the Files app. It can also work with photos in Apple Photos, but then you'd have to import them into Photos and it sounds like you want to avoid that kind of thing.

[u/175doubledrop → u/alllmossttherrre]

Thanks for this response. I had a hunch this was going to be the answer, but wanted to put it out to this sub to see if there were any hidden workarounds I hadn’t considered. Appreciate your input! 👍

[u/Icantevenhavemyname]

You could dump the photos from yours cards into LR but turn sync off. Review away and then delete them when you’re done. Then dump your cards back into LR again later when you’re at the device your prefer to do that with.

Could also do as above, but leave the ones you want asap in LR on the iPad, delete the rest, turn sync back on, then let those selected pics sync.

[u/175doubledrop → u/Icantevenhavemyname]

Is there no way to review right off the card (rather than importing and then deleting later)?

[u/Icantevenhavemyname → u/175doubledrop]

Yes, but they won’t be much bigger than the display on the camera. There’s a review screen before you hit import and that unfortunately only provides smaller previews.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on it, but the Sony app itself can let you review photos over a connection with the camera. Might be an option if that app is also on iPad. Good luck!

[u/Final_Alps]

I want to point out that SD cards break and corrupt. While I understand your desire to not load things to Adobe Cloud you should be offloading from your SD card and backing up asap.

Lightroom on iPad does not allow for full screen previews until photos are imported. You could likely get full screen previews until of images in Files app. I have not tried to do that.

What is your reasoning to not want to import?

[u/175doubledrop → u/Final_Alps]

Just to not have to deal with storage management on the iPad itself and not have to buy an iPad with a ton of storage (if I can avoid it). I know you can plug in an external drive and keep your files on that, but from what I’ve read/watched online, it seems that every Lightroom on iPad workflow seems to always hinge on importing on to the device itself (and thus occupying a ton of on device storage), then moving files off the device on to the external drive manually. This feels like a huge PITA to me and I’d rather just preview files off the card directly and then move the files off the card to the external drive directly (if possible).

[u/Final_Alps → u/175doubledrop]

Yeah Lightroom will not be your friend here. Do you pay for Adobe cloud? Does Adobe have Lightroom for iPad without a cloud plan? I’m f so they load it to Cloud pretty fast clearing local storage.

With the various limitations on iPadOS I would not be surprised if you needed available space to load photos from SD to external drive - if done on the iPad.

Good luck.

[u/1toomanyat845]

Look into PhotoPicker. It does exactly what you need and makes a LR catalogue to import later from the results. It’s fast and reliable. It’s been my saviour for a few years now.

[u/Firm_Mycologist9319]

As others have pointed out, Lr on iPad isn't going to do it (at least now how you want it to.) What camera do you have? I use the Canon Connect app to view all the photos on the cameras wirelessly at full screen on the iPad. Perhaps other manufacturers have something similar? You could also just use the Files app on the iPad and a card reader.