Lightroom for iPad: Images are not sharp

[chrisPhoto89]

Dear community,

I am just trying to integrate an iPad into my workflow, intend to use the mobile version for browsing and star-rating my images.

So I set up a trial account for Lightroom mobile and synchronized some pictures. The problem is that my pictures are not sharp on the iPad, even though I selected full resolution in the app's preferences. If I do not zoom into an image, everything looks ok, but as soon as I zoom into it, it's totally blurred. Like this, I cannot use Lightroom for iPad to create a decent selection of images...

Any idea, what I might be doing wrong?

Thanks

Christopher

[john beardsworth]

So the images begin in Lightroom Desktop, and you're syncing them to the iPad. In this case, Lr syncs "smart previews" which are 2048 pixels on the longest edge. So zoom in more, and yes they'll be blurry. But in my experience, 2048 is sufficient for most rating and flagging. I don't make final keep/trash decisions with it though.

The "full resolution in the app's preferences" refers to files that have got into the system by newer methods such as importing raw files directly into the mobile device (eg via the camera kit) or dragging and dropping into lightroom.adobe.com in a web browser. See here.

Does that help?

John

[chrisPhoto89]

Dear John,

thanks for your help. You are right, I started with Lightroom Desktop. May I ask you three more questions:

1) Is there any way to sync full resolution files from Lightroom Desktop?

2) Is there any way to properly download previews to the Lightroom Mobile app, without opening each image in the first place and without having an internet connection later on? Something link synchronize images, load previews properly (not only when opening the image) and make them available offline.

3) Is there any import method for the iPad, if I only have CF-cards but do not want to use the camera connection kit directly with my camera? => Meaning I want keep shooting with my camera while images from my CF card get uploaded...

Take care

Christopher

[john beardsworth]

Re #1, not really, Christophe. You are able to get copies of full resolution files into LrM by copying them and using the browser drag and drop method or a route via Dropbox etc. Not fun, though it's handy for small numbers of videos (which don't normally sync from LrD).

Re #2, in LrM go to the individual collection, tap it, and Enable Offline Editing. The smart previews then have to sync down onto the device. Because LrM can only operate in the background for a certain time (iOS restriction) you will need to keep LrM open and

"babysit" the download process until you see everything is available offline. There is a progress bar.

As for #3, I'm not clear what you're asking but assume you mean directly to the iPad while it is offline. You can't import directly into LrM - you get the file into the iOS Photos or "Camera Roll", then LrM imports a copy from there, after which you can delete the file in Camera Roll. I use SD cards so I have never looked into CF readers, but I assume there must be an equivalent to the SD-Lightning connection with my iPhone.

John

[chrisPhoto89]

Dear John,

sorry about #3, what I had in mind was the following: There is no adapter for cf-cards to lightning. As far as I am aware, the official apple way is to use a USB cable and connect my dslr directly to the iPad. Obviously I cannot use my dslr in the mean time. Consequently I am looking for some possibility to get the cf card out of my camera to import the pictures...

While thinking about my usual use cases, I have another problem (not directly related to what I was asking you before): Let's assume I somehow manage to import original raws onto my iPad and I start browsing and rating my images. Getting home, I then want to start working on the good ones. Is there any way to quickly load my original raws onto the desktop with a card reader and only synchronize the rated catalog? If not, I'd have to wait forever until I can start working on my desktop...

Thanks for your help

Christopher

[john beardsworth]

OK, I didn't know the CF to Lightning issue, Christopher, but it's not that weird a requirement. Someone somewhere must have done that before. Maybe Apple don't provide one now, but maybe they did in the past, or maybe a third party?

When you add raws to LrM directly, they have to go up to Adobe's servers and then down to your catalogue. What you might do is shoot raw+JPEG, load the JPEGs into LrM, import the raws to LrD using the card reader, and then use my Syncomatic plugin to batch update the raw files from the JPEGs which have been synced automatically. It's essentially the workflow described in this post which dates from before raw files could be imported into LrM.

John

[chrisPhoto89]

Dear John,

thanks for your help.

Take care

Christopher