Apple iPad

Photo answers review

Photo answers rating

When the Apple iPad was first announced, a few us of here in the Photo Answers offices rolled our eyes in disbelief at what appeared to be a giant iPhone. Now, after having one in our possession for two weeks, we hate to admit it but we’re smitten. Between work and home the iPad has proved to be a handy device for a number of tasks, ranging from showing off photos to browsing the web in front of the TV, but is it really good enough for displaying photographic work?


With a 9.7in LED-backlit glossy widescreen the iPad is slightly smaller than an A4 print portfolio, but with excellent colour reproduction and clarity, images look fantastic when viewed with the built-in Photo app. IPS technology means the screen can be viewed from wide angles without colour, brightness and contrast being affected – exactly what you need when more than one person is viewing a screen. Then there’s the ability to zoom in and out of images using the pinch forefinger and thumb movement iPhone users have grown to love. In fact the Multi-Touch display is very responsive and provides a slick way of navigating the iPad’s interface.


Putting a portfolio together couldn’t be easier, but you will need iTunes (yes, really) on both Macs and Windows PCs. Mac users benefit from the ability to create albums in iPhoto, which can then be used as individual portfolios/slideshows. Windows users can import images and albums from Photoshop Elements and the ‘My Pictures’ folder through iTunes. Albums can then be viewed as customisable slideshows that can be stopped by touching the screen, at which point you can continue to move through the album manually with the ability to zoom into shots. Unfortunately when zoomed in the images aren’t as sharp as when viewed at full screen.


Conclusion
For all photographers, whether professional or amateur, showing off your work is an exciting part of the photographic process. A leather-bound folder or box-type portfolio have been the display options of choice for decades, but with tablet PC devices like the Apple iPad the landscape is beginning to change. The iPad presents a very competitive alternative to the traditional print portfolio, and over the long term it would be the cheaper option because you don’t have to pay for new prints. There’s no doubt that professional photographers will impress their clients using the iPad, and putting it into a portfolio-style case gives it a professional finish and protects it from knocks and bumps. And let’s not forget of course, you also have a convenient device for browsing the web, watching movies and listening to music among other things, without the need for a full size computer. The Apple iPad is full of potential and is a very attractive way of displaying photos, but the price is currently too high to make it a must-have gadget. 
www.apple.com/uk


Prices
iPad with Wi-Fi
16GB £429
32GB £499
64GB £599

iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G
16GB £529
32GB £599
64GB £699

NB: The iPad is also available on contract from leading mobile phone operators.