Using iPad for journalism/photography

I'm considering making the investment in getting an iPad, one with 4G. Wondering how people people have used it in the journalism field, and if they are able to do things like fully replace their note pads, etc.

As a sports journalist, I'm sure the stat keeping apps have the most bang for the buck probability. I've seen where ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Dave Burns uses one, which I've witnessed first hand on pit road at NASCAR races a couple of times. (http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2012/09/espns-dave-burns-reports-from-nascar-pits-with-help-from-his-trusty-ipad/)

I work as a sports editor, at least one game every night. I also regularly cover "hard news" (I'm a workaholic at a small newspaper...). I write and take photos.

I'm figuring I could use it to submit photos at an accident scene, but otherwise, if I'm filing photos or text on deadline from someplace, that place generally has wifi because about the only time I do that is at a state tournament. I don't see a touch screen replacing my MacBook as far as writing goes. But it seems like it'd be good from an all-in-one recording, note taking, stat taking device, etc.

I've seen an adapter to connect the iPad to usb devices. I'm assuming this would work for a CF card reader to put photos I've taken on the iPad, then transmitting them back to the newsroom via 4G?

 

While the new iPad has a nice camera, it may not be right for you. Most importantly, it doesn't have a flash, and there's no optical zoom. It's incredibly easy and quick to use, but it has no customization options.

Where the iPad could prove useful is with Photo Stream. Take a picture, and it's automatically uploaded to the iCloud. You can then access it on your iPhone or on your computer with iPhoto. And you can share certain pictures in your Photo Stream with a single tap, so people in the newsroom get access to the pictures immediately.

There is an iPad camera connection kit that allows you to import photos/videos either from an SD card or directly through USB. It should be compatible with most cameras.

Keep in mind that an iPad data plan starts at $15/month for 250 mb of data. Depending on how many pictures you're uploading to the Photo Stream while connected to AT&T/Verizon, you could hit that cap pretty quickly.

In the past, I have used Pages on an iPad with an Apple-made keyboard attachment. It's useful for taking notes, the keyboard is fairly comfortable, and documents get uploaded to the iCloud instantly. They're then available on Pages on my iPhone, or Pages on my laptop.

Hope this helps.

 

I would not use either camera for professional work.

If you had to, downloading from the Iphone to a computer is very easy and uses no data.

 

No, no. I would NEVER use the iPad's camera. I've spent too much money on SLRs for that, lol.

I'm more curious about whether it's possible to take photos with the SLR, then pop the CF card into a card reader, plugged in via the USB adapter for the iPad and transmitted that way. I would likely get the 5GB plan. I would only transfer a couple of photos, not whole gallery sets.

Besides photos, wondering how reporters have incorporated it into their daily coverage, both for any news reporters or the sports reporters out there as well.

 

One parent and a few coaches I deal with are using stats programs on the iPad. They work great. The parent has 4G and by the time I'm finished interviewing people, he already has emailed the stat pack to me.

Also, I've seen parents and coaches using iPads to shoot video of swimming and gymnastics. If shot up close, the results are certainly good enough for the little You Tube-style video drop-ins to use with online coverage packages. Of course, the problem with video isn't shooting it, it's finding the time to edit it into something remotely compelling.

Another idea: I keep a little point-and-shoot in my camera bag and use it to take photos of finished scorebook pages, wrestling bracket sheets, team practice schedules, etc. No more scribbling!

 

Yes: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/ipad-cf-sd-reader/

 

I've always taken shots of the scoreboard...but the last idea isn't something I really haven't thought of...hate scribbling while the impatient scorebook keeper/manager hovers over me staring at their watch..