Syncing video from DSLR to iPad

Question

Level 1

16 points

Syncing video from DSLR to iPad

I would like to watch video's I shot with a Nikon D7000 on my iPad. I thought it would simply be a task of connecting my camera to my Mac, have Aperture import all photo's and video's and ticking a checkbox in iTunes to sync my iPad. Not so, below is my current workflow, which fills my HDD rather quickly.

1. Shoot video with DSLR

2. Sync with Aperture (1st copy on HDD aka 'original' since I format the SDXC cards after backing up)

3. Time Machine (2nd copy on HDD/SDD)

4. Aperture Vault (3rd copy)

5. Time Machine (4th)

6. Want to watch it on iPad? You need to:

a) find the file in the Aperture package (~Pictures/Aperture Library.aplibrary/Masters/yyyy/mm/dd/yyyymmdd--hhmmss/DLSRvid.MOV)

b) Import it into iTunes (copy #5, Time Machine #6) and convert it to an .mp4 (Advanced/Create iPad or Apple TV Version) (copy #7, Time Machine #8)

I presume that iTunes is clever enough to not backup the actual media from your iOS device when it is syncing and creating a backup but merely backs up the pointers to the files, the playlists etc (that way iTunes can still restore the iOS device if the media is still on your Mac).

Still, the amount of duplicates gets out of hand I think. I can still add two more HDD's in my Mac, but what about people on different Mac's? Are they starting out with an external drive, then upgrade by getting a bigger one, then getting a NAS or Media Server in the basement or something?

What will the cost be when people start to move to SSD?

Anyone knows a better way?

Thanks much!

Cheers,

Phil Boogie

Mac Pro, 30" Cinema Display

Posted on Aug 23, 2011 4:43 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 23, 2011 6:51 PM in response to Phil Boogie

One big problem here is the iPad doesn't support many video formats.

I think it would be easier to Export Master from Aperture, do the conversion and trash the exported video (you would still have a copy in Aperture and all those multiple backups).

I use ElGato's h.264 Turbo to do the conversions. This software/hardware combination has a preset for iPad and rips the files to a format suitable for iunes/iPad and reduces their file size immensely, too. Once it does the conversion it places the file in Movies within iTunes.

Sync iPad, done!

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Aug 23, 2011 11:40 PM in response to Phil Boogie

Don't import the movies to Aperture. Add them to your iTunes Library instead. Save a whole lot of steps and duplication.

Regards

TD

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Answer 3

Jun 11, 2012 8:10 AM in response to Yer_Man

Ive just got the new iPad and trying to build it into my photography and filmmaking workflow, my Nikon D7000 shoots in a format that is played by iPad nicely and handles raw files as well. At the moment the camera adaptor thing imports the photos in to the iPad and then it transfers them all into Aperture just as another hard drive which is pretty handy. With the video however it seems clunky, I handle lots and lots of 1080p video and the only way that seemed to work is by importing it into aperture and then exporting it back to a hard drive, which is ridiculous and clunky workflow and just wastes time and space on your hard drives. I have found a temporary work around, when you import the video into Aperture you can select where it's actually stored, IE, specify that it be stored on another section of the hard drive, so it creates a link to the video in the Aperture project file (has a little arrow on it) and the actual full file is stored on the hard drive or location that you choose. It's pretty clunky but its the best workaround so far. If anyone else has any suggestions!

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Answer 4

Phil Boogie Author

Level 1

16 points

Jun 12, 2012 3:33 AM in response to Spielberg Disciple

Aperture remains a photo management application. They merely added the 'video bit' so people could have it all in one app. For me, I don't import the video's into Aperture as it generates previews which are quite large. I have my (managed) library on a SSD PCIe card and don't want to waste the space. I think it's easier to import the video's seperately by using Image Capture.

Phil

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