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A Mylio RAW+JPEG Mobile Workflow

PhotoJoseph's picture
March 23, 2016 - 8:00pm

Mylio is an app I'm enjoying more and more to organize and edit my personal photos. As many readers know, I'm a big fan of both RAW+JPEG as well as using my iPad in place of a laptop wherever possible. There's a problem though; even though when you import pictures to your iOS device using an SD Card Reader you get both the RAW and JPEG files, when you then import into Mylio, the JPEG is left behind. (And curiously, as you'll see in this video I thought that the RAW was being left behind, as I'm quite sure that's what happened to me over the weekend… curious).

I've found a workaround that, while it does take some advanced setup and does require a good internet connection, will in fact get both your RAW and JPEG files into Mylio, and even bring them in as a matching pair (as it should).

About half way into this video I start down a path of trying a different workflow, which — spoiler alert — doesn't quite work out ;-) Once you see the meat of it, I won't hold it against you if you stop watching the rest.

(The app I use to move files around in this video is PhotoSync.)

Level:
Intermediate
App:
mylio PhotoSync
Platform:
macOS iOS Android Windows
Author:
PhotoJoseph

Thanks for the video. I really want to share your enthusiasm for Mylio and use it (over Photos) as my primary photo management app for my iPad Pro and desktop. However, for me the great Achilles heel is it extremely limited editing capabilities (and inability to “export” a RAW (or full sized jpg) image to a third party application to edit). Until this limitation is either solved (or you find an alternate workflow), I find it hard to use it as an every day application. Any thoughts?

 

Chewbacca,

Mylio most certainly does work with third party editors. Just go to Photos > Open With > [any app]. You'll see a list of every app in your system that can handle the file. My complaint here is that if you've edited the image already in Mylio, those edits are discarded when you open in another app, making it complicated to start in Mylio and finish elsewhere. But it most certainly does support third party apps.

If you're referring to Mylio on iOS, that does have a size limitation in that it will send a scaled down version out, but sadly most apps do. I wrote an article on that a while ago, in my quest for a RAW iOS workflow.

@PhotoJoseph
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Thanks for your response. I guess my comment was not as clear as I wanted. I am aware of the “open with” option. But as you mentioned, Mylio on iOS will automatically reduce the size of image when exporting (therefore no RAW editing on 3rd party app). Also, any edits on these apps does not seem to follow the image back to Mylio. These are the two major drawbacks that prevent me from using Mylio on my iPad Pro. 

Following one of your recent posts, I am actually enjoying using the updated version of Lightroom Mobile as it allows me to import the full size jpg from the Photos app, has an impressive variety of editing features, and allows me to save the full sized image back to Photos.

I would love for Mylio to create a full featured editing suite (but I am not sure that is their goal for the application). The inability for Mylio on iOS to export a RAW image to a 3rd party application is, I presume a restriction of Apple’s iOS, as no other application is able to do this (I think)

 

 

Gottcha. First, there are hardly any apps on iOS that even read RAW files, and all that do other than Mylio use the same open source RAW decode, and it's crap (from what I've seen at least). So you would need/want to do the RAW decode in Mylio regardless, then send somewhere else. The non-full size export of the JPEG is indeed a problem. I had a long chat with the founder a while ago and he recognizes the issue. No commitment on a fix, although I think it's coming.

Is there an app I'm missing on iOS that would read the RAW file that you want to send it to from Mylio?

@PhotoJoseph
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Photoshop express for iOS can read raw files, edit them and export them to full size jpeg :-) and it uses adobe camera raw, not open source stuff

Hi!

I think about buying a iPad Pro (9,7 inch), but I still didn’t understood how I could import RAW-images from my Canon 60D. As I understood right now, it’s impossible to edit the raw file on the iPad. But is it possible to import and “sort” images with the Photos app? And later on, thanks to iCloud-Sync, edit the raw images on the Mac using Photos and the OX0 Optics Pro extension (thanks for this tipp!)? Or do I have to use tools like Mylio? I think that it would save my time, if I could sort the images (and delete the bad images) during vacation and then - back at home - optimize the RAW images. Sound like that is possible: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204977

Thanks

Sebastian 

Sebastian,

Import is done using the Apple SD card reader. This will automatically import your RAW and JPEG files. If you only shoot RAW, it'll import those but you'll only be working with the embedded JPEG (which may or may not be full size; that depends on your camera). 

The only reasonable RAW decoder on iOS I've come across is Mylio.

There isn't much sorting in Photos.app — you can mark as favorites and move into albums but that's about it. 

If you're using Photos.app as your primary organizer, then yes you can just use Photos on iOS and OS X and everything will sync beautifully. You don't have RAW decode on the iPad though.

@PhotoJoseph
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Hi Joseph,

did you test if the RAW-images are synchronized with the mac via iCloud, so that I can optimize the images on my Mac? My idea: Use the iPad for travel and to import and sort (especially delete bad images!) and then optimize the RAW images on Photos for Mac with the extension OX0 Optics Pro, which is really great. 

BTW: I tried Optics Pro as a standalone app, but I’m unable to import images from my camera and to organize them. These features are really simple.

Thanks

Sebastian

Yes Sebastian, RAW+JPEG will sync back to your Mac in Photos via iCloud. It's one of the few things Photos got right from day 1 ;-) 

DxO Optics Pro is great. It's not really an organizer though; it just views what's in the Finder.

@PhotoJoseph
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Hello Joseph. Thank you for all the great ideas and feedback. Our developers have been following your blog, and we put a juicy new feature into Mylio v1.7 based on your feedback. We have optimized Mylio’s memory usage for all file types (RAW & JPEG) in order to enable us to export images at full resolution. Mylio will now export images (both RAW & JPEG) at full resolution as long as the iOS device has enough RAM to do so. You can expect roughly the following RAM vs. export sizes:

  • 512 MB (iPad 2/iPad Mini): ~18 megapixels
  • 1 GB (iPhone 5/6, iPad Air): ~36 megapixels
  • 2 GB (iPhone 6s, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro 9.7”): ~72 megapixels

Note that these sizes aren’t exact as most iOS devices report the installed RAM a little smaller than the actual value (500 MB vs. 512 MB). Devices with low memory can still export larger images to a point, but they will do so at a reduced resolution - should still be better than the old 2048 pixel limit.

Again, thank you for all of your thoughtful writing about Mylio, and we hope you enjoy this new feature.

Mylio’s Marketing Magus, developing digital communication systems designed to support a thriving Mylio user community. He is a new father, a music producer, and an avid student of the human ability to progress toward awesomeness.

This is such great news… thank you!

@PhotoJoseph
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Can Mylio be used exclusively for RAW editing on iPad without any need for syncing services?.. if so how does it compare to Filterstorm Neue, Photoshop Express and the likes.

You can use Mylio to manage and edit RAW on iPad offline. All edits are non-destructive and saved in Mylio, and can be exported as stated above. And, the next time your iPad joins a network with any of your other Mylio devices, files and edits are synchronized automatically.

I hadn’t tried this yet, so I asked Matt B on our customer service team to give it a go while I captured on video. It is super rough, but you can view it here.

Mylio’s Marketing Magus, developing digital communication systems designed to support a thriving Mylio user community. He is a new father, a music producer, and an avid student of the human ability to progress toward awesomeness.

That would require a subscription of sorts to Mylio as it states Mylio Max or premium required for editing in your video… 

My request was for editing a RAW file I could import through Camera Roll into Mylio and edit that RAW natively on iPad and not have to rely on any syncing.. once my edit was complete, export the final image as TIFF to camera roll.

I commend the speed (almost realtime) of syncing the edits using your service but I was more inclined to use you Mylio app on iPad as an editing platform when I am away from my Mac and not be tied to any subscription service.

please advise if this is possible… 

 

 

If I may…

The app itself is free and there is a free usage tier but at some point they need to charge. Methinks that RAW editing, which requires regular updates, is worth charging for. So no, there is no free tier that includes native RAW iOS decoding and editing. The free apps that do use an open source RAW decoder which, frankly, sucks. Mylio's RAW decode is quite good.

Speaking personally here… I too used to balk at subscription pricing. Adobe really hit us with the $50 per month pricing on the CC suite. But once I got over the initial shock, I came to accept that this is a better way to do things. First off, who wants to pay $1800 or whatever it used to be for the entire suite. Second, how crappy is it that two years after paying that you no longer have the latest version and you have to pay a huge fee to upgrade again? With the subscription model, the $50/mo hurts less and guarantees I'll have the latest version at all times.

I like subscription pricing. It's easier to stomach and it's nice knowing that I'm supporting my favorite developers regularly. Plus if I decide I hate the app, or the company pisses me off, I can cancel and pull the plug immediately. It's not like I gave them $1800 of my dollars at once.

@PhotoJoseph
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I have no intention of gaining the edit functions for Free.. sorry if my post was interpreted that way…

I would be happy to pay a premium price for a mobile app that would allow me such a function as I have before (Filterstorm and Filterstorm Pro I have purchased at every paid version the developer made since the first version of said app.. I believe in supporting the developers of great apps)

An in app purchase in Mylio that would allow RAW editing and no syncing I would gladly pay for… if a user wants the sync capabilities, allow membership as usual in settings.

I also do art on my iPad and have purchased many (if not all) Art apps worthy enough to be on my PAd and some I purchased to try out and find that it does not suit my need.. never have I asked for a refund.. 

Many apps like Procreate have added features to their app as In app purchase and I have paid each one..many are great additions to my workflow but some I never use but  still purchased just as a way to support the dev.

I would not have minded subscribing to Mylio or Adobe for that matter if I was to use the syncing capabilty.. but My workflow is mainly using my external hard drive onsite and just offloading to my Mac at home… no internet feature in between.. I would have been happy if Photos I edit on my iPAd would sync to my MAc (edits in tow) just by clicking sync when I plug in my iPAd via USB.. call me old fashioned if you will.

Once again, I am sorry if my earlier post was misinterpreted and my intention was never to obtain any feature for free.. 

 

 

No worries. And actually I like that suggestion… add RAW decode via in-app purchase for those who choose not to subscribe. I like it!

@PhotoJoseph
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Sorry I missed the mark a bit. Here is a new video I shot this morning with the amazing Mack in Customer Service importing RAW direct from his camera using the Apple Camera Connection Kit > Camera Roll > Mylio, Edit in Mylio, Export full resolution JPEG > Camera Roll (or any other export option in Mylio).

Watch the Video ]

Mylio’s Marketing Magus, developing digital communication systems designed to support a thriving Mylio user community. He is a new father, a music producer, and an avid student of the human ability to progress toward awesomeness.

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