Editing Video on an iPad? Here's the Best Way to Do It

Get the most out of video editing on your portable workstation iPad by learning how Ted Forbes of The Art of Photography gets it done.

If you've spent any time getting familiar with video editing on a full-fledged desktop computer, getting used to editing on an iPad can be quite a challenge even when you know exactly what you need do to. This is something that's always frustrated me with tablets like the iPad because it seems to always take five taps to do what I know takes one simple click on the computer. However, it appears that Forbes has found a great video editing app called Lumafusion that is far more powerful than others I've tried in the past. Forbes goes as far to say that editing in Lumafusion is faster than his desktop computer.

What's great about this video is that it goes through an entire video edit to show in detail all the features that are necessary to creating your own videos. Above that, Forbes lets us in on some helpful tips about creating video beyond the mechanics of using the app.

Have you tried video editing on an iPad? Share your experience in the comments below.

Ryan Mense's picture

Ryan Mense is a wildlife cameraperson specializing in birds. Alongside gear reviews and news, Ryan heads selection for the Fstoppers Photo of the Day.

Log in or register to post comments
11 Comments

I agree, Lumafusion is a beast of an editor for the iPad. Super smooth.

I work at a TV station in Canada. Our entire newsroom recently went through training to edit stories in the field on Lumafusion on iPad pros. It's being adopted by the entire network.

I just got a gen 3 iPad, my first iPad. This looks like a great option to get me out of my office and able to work around the house when editing. How is footage transferred from camera to iPad, though? Is it done wirelessly? Do people keep one or two projects' worth of footage on an iPad and then delete that footage when finished editing? I could see storage filling up quickly.

At the moment people are taking the memory card out of the Panasonic UX-180 cameras, and transferring the footage via card reader into the Photos app. And I think footage is being shot at a lower bitrate 1080p for speed and because top quality isn't as necessary in TV news.

I do 80% of my editing with lumafusion on iPad Pro that I bought just for the app. It’s really that good. Did learn about the copy and paste from clip function from video, I would just make preset every time for multiple clips.

Oh, going to have a look at this, thanks for the eyes up and run-through.

As anyone used the iPhone version?

Sounds like a great workflow. For example doing a real estate video and editing it onsite before you arrive home. The ability to get away from your desk at home or the office can only be a good thing. Editing anywhere whether it be photos or video is the key to turning work around a lot quicker for you clients. Looking forward to testing this!

This is great and all, but what's the benefit to editing on a platform like this versus a laptop?

For me it's just about the portability of a tablet compared to a high powered laptop. I don't have to lug around a heavy laptop with a mouse, power brick, etc. when I can easily pull out an iPad from my camera bags and edit virtually anywhere (patio, couch, inside a tent or even on the beach).

With a tablet you have more portability than a laptop. I never feel comfortable doing any work on a laptop unless I'm either at a desk or table.

And as far as performance goes, Lumafusion will outperform many laptops in doing quick fast edits. It will also handle many more advanced editing features like green screen and keyframes.

Yes, Premiere is more powerful but Lumafusion does offer a lot for a portable device that will more than satisfy many content creators.