I do something in Ap that just blows my mind. Today was a day for building a new client album, selecting a group of shots from across several projects in different years.....the incredible power of the Ap database design and search/collating tools made this a piecacake...and I did this, wirelessly, on my laptop while on another floor of my home studio, with the main Library on the desktop downstairs..and I even did some last minute editing on a couple of several year-old images,
without +a thought+ for which exact file I was changing, where it was stored or if I needed to dupe it for backup (I use the Vault system exclusively)...
Yeah, I'm still desperate for 2.0...but this is a strong reminder to me why I am so impatient to see this awesome software design be fully and well-implemented.
As a user since day ONE with Ap, I have experienced (and lived to tell about it) many of the ups and downs of the product...and I'm weary of the little stuff that's still not right....but this thread is not intended to be another RANT....rather, a positive comment.
Yesterday I put in some time with the the new selection tools in Preview 4 (Leopard)...the "Instant Alpha" tool makes me believe that we can reasonably expect some awesome new tools with 2.0. And, the improvement in Spotlight's performance makes me believe that we can look forward to much better file handling in 2.0...and see improvement there as well....
I am seriously considering swithing for one reason: the length of time for Apple to enable Aperture to support new cameras. It took months for support of the Nikon D200, and now the same with the D300. And yes, Lightroom already supports both cameras. This serious flaw is of great concern considering how solid the program is otherwise.
The only other thing I'd add is it's hard to understand why Apple won't provide loyal users some ETA for support of new cameras. Again, there are other options; I'd like to stay with a program I really like.
I am really happy to read about Apeture users enjoying it.
After used other software I tried Aperture for 30 days found it as a very easy and good product. I usually shot slides then scanned and many are further performed in Monochrome. Though heard many people talk not so well about this tool, I consider it works fine and better than my previous software. The same happen with speed: though still on a Powerbook, I see Aperture as speed (or slow) as the latetest beta edition I was using at that time.
I suppose it may be a personal preference, but tools, browser, photo database and Monochrome are really well done. Speed its a matter of time: being a no prof shooter its really not a problem waiting few seconds to get my Monochrome the way I like. It is a pleasure watching the picture coming on!
It is a real well done software and I'll join to Merry Christmas and an Aperture New Year
🙂
I am a pro photographer. I shoot raw only and I use Nikon cameras. I use capture nx as my main software (slow yes but stunning result), I use Lightroom as my second software and I use sometimes Aperture.
The only other thing I'd add is it's hard to understand why Apple won't provide loyal users some ETA for support of new cameras. Again, there are other options; I'd like to stay with a program I really like.
I recall Joe Schorr (Aperture PM) dropping in on these forums to reassure Aperture users about a forthcoming raw update earlier this year ('07). That was a very welcome posting to a lot of folks.
I have to say...I gave LR a spin this weekend and I am trying to justify waiting a little longer and seeing what happens with AP, knowing that a 2.0 of LR is probably just as close. I've been an AP user for over a year and a half. I've amassed tens of thousands of images in by library.
I always told myself that I needed the dual monitor support of Aperture, etc...and when I started playing with LR, I didn't. What I found was that I was moving through images at a much more rapid pace, and that IMO, the RAW conversions from LR (ACR 4.3) are much more pleasing than AP. I still like the Aperture UI better, but there are aesthetics, and a program that works well. At the end of the day, I'll go with the application that is the best tool for my business...emotions aside.
For instance, I was able to sort through 800 images (from three different shoots), do some low level post, create three very elegant flash web galleries, and ftp them to production in just under 3 hours. I've never worked that quickly and been satisfied with presentation for the time. That same work in AP would have taken 5+ hours.
This isn't a dig on AP...but improvements have been a long time coming. I feel that if Apple is serious about this application, they need to be much more aggressive in development, and committed to over delivering a better product. I think LR has a lot of momentum right now. With each day they are losing the small percentage of photographers using AP to LR. It's a shame, because they had the lead "out of the gates". They knew they were taking on a 900 lb gorilla, and I can't help feel that they lazily brought a knife to a gunfight.
Seems like the biggest issue with Aperture is the lack of any development/release news to keep folks on the fence waiting. It would go a long way if there were news for which folks could pace their anticipations.
bob, so true. Now that' I've made the full migration to the other product I will not go back, no matter how good they say it is. That was $299 down the drain and I'll be a lot more cautious before I buy another professional app from our friends.
Good Luck.