What are the main difference between aperture and iPhoto?

Aperture being very specifically a pro app there are lots of differences, the handling of RAW images being the most noteworthy. Personally I suggest folks use iPhoto until a) they start shooting RAW capture or b) they find they want to do something iPhoto cannot do.

All users IMO should also become conversant with a specific image editing app like GIMP or Pixelmator.

HTH

-Allen

To elaborate a little on Allen's advice:

• Aperture is designed to handle large photo libraries. If you want to organize more than 10000 images or so, you should consider Aperture. In iPhoto is no save and easy way to move parts of your photo library to an external disk.
• Aperture can be configured and adapted to your workflow. You can define presets for edits, exports, etc. The drawback is, you have to configure Aperture before you can use it. Aperture is not "plug-and-play". You need to read the manual and to understand the basic concepts, before you can start to set up your library. In iPhoto is only one way to do the basic operation; no need to set any parameters. You can start right away. The only problem is, there is no way to do things differently, if you are not happy with the default.

Regards

Léonie

Think of the difference between iMovie and Final Cut, between TextEdit and Word and you'll get some idea. Aperture has more options all through the workflow: importing, managing, processing and exporting. iPhoto does all these things, just a lot less options.

I think you need to ask yourself what kind of photographer are you.

Family snapper with a point and shoot camera, use for birthdays and vacations, sharing with the grandparents? Shooting with a phone and uploading to Facebook? iPhoto is easy to use and designed with you in mind.

A pro or serious hobbyist? Shooting Raw or high volumes? Very focused on the quality of the final image? Want to spend time working with your photos, polishing and making them the best they can be? Aperture.

iPhoto uses exactly the same raw engine as Aperture and handles Raws in the same way. The difference is the amount of fine control available in Aperture. it has more options, allowing you to work at a finer detail than iPhoto. I do believe that Aperture is the much better app that iPhoto for Raw shooters, but the handling of Raw images is the same.

As iPhoto now uses the same Library as Aperture, I don't believe that you can say any longer that library size is an issue between the apps - and heretofore the suggested limit in iPhoto was 250,000 images. A 10k library in iPhoto is small these days. I have libraries 40k+ that work perfectly well.

Regards

TD

As iPhoto now uses the same Library as Aperture, I don't believe that you can say any longer that library size is an issue between the apps - and heretofore the suggested limit in iPhoto was 250,000 images.

TD, that is correct, but I was thinking of MacBook Pro users with limited space on internal drives. That question comes up regularly, and I am always hesitant to recommend referenced libraries to iPhoto users.

in iPhoto you still have no reliable tools to use referenced originals and reconnect them, if you need to replace your external drive. But for Retina Macs with limited internal SSD disk space you really want to be able to use referenced originals, when your library grows. Or did I miss something, and iPhoto now can reconnect originals? Otherwise you will need Aperture in addition to iPhoto, if you want to have a referenced library.

Regards

Léonie

I heartily agree with you about Referenced Libraries in iPhoto and so frequently advise against them that I have this link

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3062728?tstart=0

on a shortcut. And you are right, there are no tools to reconnect masters and so forth. My comment was just a response to the phrasing "If you want to organize more than 10000 images or so,...". That's not a limit of iPhoto, though may be perfectly vaild advice for a small storage area. In that case I recommend iPhoto users move the library to a larger disk.

Regards

TD

Yes, large iPhoto Libraries and Aperture libraries both work efficiently; it is more a question of handling the library packages that makes me fond of referenced libraries, if the size of the package approaches 100GB. If I accidentally have Aperture running, when TimeMachine is backing up, I do not need to worry about the size of the backup. Small libraries are safer to copy between devices, and if I keep the referenced library on my MBP I can it take on the road and don't have to carry an external drive as well.

I am travelling frequently, and I like to have my Aperture library with me, but not a collection of external disks.

If I remember correctly, Allen recently posted something similar on the disadvantages of large managed libraries.

Regards

Léonie

added: Thanks for the link, very useful!

recently I could not get it to do some of the things that I had been able to do in the past. I went in for a one to one lesson, thinking that I must be forgetting a step in the process.

What was the thing or things?

Workaround:

Create the page and lay it out as you want it in Pages. Export that as a pdf from Pages. Convert it to Jpeg with Preview. Import it to iPhoto and use it as a full page photo...

Regards

TD

FlowerG-

I have scanned many hundreds of negatives using expensive Nikon film scanners. Very tedious work, s l o w.

Service bureaus scan film and many do great jobs but a) they can be pricey and b) it means your negatives leave your possession, so IMO make sure you use a very reputable local firm. Personally I would not send one-of-a-kind irreplaceable negs off to some internet wholesale scanner.

The very top quality scans are drum scans done by an experienced talented operator. Last time I checked such scans cost ~$50 each. Unfortunately a lame operator can mean a lame scan, so one does need to be very conversant with the service bureau doing the scan.

Today various cheaper multi-purpose flatbed scanners also work. The Epson V-700 series is perhaps the most popular among graphics pros who can do without the definition provided by a film-only scanner like the Nikons.

The much cheaper Epson V-600 series may work for your needs if top quality scans are not required.

No scan, even a $50 drum scan, is as good as the original negative.

HTH

-Allen

flower girl,

may I ask you to post your new question as a new thread, please? 😉 For two reasons:

1. This thread is already very long, and it is unlikely you will get new answers to this question
2. If someone is seraching for answers in this forum, it is more likely that the answers will be found, if the title of the thread is specific to the question. As it is now, Allen's great answer to your question will be difficult to find by others with the same question.

Separate threads for separate questions help to make this forum a better archive for searching. Thank you.

Good luck with Aperture, iPhoto, and scanning!

Léonie