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| Apple Aperture 2.1.1 | 
 enlarge | From: Apple
Category: Software
List Price: $199.00
Buy New: $139.00
You Save: $60.00 (30%)
New (18)
Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 63
Format: Dvd-rom
Platform: Mac Os X
Media: DVD-ROM
Edition: Standard
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.7
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 5.1 x 0.7
MPN: MB673Z/A
Model: MB673Z/A
UPC: 885909249695
EAN: 0885909193608
ASIN: B000BX5IKI
Release Date: February 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent product, glad I bought it. April 21, 2008
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I have LIghtroom and Aperture on my MBP. I have decided to uninstall LIghtroom after using both for about a year now. Both are excellent,but with Aperture integrating my images into all my other programs is effortless. Also the price is now more competitive and the ability to use Photoshop style plugins make it a no brainer. Highly recommend.
Outstanding RAW Workflow Manager July 1, 2008
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
If you shoot in RAW and manage large numbers of photos, you need to give very serious consideration to Aperture 2. The program provides truly outstanding RAW conversion tools - greatly superior to Adobe's free Digital Negative Converter. It provides very flexible, easy-to-use tools to compare and rate photos, including stacks, ratings and comparison tools. The library management tools are truly outstanding, giving you multiple levels of keywords, a variety of tools for organizing your shots, and a hierarchical system for organization. And it links tightly to the photo editing application(s) of your choice.
Batch processing is well-supported, both on import and on photo selections. Essentially all data associated with the photos - both image details and EXIF - can be handled individually or at a batch level.
Famously, Aperture makes its edits to photos by linked mathematical formulas; the RAW photo itself is not touched. So manipulations can always be reversed. This also keeps the photo database from growing through duplicate files; there's just one file, and a series of small files representing the edits.
Aperture isn't perfect. While it is adequate for simple edits to photos, you'll still need a tool like Photoshop of Elements to perform serious adjustments to your photos. Aperture does a fine job of working with those photo editors. And Apple can be slow - sometimes, seriously slow - supporting the RAW formats of newly released cameras. In the case of the Olympus E-3, the camera was released for five months before Aperture could import its RAW format. There are always worksarounds - Adobe DNG if nothing else - and in fairness to Apple, its Aperture RAW converters are outstanding, but be prepared for a wait if you have new model camera. And Aperture demands significant resources: at least G5 (an Intel chip is better), at least 2 GB RAM (4GB _much_ better), an approved video card, hard rive space adequate to your projected ibrary and a backup or removable drive to hold a backup (a "vault").
Perhaps best of all, Aperture lets you define your own workflow. Adobe Lightroom, by contrast, pretty much imposes its workflow structure on you. You can do things in the order you want, not the order some programmer wants.
If you are new to Aperture, I recommend the Classroom in a Book tutorial, Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 2 (Apple Pro Training Series).
I could not be happier with this program. I have some 25,000 shots, and add 1,000-2,000 per month. It has been flawless. And I've never lost a photo.
My highest recommendation.
A photographer's workflow April 18, 2008
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
Using Aperture for awhile, I can see it is geared toward the pro photographer who wants to have their workflow in one program. It does a really good job targeting that traditional photographer market gone digital. The interface uses analogies for the different areas that a photographer feels comfortable with. You shoot, get it into Aperture, and then organize and process.
Photoshop is a competing product, not not really so. Its a complimentary product if you need to do photo work of a different sort, like photo illustration and retouching.
If you are a photographer first, and want an application that is going to get you organized and efficient, this is a great program. Other users can get by with Photoshop just fine.
Superior Product July 24, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I'm a professional photographer, and after extensively testing both Aperture and Lightroom, I'm throwing my hat on the Aperture side.
Lightroom, to be honest, is a great application. The layout is easy to understand, and the modules guide a first-time-user. I also find the plugin architecture compelling, allowing me to preview changes before applying filters, and then having the ability to delete and adjust applied filters. Having said that, Lightroom is clunky. It seems to be more of a Photoshop product than a digital image catalogue product. Quite frankly, nothing will replace Photoshop--it is the end all and be all of photo applications. However, I need something to convert RAW files to workable JPEGs, and need an easy way to adjust white balance, exposure, tones, and noise. Although Lightroom makes this process reasonably easy, the module system (though helpful at first) begins to irritate me. I hate the thought of switching between one module and another simply to make one adjustment. I also don't like to follow a structured format--that is, I don't want to first view my files and select them, THEN move on to the editing module to apply changes, THEN work on web development. To me, that's too structured.
Aperture, on the other hand, allows me to do everything at once. I can browse my RAW files and rate them; if I find one I like but needs exposure control, I can bring up the transparent HUD, make my adjustments, and skip to the next file...all without being forced to switch between modules.
Aperture 2 is a superior product, much better than the first version. It is much faster than Lightroom (I'm running a Mac Pro with dual core 2.66ghz, 9gb RAM). Importing files is a lot easier--hell, I can even start browsing photos before they're all downloaded. The interface is nice and clean (although, I must admit Lightroom's interface is more attractive to me). Aperture 2 also has multi-display support--something Lightroom lacks. And the Loupe tool comes in handy every single time I use the application.
In short, Apple has done an incredible job building upon Aperture 1, and updating this fantastic application. As a professional photographer, Aperture is absolutely essential, no less so than Photoshop.
Purchased on the Strength of Aperture 1.5 March 4, 2008
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
I own the non-upgradable Aperture 1.5 Academic, so I had to buy the full version of Aperture 2. Other than this ridiculous and expensive policy, I am thoroughly pleased with Aperture. 1.5. Knowing this, I ordered my Aperture 2 copy with much enthusiasm!
I am very excited about the user interface changes, database structure changes, speed increases, and the new tools (vignetting, vibrancy, definition, etc).
It looks like Apple has still ignored everyone's request for easy dvd burning directly from within Aperture though. Correct me if I am wrong (please!)...why do I have to export my versions/masters to a folder and then burn the folder? I'd like to be a able to click on an Aperture Project or Album and burn! Its a simple request.
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