Apple Aperture 2.0 Upgrade
by Apple
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Software Reviews of Apple Aperture 2.0 Upgrade
Customer Review: Very easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using the free trial of Aperture 2.0 for a couple of weeks now. Within a couple of hours of working with the trial, I ordered the full product.
I was given version 1.5 of Aperture for Christmas, so I was a little disappointed to find that Apple released a new version so soon after I got it. Apple also dropped the price by $100, which now makes it an incredibly good deal for anyone who hasn't bought this type of software before.
However, after getting over the shock of having to spend another $89 to upgrade software that was only 1 month old, I downloaded the free trial to see if it was worth upgrading. In the month I'd owned Aperture 1.5 I had spent quite a bit of time working out what it could do and how to make it use it. I could quickly see that 1.5 was a power piece of software, but it would definitely take some time to get the best out of it.
After upgrading to the trial of 2.0, and watching a couple of the Apple tutorial videos that are online, I was able to get impressive results very quickly. As I already had Aperture 1.5, I had already began shooting all my photos in RAW format on my Canon Rebel XT. I also tried editing some JPEG photos I had previously organized in iPhoto.
Results with RAW format photos are amazing. Aperture makes working with RAW so easy. I am able to correct exposure problems, which is just not possible with JPEG. I had a image that had lots of white in waves crashing over a rock. By adjusting the exposure in Aperture, and by using the highlight and shadow adjustments, I was able to bring out an amazing amount of detail, turn an average shot into a great one. The automatic correction of exposure levels makes a big difference to many of my shots.
With JPEG images, the results are less impressive. This is not a limitation of Aperture, but a limitation of shooting images in JPEG which loses a lot of the information that was actually captured with the camera's sensor. You are still able to make adjustments, but making big adjustments quickly introduces noise into the image. The tools available in iPhoto 08 produce good results with JPEG, and I wouldn't pay for Aperture if I only shot JPEG images. The automatic exposure correction that worked so well on many of my RAW images is not available on JPEG images.
If you have a camera that can shoot RAW images, such as almost all digital SLRs, and a few compact point-and-shoots such as the new Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, I would definitely recommend shooting in RAW and getting a trial of Aperture to see if it works for you.
You should be aware that shooting in RAW creates much bigger files, so consider this when making your decision. Getting the most out of Aperture means you have to shoot in RAW, and the biggest cost in moving from JPEG to RAW will be larger memory cards and hard drives.
Aperture is so easy to use that I'd recommend it to anyone with a basic knowledge of photography that wants to learn more. Download the free trial, shoot some RAW images with your camera, and only order the full version if it works for you.
Customer Review: Outstanding RAW Conversion and Photo Organization/Management - Highly Recommended!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using Aperture since version 1.1, and love it. The few issues/disappointments I had were resolved with version 1.5.x. Version 2.0 takes the performance and capabilities of Aperture to the next level. While I have only been using Aperture 2 for a week or so, I have been thoroughly impressed. (I will update this review as my experience grows.)
In terms of cameras, I use both a Nikon D2X and a Nikon D300. As such, the RAW files that Aperture has to deal with are large 12-megapixel images. And Aperture handles said images with ease. (Bear in mind that I am running Aperture on a first-generation MacBook Pro 17" laptop, running at 2.16 GHz.)
Among other improvements, Aperture 2 provides superior high-ISO noise reduction. For example, images taken with my Nikon D2X at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 show massive improvements in quality. Not only that, but Aperture's noise reduction finally matches -- or even exceeds -- that of Nikon's own Capture NX software. Comparing high-ISO images side-by-side, it is clear that Capture NX utilizes a high dose of "chroma blur." Aperture 2.0 does not, and the difference is quite visible.
As for other changes, Aperture 2 provides some nice UI refinements, increasing the amount of screen real estate for viewing your photos. More generally, Aperture 2's UI is even more "transparent" than that of version 1.x, i.e., it does not impede your workflow.
Besides the UI improvements, Aperture 2 also adds additional image enhancement options. Among others, Apple added "de-vignette" and "vignette" image adjustments. These allow you to correct for, or add/increase, vignetting from lens optics.
And finally, a few words about performance. I found Aperture 1.5.x to be quite responsive, though it would occasionally become sluggish during certain operations. I have not been able to find any such sluggishness in Aperture 2, a welcome improvement. Plus, the software is even faster and more responsive that Aperture 1.5.x.
The bottom line? Aperture 2 provides welcome improvements over 1.5.x, including superior image quality. If you like Aperture 1.5.x, you will love Aperture 2. And if you shied away from 1.5.x, I highly recommend giving Aperture 2 a try. Download the free trial from the Apple website, and see the improvements for yourself. Try it, you just might like it!