Aperture vs Lightroom

[RPbySC]

I currently have Aperture and really like it. I also have Photoshop CS5 and use it for some layers and for printing. But I don't know how or if there is a way to get from Photoshop to Camera Raw. I don't really want to use Bridge. Also, my concern is that I've heard that Apple may not be updating Aperture much more. Lightroom is integrated with Photoshop and Camera Raw. I don't really understand the differences between Aperture and Lightroom. Would it be a good thing to get Lightroom so I can get to Camera Raw and be all integrated with Adobe products? I hope I'm making myself clear. Ask questions if I'm not! Thanks a lot.

[Polar01]

Sue: if you open CS5, than File>Open (your computer should display your images) click on the raw file it opens in Adobe RAW, do your thing, then save or open which will take you into CS5 program they are linked. That is if you click open file it will open Photoshop CS. Some people use lightroom to sort their images, and use it's RAW converter than go into a Photoshop type of program. Lightroom has a better image tagging and sorting program than bridge (I like bridge better), when you open a raw files through bridge it just opens in the Adobe RAW converter program, like lightroom. Others will be better able as I do not use light room but nothing to fear.

Cheers:

Allan

[PhotomanJohn]

Sue,

I would like to comment that the photo editing part of Lightroom is essentially, if not exactly, the same as Camera Raw. The look is different but the functions and the math behind the functions are the same. ACR in CS6 has been updated like LR4 was. I think the only reason to buy Lightroom is if you like the photo data base part (I personally like Bridge). I would stick with CS5 and use ACR more for both raw and jpg files. If I just had $200 burning a hole in my pocket, I would upgrade to CS6 and call it good.

I really don't know about Aperture, but I don't think it is going away any time soon.

John

[Geoff F]

Any particular reasons why you don't want to use Bridge, Sue.

At first, I found it a bit intimidating but eventually I found my way around it and changed a few preferences to suit the way I like to work; although I still don't use all of it's potential. So I have now removed ACDSee which I previously used as viewing software because Bridge does the same, but better.

For me, CS5 plus ACR does absolutely all that I need. And would do a lot more if I fully understood everything.

[RPbySC]

I guess the reason I don't want to use Bridge is that all my photos are already cataloged in Aperture and I don't want to go through the trouble of changing and learning a new system. I'm happy with Aperture. Actually, last night I took a photo and put in in Bridge and then opened it with Camera Raw. It looks like I can do a little more editing with CR than with Aperture, but Aperture seems to be similar to Lightroom. I think I will just stick with what I have. I already am happy with Aperture and can get a picture into Bridge and CR if I feel I need to. I can also go from Aperture to Photoshop very easily.

Allan, when I open a photo in CS5 it just opens in Photoshop and there doesn't seem to be any way to get to Camera Raw other than putting the photo in Bridge and then opening in CR. But I don't know how to get a picture from Aperture to Bridge. Bridge connects to iPhoto but not Aperture. I have a friend who just puts his picture on his desktop and then into Bridge! That's the reason I was considering Lightroom over Aperture....it seems like a more seamless way of getting places.

Thanks for all your input!

[Harpo]

Im using Aperture and recently installed the upgrades. There are more coming. I found a site ApertureExpert.com that has some pretty knowledgeable people on there who seem to have a better grasp on whats going on with apple and their upgrades. One thing for sure, they are streamlining to make the whole experience easier as Apple strives to do. The recent upgrade ties iPhoto and Aperture together more seamlessly. So Im not worried about Aperture going away. There are questions being asked if some of Final Cut stuff will trickle into Aperture to make it one solid PP program instead of three (iPhoto, Aperture, Final Cut). If Im wrong and it does go away, Ill just go to lightroom. Until then, Im happy with it.

[RPbySC]

Im using Aperture and recently installed the upgrades. There are more coming. I found a site ApertureExpert.com that has some pretty knowledgeable people on there who seem to have a better grasp on whats going on with apple and their upgrades. One thing for sure, they are streamlining to make the whole experience easier as Apple strives to do. The recent upgrade ties iPhoto and Aperture together more seamlessly. So Im not worried about Aperture going away. There are questions being asked if some of Final Cut stuff will trickle into Aperture to make it one solid PP program instead of three (iPhoto, Aperture, Final Cut). If Im wrong and it does go away, Ill just go to lightroom. Until then, Im happy with it.

Thanks, Harpo. I just installed the upgrade, too. And lo and behold some pictures I had lost during installing IOS Lion last year suddenly appeared in Aperture! I don't know what happened, but I think it had to do with the tie to iPhoto.

[TheEvilDonut]

I certainly hope that Aperture is here to stay.

The way that Apple seems to be distancing itself from the pro market has me a bit worried. I do not want to have to switch to LR!

[RPbySC]

I certainly hope that Aperture is here to stay.

The way that Apple seems to be distancing itself from the pro market has me a bit worried. I do not want to have to switch to LR!

I agree. The way that Apple has just linked iPhoto and Aperture even more with their latest update may mean that they will get rid of one of them in the future. I don't know. But as you said, I sure hope they go in the direction of Aperture and not iPhoto.

[kaneohebud]

But as you said, I sure hope they go in the direction of Aperture and not iPhoto.

From your lips to God's ears. AMEN!

[TheEvilDonut]

I would be INSANELY surprised if they'd dropped iPhoto and keep Aperture.

If they only keep one of them I believe they would beef up iPhoto and drop Aperture. But let's not jinx it now shall we?

[RPbySC]

I would be INSANELY surprised if they'd dropped iPhoto and keep Aperture.

If they only keep one of them I believe they would beef up iPhoto and drop Aperture. But let's not jinx it now shall we?

I don't even want to say it, but I think you're correct. Aperture is for a specialized market, and iPhoto is for "everyone".

[TheEvilDonut]

Found this interesting Aperture 3.3 review on ApertureExpert.com.

This is of particular interest to me :

That’s it, Aperture’s dead isn’t it.

This is by far the most frustrating thing I keep hearing. Since Aperture 4 wasn’t released, then obviously, clearly, this is a “maintenance release” and Apple is getting ready to kill Aperture, right?

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Let us examine the evidence.

Two years of engineering went into what on the surface is a free, minor update, yet as you dig in, clearly is much more. No sane company puts two years into something they will make no money on. The seemingly “minor” changes are mostly about compatibility and performance. Compatibility with the absolute newest, best, most advanced Mac that Apple has ever made — their new flagship model, the MacBook Pro with Retina display. And performance for all users of Aperture, where speed and stability have been improved dramatically in many, many regards. This is not something you do for software you’re about to kill.

Not only is it built for the flagship Mac, Aperture is being featured prominently in Apple’s marketing and advertising for the new MacBook Pro. What’s on the top of apple.com/mac and all over apple.com/macbook-pro/features right now? A MacBook Pro running Aperture. What is the first app you see on the new television ad for the MacBook Pro with Retina display? Aperture. In fact there are only three apps shown — Aperture, Mail (to send a photo from Aperture!), and Final Cut Pro X. And in the ad, we actually go from Aperture to Mail to FCPX then back to Aperture. That is prominent placement. Apple would not be putting Aperture all over the place if they were going to drop it.

So, there you have my thoughts on the state of the app, and its future, which I am confident is completely sound.

Pretty sound reasoning from where I'm sitting. Let's hope it turns out to be true. There are in fact two things I am hoping will be following closely the Mountain Lion release :

1. A new version of iWork (waiting for this before I jump off the MS Office boat)
2. Aperture 4

We'll see...

[luissaenz]

when I first started taking photos I used Photoshop and CR for everything, Id use Iphoto occasionally but couldn't understand their photo management interface. Later I got Aperture and felt the same way, so went back to CR. For the last 2-3 months Ive been using lightroom and although I still wish I could use layers I am loving it with all the plug-ins to social media and upload tools to my website.

The only times I use Photoshop now is when I want to clone or do some wacky stuff to my photos, but Lightroom is the big brother of Aperture oriented mostly for those into commercial photography.

I don't even want to say it, but I think you're correct. Aperture is for a specialized market, and iPhoto is for "everyone".

[TheEvilDonut]

but Lightroom is the big brother of Aperture oriented mostly for those into commercial photography.

I believe it's a matter of personal opinion. I know three people who are professional or semi-pro photographers and none of them could be persuaded of switching from Aperture to Lightroom. One of them actually switched from Lightroom 3 to Aperture. I know two others who feel the other way around.

As long what you're using does what you need there's no argument really. I personally didn't like Lightroom's interface so I chose Aperture and never looked back. My brother uses Lightroom and does not even wants to look at Aperture.

I don't think there's any reason to call one program the "big brother" of another unless one is a total departure from the other. I can certainly call Word the "big brother" to Notepad but I don't think Lightroom is that much better than Aperture to earn that qualification.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. I don't want to start a fanboy flame war here. After all I came to this place precisely to avoid this kind of stuff.

[Vrgl]

I switched from PS Elements to Aperture and haven't looked back.I find it very user friendly and am always learning new ways to use it. The way you can catalog images works well for me.

[RPbySC]

Found this interesting Aperture 3.3 review on ApertureExpert.com.


Pretty sound reasoning from where I'm sitting. Let's hope it turns out to be true.

Thanks for the encouraging information, Luc! ApertureExpert.com is a really good site, too.

[bhurley]

There are in fact two things I am hoping will be following closely the Mountain Lion release :

1. A new version of iWork (waiting for this before I jump off the MS Office boat)
2. Aperture 4

We'll see...

There are strong signs that a new version of iWork is coming, because there has been no update so far to change the menu items now that iWork.com is gone. You would think they would have issued a maintenance release promptly after they decomissioned iWork.com (around the same time that MobileMe went into the sunset) to remove the menu item that lets you upload your files to iWork.com. The fact that they didn't suggests to me that a new version is coming.

I'm not sure what to think about iWork, though: Apple has such stiff competition in this area, and Keynote is really the only piece of the suite that stands out from the competitors. The only other reason to keep it up is the iPad apps, which are good. Apart from that, MS Office has been getting more affordable, and the free Google Docs has been getting better. There's not much reason to choose iWork over Office unless you don't want Microsoft products on your Mac, and there's not much reason to choose iWork over Google Docs unless you need to be able to work on docs without being online (and I think Google has a way around that anyway).

But we'll see....

[TheEvilDonut]

I agree with you about iWork. Keynote is definitely superior to Powerpoint IMO and I have to admit that Pages and Numbers are inferior to their Office counterparts. I would just like to see how iWork handles on my 2008 MBP in terms of performance as Office is driving it into the ground!