Best PP software for a beginner on a Mac?

[fireplace]

Hi all, SLR newbie here so be patient.

I've had a 400D for a couple of weeks an am loving it but I'd like to know what is best for a relative numpty for editing JPEG an RAW on a Mac.

I was very pleasantly surprised that iphoto 08 (which does run on my 12" powerbook G4 unlike imovie ) can read and edit JPEG an RAW unlike my windoze laptop which can't.

Is iphoto enough to begin with? and where to go from there - any good free apps or straight into one of the better-known packages?

ta muchly

 

[66217]

I just bought a D40x, and I am finding aperture to be a great program to edit photos and keep them organized.

What I like about Aperture is the non-destructive editing. iPhoto made a new file from each time you edited a photo. Even rotating and image would produce a new file.

But try iPhoto. And be sure to download the trials of both Aperture and Lightroom. I like Aperture better, Lightroom seems to complicated for me.


The only thing I am not sure is how well would Aperture run in your Powerbook.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

Hi all, SLR newbie here so be patient.

I've had a 400D for a couple of weeks an am loving it but I'd like to know what is best for a relative numpty for editing JPEG an RAW on a Mac.

I was very pleasantly surprised that iphoto 08 (which does run on my 12" powerbook G4 unlike imovie ) can read and edit JPEG an RAW unlike my windoze laptop which can't.

Is iphoto enough to begin with? and where to go from there - any good free apps or straight into one of the better-known packages?

ta muchly

Newbies generally don't use *.raw files, it's more of an extreme upper end thing at the moment although it is becoming mainstream. iPhoto only recently added support for raw files and they are at the bleeding edge for doing that, so the answer to your question in terms of usual or entry level stuff is really "iPhoto" (with some help from PhotoShop).

The "Pro" application is of course Aperture and but that requires a top-end Mac and is overkill unless you also have a top end camera. I think Aperture will run on a MacBook but it's designed for a MBP or a MacPro. It should be pretty slow on an old G4 and unless the memory is completely maxed out it will have trouble with large *.raw files.

I would stick to iPhoto and PhotoShop until you get some better equipment, it does everything you need and you won't get a huge performance hit just for the privilege of running the Pro app.

 

[termina3]

If you WANT to go out and spend money, get Aperture.

Really Aperture is only worthwhile if you have a large library of photos... and really not all that big (2000+). That's where it shines.

I love it. It's the best organizational tool–I really have a hard time coming up with additions for it.

 

[fireplace]

I would stick to iPhoto and PhotoShop until you get some better equipment, it does everything you need and you won't get a huge performance hit just for the privilege of running the Pro app.

thanks, although my powerbook is in the corner of the room growling at you now

one of the reasons for asking is that I currently run windows and mac laptops at home, the windows laptop that i am typing this on is in the course of a slow death, mainly as a 2-year-old is pulling the keys off etc. but it does havea bigger screen.

I am thinking of the replacement an if there was any really worthwhile windows-only software then I may consider getting another windows machine, else it'll be a 17 inch macbook pro or an imac.

cheers

 

[66217]

The "Pro" application is of course Aperture and but that requires a top-end Mac and is overkill unless you also have a top end camera.

I think a 400D is already a top end camera.

Aperture would be useless if you had a normal P&S camera, but almost any dSLR is a very good camera. So the decision of buying Aperture resides on how serious you are with photography.

As I said, try both programs and see how you like them.

 

[termina3]

Aperture would be useless if you had a normal P&S camera, but almost any dSLR is a very good camera. So the decision of buying Aperture resides on how serious you are with photography.

Eh... slightly disagree with the first sentence.
The way I see it, the decision between Aperture and iPhoto is more about the quantity, not quality, of photos. If you have 20 Pulwitzer photos you can just throw 'em in a folder. 2,3,10,20 thousand crap photos need more organization (hopefully there are a couple decent ones in there...)

Which comes to your second sentence, of course.

 

[fireplace]

cheers again, your comments are helping me to focus my thoughts a bit more albeit being rapidly outweighed by intake of wine - hic!

first, not that i'd expect it, no-one has recommened the windows route - hoorah.

second, i think i'll stay with iphoto for a bit. After all, I am trying to learn (well, remember) how to take half decent shots with a SLR in the first place an would rather review how i coul improve my photography skills than toil waya over the computer.

third, aperture - £216 and lightroom £170! I want to adjust a few photos, not pay Da Vinci to paint them (yeah, yeah, i know)

Edit: and I have what is becoming several thousand photos of my kids etc.

 

[termina3]

I am thinking of the replacement an if there was any really worthwhile windows-only software then I may consider getting another windows machine, else it'll be a 17 inch macbook pro or an imac.

That's it. (*ding*)

Remember, Apple will always have the creative pros covered. Adobe offers on both platforms, and I went with Apple for Aperture.

 

[66217]

first, not that i'd expect it, no-one has recommened the windows route - hoorah.

Mac is the way to go. They make incredible programs that would let you use your photos in a much more productive way.

third, aperture - £216 and lightroom £170! I want to adjust a few photos, not pay Da Vinci to paint them (yeah, yeah, i know)

In fact many people here like Lightroom better.

The only way to know which one you want is to try them and compare them I find Aperture more logical and ease to use, but I also notice that Lightroom runs faster in my Mac.

 

[bousozoku]

You can try iPhoto, if you already have it. I wouldn't buy iLife just for iPhoto, though, but the new iPhoto looks useful.

If you're really interested in RAW file processing and you're using a PowerBook, I wouldn't suggest Aperture since it's barely going to run. Adobe Lightroom might work better. I used it during the beta and it was acceptable. Silkypix Developer Studio is probably a better choice. I know a lot of people happy with the way it works and the developers are quick to respond to bugs. It also has the advantage of being reasonably inexpensive.

 

[fireplace]

The PB is getting out its depth, sadly. but i still love it.

I have been chatting to Mrs pobs, she says no to a desktop in any form but yes to a 17" macbook pro but wants me to wait until leopard is out

 

[srf4real]

Photoshop Elements 4 is a very handy tool with lots of fun gadgets... only $80.

 

[M@lew]

But Elements isn't UB. Lightroom and Aperture are the top contenders so as said you can download the trials of both and see which one you like. That being said, Lightroom is much more forgiving on your system so you might want to check that out first.

 

[ChrisA]

Is iphoto enough to begin with? and where to go from there - any good free apps or straight into one of the better-known packages?

Is iPhoto good enough? Yes. It lets you organize and make minor corections to the images. It does 90% of what most people need.

Because you are on a G4 Apertue is out. It needs high end hardware. Aperture is like a grown up iPhoto and does about the same things. Neither is really an image editor.

If you do need to get inside an image and make changes to _parts_ of it. (In iPhoto and Aperture you change the entire images, as they have no way to select parts of an image) then look for Adobe "Photoshop Elements" (about $70 retail) or look for "gimp" (free at http://www.gimp.org) Both will allow more powerfull color and exposure corections and both will allow you to edit the image. You can do things like pain out a utility pole or blur out a background. Or bging up the exposurein just the drker areas. Both of these will integrate with iPhoto so you can just double click on an image to bring it up in the editor

I'd stick with iPhoto until you find some reason to use the other software and even then you want to continue with iPhoto

 

[Father Jack]

Photoshop Elements is a useful editing program that has much of the power of it's big brother "Photoshop" at a fraction of the price. Highly recommended ..

 

[fireplace]

cheers gang. Think it'll be a new MBP depending on what discount I can get from my local reseller - they beat the edu discount without batting an eyelid.

Had a play with iphoto a bit more today and I think it has all I need for now*.




*I reserve the right to change my mind as much as my wife does her clothes before we go out.