What features/aspects of Aperture do you all find are the most important? I got a copy of it really cheap through my school, and since i would really like to get into photography, at least more than i am now, and i'm really into it, what features do you find are the most useful? I would really like to use the software to its full potential, but just haven't figured out what it does best.
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Most important features in Aperture?
- Thread starter silbeej
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Simply being able to request a new version from original and having that instantly is superb - or just one click to show master, again, amazing.. It's a great tool.
Organization- I actually like having all my pictures in one vault, as opposed to having them scattered everywhere in my computer. The metadata, search tools, and the fact that if I want a picture I can just click on the Aperture icon and find it within seconds is invaluable. If I want to use the image outside of Aperture, or edit it within PS, those functions are a keystroke away.
The best feature is the wonderful RAW support, especially for current generation cameras like the D3, D300, etc.
Really sad for a so called professional program not to be able to keep somewhat current with camera support.
Really sad for a so called professional program not to be able to keep somewhat current with camera support.
In no particular order:
1) The Loupe Tool
2) The slick do-anything-from-anywhere-in-your-"workflow" GUI with plenty of keyboard mappings
3) The online print ordering and book creation tools
4) Full screen mode and the metadata and adjustment HUDs
5) The Light Table
For Aperture 2.0, I'd like to see for starters 1) A curves adjustment tool, 2) An extended plugin architecture, one that goes beyond the simple import-export features in the current Aperture SDK to allow such things as lens correction modules, noise reduction, etc. w/o ever leaving Aperture. 3) Improved performance and smaller memory footprint. It runs great on my Mac Pro but Lightroom runs faster and lighter.
1) The Loupe Tool
2) The slick do-anything-from-anywhere-in-your-"workflow" GUI with plenty of keyboard mappings
3) The online print ordering and book creation tools
4) Full screen mode and the metadata and adjustment HUDs
5) The Light Table
For Aperture 2.0, I'd like to see for starters 1) A curves adjustment tool, 2) An extended plugin architecture, one that goes beyond the simple import-export features in the current Aperture SDK to allow such things as lens correction modules, noise reduction, etc. w/o ever leaving Aperture. 3) Improved performance and smaller memory footprint. It runs great on my Mac Pro but Lightroom runs faster and lighter.
I'll give that a third vote. Well for me it is the best feature, reduces the number of swear words when I'm editing pictures.
I'd say either the really easy dual-monitor support, or the ability to create your own books/webgalleries.
All of these and the rest of the list that is as long as my arm if it were stretched out for about a mile. There is just TOO many features in Aperture to really love and appreciate just one. If I did have to pick one it would be the feature of the "Entire Application" because it gives me the full monty of options and doesn't hold anything back.
I would love to see plenty of improvement in Aperture 2.0. One of my biggest wants is offline editing. I could use curves adjustments and a sub program named Aperture Lite as well.
Yes - the D3/300 void a glaring issue that would seem to push customers away - I'm guessing it's not really your favorite thing.
The problem is that Aperture relies in facilies deep within Mac OS X to handle the camera's RAW format. So support for new cameras can come only with an update to Mac OS X. Aperture will get D300/D3 support when iPhote, Preview, quicklook and the rest of Mac OS gets D300/D3 support.
What Apple needs to do is rip this out and put it some place that can be more frequently updated. Apple can'r ship a new copy of Mac OS every time Canon or Nikon releases a new camera. They need to change this.
The best thing of Aperture is that it combines photo management (previously the realm of apps like Cumulus and iView Media Pro) and (basic) image editing (previously Photoshop). Aperture (and Lightroom) just offer basic image editing functionality, but that's usually sufficient to find out whether a picture is any good.
RAW support
The best feature has to be the RAW support for D3 and D300 cameras. Apple is so prompt in getting the proper support for such high end cameras. Remember how quickly Aperture supported the 40D? ;-)
Seriously though, the next time Steve Jobs teases Microsoft Office for "finally" being native on Macs, he should worry about getting Aperture compatible with the most important cameras on time as well. For Pete's sake, Adobe© Photoshop and Lightroom are already compatible with the D300 and D3!
The best feature has to be the RAW support for D3 and D300 cameras. Apple is so prompt in getting the proper support for such high end cameras. Remember how quickly Aperture supported the 40D? ;-)
Seriously though, the next time Steve Jobs teases Microsoft Office for "finally" being native on Macs, he should worry about getting Aperture compatible with the most important cameras on time as well. For Pete's sake, Adobe© Photoshop and Lightroom are already compatible with the D300 and D3!
So, Aperture can't do Vignetting or curves? Those are two pretty glaring omissions. Maybe I'll stay with Lightroom.
The big problem is that Apple CAN upgrade the OS whenever a new camera comes out. They don't come but every 2 years or so, and we get updates to the OS every few months.
Well, the two glaring issues with Lightroom are the crippled Library and Develop Modules and the pretty much self-contained island of an app that it is. It doesn't talk to any other application very well, and it integrates with Photoshop only on the basic level. Those were the issues that sent me back to Aperture after spending time with LR for about a month. There just wasn't anything far superior under the hood, it's just a different bag of worms.
I wish both apps get their main problems fixed in the version.
My zoom lens does a nice job of vignetting without software.
Seriously, though, my favorite Aperture features are:
- non-destructive editing & ability to view the master instantly
- good paradigm for organizing images
- works with Keynote & iPhone
- rapid keywording and rating
The spot tool or whatever it's called in Aperture is often easier and more effective than clone stamping in Photoshop, and the rotate tool is better than the Rotate Canvas in Photoshop.