Aperture 2.0: the Ars Technica review

motorzen · 03-11-2008, 12:10 PM

Aperture 2.0: the Ars Technica review: Page 1

If you don't want to read all 8 pages (though it's probably worth it), here's the final say:

Conclusion
Aperture 2 isn't doing anything groundbreaking over the previous version, but the better overall speed and Quick Preview combined with background processing alone will be worth the cost of the upgrade for many users. If you're just checking out Aperture since running like the wind from version 1.0, rest assured that Aperture 2.0 is a completely different animal and produces very good results most of the time. Its new interface is easier to navigate and is more customizable, so it will accommodate different users' workflows.

The new version does have a few issues, most significantly the lack of a good denoise and sharpen tool, which makes dealing with images with any amount of noise a pain. As an overall library/metadata/shoot management tool, though, it is very easy to recommend. The addition of a professional-grade clone and repair tool, tethered shooting, a really nice Vibrancy adjustment and a well-rounded interface make Aperture much easier to enjoy.

You still need a pretty beefy system to run it on, so if you're looking for a good excuse to buy the latest and greatest hardware, this will do nicely—.Mac sold separately.

The Good
Faster all around thanks to better thumbnail caching, Quick Preview and non-modal workflow
Streamlined interface with fewer panels and it's more customizable for particular workflows
Vibrancy tool is very good
Better RAW conversion than Aperture 1.5
16-bit printing support
Exporting to iPhone and iPod touch mean you don't need iPhoto anymore

The Bad
Still shrunken open/save dialogs and UI text
Still has problems with combination of sharpening and noise reduction
Still no network support for Vaults

The Ugly
Knowing that a Microsoft product has better metadata syncing options

beansbaxter · 03-11-2008, 12:12 PM

I dont own an iPhone.

What is "Vaults"?

SeattleVet · 03-11-2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beansbaxter

I dont own an iPhone.

What is "Vaults"?

A vault is a backup file containing your images. The reviewer was complaining that Aperture doesn't recognize a network drive as a storage place for the vaults.

motorzen · 03-11-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beansbaxter

I dont own an iPhone.

It takes a big man to admit his faults. I'm proud of you!

beansbaxter · 03-11-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motorzen

It takes a big man to admit his faults. I'm proud of you!

It takes a bigger man to own a BlackBerry.

matty · 04-14-2008, 03:11 PM

I upgraded to 2.0 last week, and only have spent an hour or two in it, however, I can see a big difference.

There are a lot of nifty new features that make the upgrade instantly worth it. I think that the RAW photogs out there will be able to take the most advantage out of this software, as aperture works beautifully with it, and takes full advantage of the exposure settings. I'm loving the retouch tool, as I have an old rebel that has mystery dust spots I can't seem to get cleaned off.

I think a lot of people will overlook the work Apple put into redesigning the app interface. It is now manageable to work in Aperture on a single screen editing environment. Aperture 1 was painfully slow unless you had two monitors. I can now work effectively on my macbook pro now.

The application has gotten a lot faster, allowing even further custom performance tweaks for those slow machines out there, but will have to sacrifice picture preview quality.

There is a nice little plug-in for Smugmug as well for the app, making exporting to your account painless.

jezterr · 04-14-2008, 03:23 PM

what's denoise?

SeattleVet · 04-14-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jezterr

what's denoise?

Helps remove noise. Think of it as de-noise, not as a French word.

jezterr · 04-14-2008, 05:16 PM

oh. de-noise.

not denwah.

i was like "wtf?"

plummy · 04-14-2008, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jezterr

oh. de-noise.

not denwah.

i was like "wtf?"

i want to say something so mean right now

03-11-2008, 12:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
motorzen Junior Member Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 29 From: seattle	Aperture 2.0: the Ars Technica review Aperture 2.0: the Ars Technica review: Page 1 If you don't want to read all 8 pages (though it's probably worth it), here's the final say: Conclusion Aperture 2 isn't doing anything groundbreaking over the previous version, but the better overall speed and Quick Preview combined with background processing alone will be worth the cost of the upgrade for many users. If you're just checking out Aperture since running like the wind from version 1.0, rest assured that Aperture 2.0 is a completely different animal and produces very good results most of the time. Its new interface is easier to navigate and is more customizable, so it will accommodate different users' workflows. The new version does have a few issues, most significantly the lack of a good denoise and sharpen tool, which makes dealing with images with any amount of noise a pain. As an overall library/metadata/shoot management tool, though, it is very easy to recommend. The addition of a professional-grade clone and repair tool, tethered shooting, a really nice Vibrancy adjustment and a well-rounded interface make Aperture much easier to enjoy. You still need a pretty beefy system to run it on, so if you're looking for a good excuse to buy the latest and greatest hardware, this will do nicely—.Mac sold separately. The Good Faster all around thanks to better thumbnail caching, Quick Preview and non-modal workflow Streamlined interface with fewer panels and it's more customizable for particular workflows Vibrancy tool is very good Better RAW conversion than Aperture 1.5 16-bit printing support Exporting to iPhone and iPod touch mean you don't need iPhoto anymore The Bad Still shrunken open/save dialogs and UI text Still has problems with combination of sharpening and noise reduction Still no network support for Vaults The Ugly Knowing that a Microsoft product has better metadata syncing options

03-11-2008, 12:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
beansbaxter Administrator Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 475 Blog Entries: 4 From: Seattle, WA My Camera: Nikon D300	I dont own an iPhone. What is "Vaults"? __________________ “The camera’s only job is to get out of the way of making photographs.” -- Ken Rockwell beansbaxter.com is my blog.

04-14-2008, 03:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
jezterr Moderator Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 485 From: a cesspit. My Camera: disposable	what's denoise? __________________ photos.juniormonkey.com www.juniormonkey.com www.photoblog.com/jezterr

04-14-2008, 05:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
jezterr Moderator Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 485 From: a cesspit. My Camera: disposable	oh. de-noise. not denwah. i was like "wtf?" __________________ photos.juniormonkey.com www.juniormonkey.com www.photoblog.com/jezterr

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04-14-2008, 03:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
matty Member Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 87 From: B-ham, WA	I upgraded to 2.0 last week, and only have spent an hour or two in it, however, I can see a big difference. There are a lot of nifty new features that make the upgrade instantly worth it. I think that the RAW photogs out there will be able to take the most advantage out of this software, as aperture works beautifully with it, and takes full advantage of the exposure settings. I'm loving the retouch tool, as I have an old rebel that has mystery dust spots I can't seem to get cleaned off. I think a lot of people will overlook the work Apple put into redesigning the app interface. It is now manageable to work in Aperture on a single screen editing environment. Aperture 1 was painfully slow unless you had two monitors. I can now work effectively on my macbook pro now. The application has gotten a lot faster, allowing even further custom performance tweaks for those slow machines out there, but will have to sacrifice picture preview quality. There is a nice little plug-in for Smugmug as well for the app, making exporting to your account painless.