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Your Learning Zone - Apple Aperture 2.0
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List Price: $199.00
Our Price: $136.99
Your Save: $ 62.01 ( 31% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Apple
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: DVD-ROM
Brand: Apple
EAN: 0885909193608
Feature: Next-generation RAW image processing for producing images of the highest quality
Format: CD-ROM
Label: Apple
Manufacturer: Apple
Model: MB284Z/A
Platform: Mac OS X
Publisher: Apple
Release Date: 2008-02-15
Studio: Apple
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Features
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Next-generation RAW image processing for producing images of the highest quality
Quick Preview mode for rapid-fire photo browsing
Image adjustment controls such as Recovery, Definition, Vibrancy, and Vignette; Soft-edged Retouch brush for removing unwanted elements from photos
Simplified user interface that maximizes screen space and provides direct access to your iPhoto library
.Mac Web Gallery support for instantly publishing photos online, allowing visitors to both view and download images
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good but a bit buggy
Comment: A good program for serious photographers, with a few caveats: while it has helped studio workflow regarding photos tremendously, it has a few flaws: 1. performance: at times, it can seriously bog down. Improved quite a bit after the last 2.1 update, but still a bit of a problem at times. 2. Interface: its very non-standard interface can be *EXTREMELY* irritating at times. Oddly-shaped windows, strange, docking palettes and downright bizzare keyboard shortcuts really mar this product. I do enjoy some of the streamlining offered by the interface, and the fact that many shortcuts are single letters/symbols (esp. rotation and picking images) but wish that some of its interface were a little less "effect-y" and a little more effect-IVE.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Aperture 2 - Easy way to work a lot of photos
Comment: I used this product on a trial basis after shooting over 100 photos for a local dance performance. I was able to quickly crop, tweak, eliminate red-eye and perform a lot of other things quickly. I have Photoshop CS, but I have to upgrade in order to import my Nikon D300 images, so I thought I would give this a try as it is a less expensive answer than upgrading.
Obviously it is not as powerful as Photoshop, but I have found it to handle a lot of the basic photo modifications well. Aperture is not quite as complex or intimidating to use and doesn't require reading a book in order to figure out how to do the simple tasks. If I have a single photo that I need to spend a lot of time with or want to really change its' appearance drastically, it's off to Photoshop or Nikon Capture. If I have 50 pictures that need only minor tweaking, I'm using Apple's software.
I doubt that there's much Aperture will do that Photoshop won't, and if one takes the time to learn how to program Photoshop batch functions, maybe large numbers of photos can be handled just as quickly. But I do not think that many people could be as productive as quickly as they can with this software. It has Apple's hallmark intuitive processes that you would expect to be a part of the package. You can export a selection of photos to low or high resolution jpg files very easily. And for those who've not yet learned to shoot in the native RAW formats of their Nikons or Canons, you will be surprised to see just how many sub-par unprocessed JPG files can be transformed into winners by shooting in RAW and using the features in this software.
It's fairly priced, pretty powerful, and relatively simple to use. So shoot RAW, tweak, upload, print, frame up those stunning 8x10 photos in your office and start hearing people tell you how good a photographer you are!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A-poor-ture
Comment: I originally bough this product for the web-publish feature in Aperture, but to my disappointment this feature is terrible slow if you have large files it could take hours to publish them to the web and It distorts your image size. Bottom line, don't waste your money.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Superior Product
Comment: I'm a professional photographer, and after extensively testing both Aperture and Lightroom, I'm throwing my hat on the Aperture side.
Lightroom, to be honest, is a great application. The layout is easy to understand, and the modules guide a first-time-user. I also find the plugin architecture compelling, allowing me to preview changes before applying filters, and then having the ability to delete and adjust applied filters. Having said that, Lightroom is clunky. It seems to be more of a Photoshop product than a digital image catalogue product. Quite frankly, nothing will replace Photoshop--it is the end all and be all of photo applications. However, I need something to convert RAW files to workable JPEGs, and need an easy way to adjust white balance, exposure, tones, and noise. Although Lightroom makes this process reasonably easy, the module system (though helpful at first) begins to irritate me. I hate the thought of switching between one module and another simply to make one adjustment. I also don't like to follow a structured format--that is, I don't want to first view my files and select them, THEN move on to the editing module to apply changes, THEN work on web development. To me, that's too structured.
Aperture, on the other hand, allows me to do everything at once. I can browse my RAW files and rate them; if I find one I like but needs exposure control, I can bring up the transparent HUD, make my adjustments, and skip to the next file...all without being forced to switch between modules.
Aperture 2 is a superior product, much better than the first version. It is much faster than Lightroom (I'm running a Mac Pro with dual core 2.66ghz, 9gb RAM). Importing files is a lot easier--hell, I can even start browsing photos before they're all downloaded. The interface is nice and clean (although, I must admit Lightroom's interface is more attractive to me). Aperture 2 also has multi-display support--something Lightroom lacks. And the Loupe tool comes in handy every single time I use the application.
In short, Apple has done an incredible job building upon Aperture 1, and updating this fantastic application. As a professional photographer, Aperture is absolutely essential, no less so than Photoshop.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Picassa, which is free!
Comment: Apple is selling what should have been a free update to iPhoto. Worse, it confuses iPhoto into creating multiple copies of each photo, and has a schizo stacking algorithm.
The omissions are glaring.
No duplicate finder, no layers, weak cropping and poor output controls.
They have, however, jumped on the "pug-in" train to up-sell even more "features" which ought to come with a program like this.
No where near as good as even Photoshop Elements, and even slower, even on fast hardware.
Apple should go back to photography school.
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Editorial Reviews:
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You can access your entire iPhoto library directly within Aperture 2, to import selected events, albums, or individual photos using the iPhoto Browser. Aperture 2 includes an all-in-one inspector that consolidates the Project, Metadata, and Adjustments panes and lets you switch between them simply by typing W. Quickly locate images in the innovative All Projects view with project skimming. The new Quick Preview mode provides rapid-fire photo browsing, letting you quickly compare, rate, and make image selections. Aperture also offers enhanced performance when making processor-intensive adjustments, such as Noise Reduction and Highlight and Shadows. Leveraging the next-generation RAW image processing in Mac OS X Leopard, Aperture 2 delivers images of astounding quality, offering superb color fidelity, increased shadow detail, reduced noise, and advanced highlight recovery. Aperture provides RAW support for the leading digital cameras and camera backs. It also supports DNGs made from the RAW files of most digital cameras. With a .Mac account, you can take advantage of new support for .Mac Web Gallery to create beautiful online portfolios even allowing clients, colleagues, or friends to download JPEG or RAW originals complete with embedded metadata. Aperture also lets you sync your Aperture library to an iPhone or iPod. Or enjoy your photos on a widescreen TV in glorious high definition using Apple TV.
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