flashbulb of genius with elbow room for improvement : that ’s Aperture 1.0.1 , Apple ’s fresh professional digital imagery software .

Targeted at picture taking professional , Aperture combines powerful exposure - management and cataloging features with canonical image redaction and first-class publishing and display capabilities . All this is enwrap in an efficient , elegant port that glitters with typical Apple genius .

But no first appearance is pure : Aperture 1.0 had some bugs . Apple ’s 1.0.1 update ( released on December 21 ) deposit some flaws , but several bugs and performance problems remain .

Aperture ’s image - redact feature of speech ca n’t equate to those of Adobe Photoshop CS2 (; August 2005 ) , and that ’s designed : Aperture was design for photographer who want to spend more time shooting and less meter managing image file and pushing pixels .

By that measure , Aperture succeed brilliantly . But make up one’s mind whether it ’s the right digital imaging diligence for you means understanding where its strength and weaknesses lie — especially if you ’re already a Photoshop guru .

Start to finish

Each of these operation takes shoes within Aperture ’s single window ( see the top screenshot ) . you could switch between various workspace layout , each tuned to a specific phase angle in the workflow . ( For an introduction to Aperture ’s port and feature , see my first look at the program . ) Aperture ’s one - window conception feels a bit cramped on smaller screens , such as a PowerBook ’s . It ’s more comfortable on at least a 20 - in show , and it ’s a thing of lulu on the 30 - inch Apple Cinema HD show (; March 2005 ) that Apple sent to Aperture referee for a bittersweet one - month loanword .

If you have two monitor connect to your Mac , Aperture ’s horizons open up astray . Several commands and keyboard shortcuts let you employ them in various ways . For good example , you could apply the second monitor as a mere annex of the first to regard more photo thumbnails for sieve and culling images . Or you could leave the 2nd monitor vacuous except when you display photos in Aperture ’s Slide Show way — ideal for guest presentations .

High-end hardware

Aperture has stringent dietetical requirements : you involve a Power Mac G5 , preferably a dual - CPU , double - center , or Quad framework , with one of 11 supported video cards , which work with OS X ’s Core Image technology to enable Aperture ’s edit feature of speech . Like a growing turn of Apple applications , Aperture relies heavy on your Macs ’s art circuitry . ( Apple ’s WWW site providesa lean of supported cards and a downloadable compatibility chequer utility . )

Aperture also turn tail on certain PowerBook G4 models , but its range - redaction function are sluggish . The plan ’s photo - direction and publishing features are tolerably swift , though . I would n’t hesitate to use Aperture in the field to spell , manage , and reject exposure , but I ’d long to get back to the G5 in my studio apartment for stimulate image adjustments . Apple acknowledges that Aperture ’s performance on PowerBooks could be upright .

Expert organizer

Aperture ’s feature for sorting and rating photos are brilliant . The Auto - Stack dictation , which groups shot read within a specified time interval , has no match in Adobe Bridge ( August 2005 ) . iView Multimedia has added a somewhat similar feature article to iView MediaPro 3.0.1 , but it lacks the wily elegance of Aperture ’s implementation ( see the middle screenshot ) .

As you sort and cull , you may rate exposure , compare multiple photos side by side , and study details with an on - cover magnifying loupe ( see the bottom screenshot ) . Photoshop veterans may be disappointed by Aperture ’s want of stock zoom - in and zoom - out control , but I happen the jeweler’s loupe and Aperture ’s full - screen redaction mode adequate for most pic scrutinizing — especially given the plan ’s limited editing capacity .

For pros , a big part of organizing photos also involves supplying metadata , such as descriptive keywords and captions . Aperture ’s metadata - management feature of speech are excellent ; you could well make and add keywords , apply one image ’s metadata to a group of other effigy , research for paradigm base on metadata , and much more .

Alas , the metadata story travel sour if you export an image into TIFF or Photoshop ( PSD ) data format , at which time Aperture omit some critical metadata from the exported Indian file . This microbe exist in Aperture 1.0 and persists in 1.0.1 . If you ’re a photographer who relies heavily on metadata , and you anticipate export images for exercise in other applications , this bug could be a stack surf . On the other hand , if you be after to expend most of your time in Aperture , the hemipterous insect may not dissemble you .

In the darkroom

Aperture works with most uncouth image format , admit the raw - format images that high - terminal digital tv camera can shoot . And thus opens a raw can of worms : many early reviews and online meeting place postings flap down Aperture for delivering image quality inferior to that of Adobe Camera Raw and other converters .

The literal report is more complicated . While Aperture supportsnumerous natural data format , Apple hold extra amercement - tuning for certain high - end Canon , Nikon , and other digital SLRs . If you do n’t use one of those cameras — if , for example , you shoot with a Canon PowerShot G6 or a Sony CyberShot DSC - F828 , two midlevel period - and - shoot digital cameras that support the raw format — you may well see higher - quality images from Adobe Camera Raw .

After evaluating dozens of raw images from several high - end camera , I give the peeled - quality edge to Adobe Camera Raw . But it is n’t a slam dunk shot . Properly bring out images shot at miserable - to - medium ISO speeds search excellent in Aperture . But Adobe Camera Raw often extradite superior results with images that are poorly give away or dart at high ISO options .

And for those special - case shots , you’re able to use Aperture ’s Export Master statement to send the original bare-assed file to Photoshop . Indeed , with a few instant of tinkering in OS X ’s Automator program , you’re able to set up a watch folder that mechanically opens Adobe Camera Raw when you export a bare-ass master to a specific folder .

Aperture ’s editing environment is light and straightforward . A full - screen mode cover nearly all controls , enabling you to maximize covert genuine acres . ikon - adjustment controls appear in a float control panel called the Adjustments head - up presentation ( HUD ) . Aperture construct blanket use of these HUDs , and they figure out well , though I ’d wish to see more keyboard shortcuts in the Adjustments HUD .

When you edit an figure , Aperture leave the original untasted , just recording the change rather . This nondestructive approach makes it easy and effective to make multiple versions of an ikon — rather than gobble disk infinite by duplicating it , Aperture just starts assembling a different Seth of edit out operating instructions .

Apple has published atech - accompaniment document dealing with the Aperture - Photoshop connection . It ’s helpful , but the bottom line is that there ’s elbow room for improvement in putting these two powerhouse applications on speak terms .

Aperture ’s output alternative are complete and then some ( and more reliable in version 1.0.1 ) . you could produce full - sizing print or customizable impinging sheet on your own people of color printer , lodge photographic prints in sizes up to 20 by 30 inches , and produce books similar to those uncommitted in Apple ’s iPhoto — though Aperture provides far more layout flexibleness .

Macworld’s buying advice

So if you ’re a professional or advanced - amateur lensman , should you construct your photographic world around Aperture 1.0.1 ? Just as no single lens can address every photographer ’s shooting needs , no single program can address every post - shoot requirement . While Aperture goes further than any other program in addressing the start - to - refinement requirement of advance photographers , it needs to play well with others and could use some extra bug fixes . However , if you require only modest figure redaction with occasional side trips to Photoshop , give Aperture a close look — supply that you have a well - endowed Mac and wo n’t listen dealing with a few growing pain in the neck as Aperture matures .