Aperture 2 released! Cheaper! New features!

[Roger]

http://www.apple.com/aperture/

100+ new features, including more integration with .Mac, iPhoto, quick preview ability, enhanced RAW processing, DNG support, Hue sliders with RAW, highlight recovery, 50% loupe, support for the imbedded JPG in the RAW file, black point control, cold pixel detection, more image management tools....

A new retouch tool with clone and repair. Crop window with the Rule of Thirds built in (I love this with ACDSee Pro 2)

http://www.apple.com/aperture/features/100.html


My iMac is enroute to me, and I was just going to try Aperture 1.5 once it came, but now that it's $100 cheaper, and with these new features, I may just buy it outright at this point! I was just at the Apple Store last night!

$99 upgrade for existing users.

 

[Scottwdw]

I have not invested in any quality photo management/editing software yet. I have looked at most of the sales and tutorial videos and am liking what I see of Aperture 2.0. Not sure if my Powerbook G4 can handle it.

For the most part, I like iPhoto and Aperature looks like a logical next step but (isn't there always a but?), I know Adobe is working hard on Lightroom 2.0 themselves.

Yep, still offically on the fence. :

 

[mousefan]

Roger, I was toying back and forth between Aperture and Genuine Fractals along with the OS X Leopard. I went with the latter two, so you'll have to let us know how the Aperture 2 works out if you get it.

 

[Roger]

As soon as my imac gets to me (it's somewhere between Sacramento and here) I'm downloading iPhoto Pro 2. I'll let you know - but if the photo management tools are what they say they are, I won't be getting Microsoft Office Media just for iView. ACDSee Pro is the biggest program I'll miss with XP - almost enough to think about using Boot Camp just for it.

I've got tons of pics from last week that are just waiting....

 

[Dan]

Clue me in on something, what are cold pixels? I know hot pixels, and stuck/dead pixels. I've never encountered the concept of cold pixels.

 

[Roger]

I think Apple is calling dead pixels "cold". Here's from the 100+ page under Show Cold Pixels:

"Quickly spot completely black pixels by choosing Highlight Hot & Cold Areas from the View menu. This new overlay option lets you accurately adjust image toning. Adjust the threshold of the display in the Appearances pane in Preferences."

 

[Scottwdw]

As soon as my imac gets to me

Roger, enjoy your new iMac! I switched a couple of years ago and never looked back. I'll be getting Aperture 2.0 (got off the fence last night after looking at all the videos on Apple's site) soon. I also found out it handles JPEGs almost as well as RAW. I've never shot RAW but with Aperture, will start to explore it's advantages.

 

[Roger]

Hey it's on the truck to my house right now

I should have gone back (I'm one of those who grew up learning BASIC and Logo on the Apple IIe, IIc, IIgs and the first gen Mac) but the cost was always prohibitive - almost got in with Jobs' NEXT computers when I was in college. But absolutely no Vista for me, and a Mac will do everything I need to do now. Besides, can't use Aperture on Windows. But everything else will run on a Mac...

 

[Scottwdw]

Just read about the first plug-in which comes free with the Aperture 2.1 update which was released today, March 28, 2008. Here's the article:

Aperture 2.1 Opens Plug-In Architecture for Image Editing

More information can be found here:

Image editing plug-ins the centrepiece of Aperture 2.1, released today

Looks like Nik Software will have Viveza available in the future bringing their U-Point technology to Aperture. It will cost more than Aperture but still less than a Photoshop CS3 and Viveza combo. Noise Ninja and others are listed in the Rob Galbraith article as working on Aperture plugins.

I'll have to check it out tonight. Very excited about this!