Is Aperture Right for me?

[W1MRK]

Looking for advice.

New to DSLR photography and looking to get the right software the first time. I see many posts on both PS and Aperture but am still on the fence.

I just purchased a slightly used D80 with 15-55mm and 70-300 mm lenses.

My main focus will be nature, landscapes, and wildlife so I am looking for a program which will help me with colors and light. As well as help me organize and post.

I do not think I need all of the super advanced features of PS but I really wanted to hear comments from you guys if my main interest is scenic is aperture right for me or should I spend another 700 and get PS?


Thanks Mike

 

[The Mad Kiwi]

I'd start with Aperture, you can download the 30 day trial from the Apple site and give it a try, it runs best on a newer Mac anything more than a couple of years old and it'll struggle.

I use both, aperture for cataloging and light work photo correction and photoshop for the heavy lifting. They're quite different programs.

 

[Waybo]

Aperture is great for organizing your files, and simple photo editing. PS doesn't do any file organization, but is the pros choice for photo editing. I would suggest that you try Aperture before you buy PS, because it might be all you need. PS is not only $$$$, it also has a steep learning curve. If you need more than Aperture for photo editing, you could consider Photo Shop Express. Good luck!

 

[W1MRK]

Sounds like Aperture will do fine for me and I really like the $80 price tag

 

[Ish]

Aperture is more akin to Adobe's Lightroom than to Photoshop. You might like to look at that too. I'm currently using the trial of both to see which I want to use. My MBP's nearly 4 years old, but I will upgrade at some point, obviously, so want to try them both out.

 

[Keleko]

I use Aperture and Photoshop Elements 9. I really like the integration with iPhone/iPad syncing and organization in Aperture. However, I sometimes wish I had Lightroom just because I hear that it is really good at noise reduction. For now I'm happy enough with what I have, though.

 

[W1MRK]

Could not be happier with my decision. Thanks guys, I am loving Aperture.

First pics with D80 today

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkulis/