Should I wait to see if there is a December release of Aperture 4?

[Villain101]

I've read the rumours that Aperture 4 could be released later this month. I was just about to buy Aperture 3.5 today and then got to wondering if I should wait a few weeks and see if 4 is released. I'm also aware that Apple have recently been allowing all their software to be updated to the newest versions free of charge, so do people here think that this would mean Aperture 3.5 would be upgradeable to Aperture 4 for free (if there is a release).

Thanks for any thought

 

[maflynn]

There's been no rumors AFAIK, about a release of Aperture 4. At this point, I'd take the plunge, but that's just me.

 

[netslacker]

There were a lot of rumors that Aperture 4 would arrive in February 2011 - the anniversary of previous upgrades. But it didn't.

Then there were rumors it would come later in the year. It didn't.

Then there were again rumors that aperture would come in February 2012. Nope.

Once FCPX was released everyone was sure Aperture X was eminent. Uh, wrong again.

Then in September the rumors were a buzz, a new version of aperture was leaked by Phil. Sorta - we got another point release.

So even if there were rumors, they mean exactly nothing when it comes to Aperture.

 

[onekerato]

Also. it's quite likely that Aperture 4, when it is released, will be a free upgrade for those who purchased Aperture 3 from the Mac App Store.

 

[glenthompson]

I upgraded from iPhoto to Aperture this summer. I decided that even if a new version came out this fall the cost was still worth it to get the additional features I needed. I'm glad I didn't wait.

 

[flux73]

I took the plunge yesterday. Which means it's a virtual guarantee that Aperture 4 will come out in the next month and I'll have to pay for an upgrade.

I've used LR3-4 for a few years and finally decided against installing it onto my recently purchased 13" MBP. So far I like the photo organization WAY more than LR's which I found to be unnecessarily complicated. And to have to go to another section of the software to edit the photos? So far I haven't found the editing tools to be noticeably inferior, but noise reduction seems to be the biggest complaint and I haven't had to use it much with my Sony RX-1. The one thing I'd like to see is a content-aware fill function like in PS. And lens profile correction tools. Perhaps better highlight and shadow recovery which seems to be somewhat limited compared to LR's - saves those photos where I really screw up the exposure.

 

[zedsdead]

The past few major releases were in February. Not that it means this one will, but it's the normal timeframe. It definitely is over due.

 

[hulk2012]

Should I wait to see if there is a December release of Aperture 4?

Lens profile correction is already built in into it and applied automatically during the preview rendering. Noise redirection can be achieved by Noiseware plugin from Imagenomic - then best noise reduction tool currently available. Many other plugins from Perfect Photo Suite 8.1 to Nik, Topaz, DXO Optics Pro, Film Pack and many many more...

The only trouble is...? You cannot apply already applied adjustments to other photos. True there is batch processing but can't be done moving pictures from one plugin to another and so on. The reason why is - some plugins so not support batch processing so what happens is you ending up having a photos set where every picture looks different. And that sucks. Especially if you a wedding photographer or want to keep the same theme but need to move pictures around few plugins to get desired "look"... For me that was the biggest reason to switch to Capture One Pro. No need of plugins as you can achieve even better results with amazing noise reduction and most importantly keeping the same theme of photo sets if needed. Aperture then comes to play as managed library for sake of iCloud sharing and few others. But that's about it. Best of both worlds.

Hope that helps..

 

[robgendreau]

Also. it's quite likely that Aperture 4, when it is released, will be a free upgrade for those who purchased Aperture 3 from the Mac App Store.

I'm not being snarky, but on what info is this conclusion based?

And Apple essentially upgraded all Aperture users when it upgraded all the iWork applications, even those with demos. They are changing their update system and sending us all to the MAS. I don't know that necessarily means you get a free upgrade to the next version of iWork or Aperture; it didn't work that way before the MAS.

This uncertainty is one reason why I moved to LR, among others. I prefer it now, especially for organizing externally referenced photos. And I didn't like the way iPhoto went, and I wonder what's gonna happen with Aperture. Since committing to a workflow is a pretty big long term decision, I couldn't take the risk of continuing with Aperture.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

I'm not being snarky, but on what info is this conclusion based?

And Apple essentially upgraded all Aperture users when it upgraded all the iWork applications, even those with demos. They are changing their update system and sending us all to the MAS. I don't know that necessarily means you get a free upgrade to the next version of iWork or Aperture; it didn't work that way before the MAS.

This uncertainty is one reason why I moved to LR, among others. I prefer it now, especially for organizing externally referenced photos. And I didn't like the way iPhoto went, and I wonder what's gonna happen with Aperture. Since committing to a workflow is a pretty big long term decision, I couldn't take the risk of continuing with Aperture.

While I wouldn't place a bet one way or the other, there's certainly reason to think that an update, whenever it comes, could be free. That's based on Apple's recent behavior. "Before the MAS" doesn't mean a lot. Before the MAS there was no such thing as a free OS X upgrade. Past experience may have no bearing on future results.

The fact that one can't ignore the lessons of history doesn't mean history necessarily repeats itself. It means you have to learn from your mistakes.

Uncertainty isn't the greatest reason to make a decision. "Will Apple change Aperture," is countered by, "Will Adobe change LR?" Both companies change their products. Day to day, the only thing that matters is using the product as it currently is. You don't marry someone hoping they'll change in a desired way, and you're a fool to expect that your spouse won't change in unexpected ways.

LR and Aperture have different workflows. It's like building a studio, kitchen, wood shop, or any other work area. Whatever efficiencies/inefficiencies existed at the start tend to continue throughout the life of the facility. If the LR workflow is best/most efficient for your needs, then it's the right decision. The same goes for Aperture. There wouldn't be "product differentiation" if the same size fit all.

 

[flux73]

Lens profile correction is already built in into it and applied automatically during the preview rendering. Noise redirection can be achieved by Noiseware plugin from Imagenomic - then best noise reduction tool currently available. Many other plugins from Perfect Photo Suite 8.1 to Nik, Topaz, DXO Optics Pro, Film Pack and many many more...

The only trouble is...? You cannot apply already applied adjustments to other photos. True there is batch processing but can't be done moving pictures from one plugin to another and so on. The reason why is - some plugins so not support batch processing so what happens is you ending up having a photos set where every picture looks different. And that sucks. Especially if you a wedding photographer or want to keep the same theme but need to move pictures around few plugins to get desired "look"... For me that was the biggest reason to switch to Capture One Pro. No need of plugins as you can achieve even better results with amazing noise reduction and most importantly keeping the same theme of photo sets if needed. Aperture then comes to play as managed library for sake of iCloud sharing and few others. But that's about it. Best of both worlds.

Hope that helps..

Thanks, yeah. One of these weekends, I may download the trial version of COP7 and give it a whirl. Though I tend to like to keep things as simple as possible while minimizing compromises. So until I run into a "real" issue with Aperture, I'm not really thrilled by the idea of adding another application on top of it and using Aperture as a $79 photo organizer.

 

[jms969]

I recently installed the LR5 trial. I really like it, particularly in light of the fact that Aperture is abandonware.

Gonna try Capture one and then make the switch to either LR or CO...

 

[bakechad]

I recently installed the LR5 trial. I really like it, particularly in light of the fact that Aperture is abandonware.

Gonna try Capture one and then make the switch to either LR or CO...

I'm in the process of moving from Linux to Mac. I was hoping to move to Aperture too, but I agree it looks abandoned.

I currently use Darktable which is also available for the Mac. It is being continuously improved. I think I am going to stick with Darktable.

 

[Mactabulous]

Wut?

Lens profile correction is already built in into it and applied automatically during the preview rendering

A quick Google for "Aperture lens correction" give heaps of results on Apertures lack of lens correction. Can you verify your claim, somehow (links etc)?

 

[jms969]

A quick Google for "Aperture lens correction" give heaps of results on Apertures lack of lens correction. Can you verify your claim, somehow (links etc)?

Exactly, there is no built-in lens correction in Aperture. That feature is a huge plus for Lightroom...

 

[Mactabulous]

Exactly, there is no built-in lens correction in Aperture. That feature is a huge plus for Lightroom...

Thank you, I was confused there for a second. This is the very reason why I'm currently looking into switching to Lightroom. Lack of lens correction should be a standard feature. Ufortunately, Aperture is lagging aeons behind in this respect.

/End hijack

 

[jms969]

Thank you, I was confused there for a second. This is the very reason why I'm currently looking into switching to Lightroom. Lack of lens correction should be a standard feature. Ufortunately, Aperture is lagging aeons behind in this respect.

/End hijack

Great points not a hijack...

It pains me greatly to purchase an Adobe product but LR5 is light years ahead of aperture and the scarey part is even if apple does release aperture 4 or aperture x they don't have a great track record of releasing updated pro software, just look at FCPX...

 

[hulk2012]

Should I wait to see if there is a December release of Aperture 4?

Exactly, there is no built-in lens correction in Aperture. That feature is a huge plus for Lightroom...

Lens correction is already built in. It's automatically applied when the preview is rendering for the first time. It's a hidden future and those who say ap3 is behind Lightroom. Well I guess we taking about amateurs. If you could only know how many possibilities aperture holds you wouldn't never believe. Google Joseph site - aperture expert or Robert Boyer. Email then and ask them what is better..

 

[Zeiss]

Lens correction is already built in. It's automatically applied when the preview is rendering for the first time. It's a hidden future and those who say ap3 is behind Lightroom. Well I guess we taking about amateurs. If you could only know how many possibilities aperture holds you wouldn't never believe. Google Joseph site - aperture expert or Robert Boyer. Email then and ask them what is better..

Phocus for Haaselblad does this incredibly well for 'blads, while Lr5 is great for Nikon and canon etc. I'm led to believe the A3 does it automatically based on metadata in the raw file with no user input, but have never really looked into it. Also no support for duel illuminant dng camera profiles, sorry but A3 is not a very convincing pro app. It was a few years ago, but not now. I hope A4 is released with this and more, but I help off for 2 years with a crazy arsed workflow in several apps before settling on Lr4, and now 5....

 

[LV426]

Lens correction is already built in. It's automatically applied when the preview is rendering for the first time. It's a hidden future and those who say ap3 is behind Lightroom. Well I guess we taking about amateurs. If you could only know how many possibilities aperture holds you wouldn't never believe. Google Joseph site - aperture expert or Robert Boyer. Email then and ask them what is better..

I've done my own tests on this using RAW images taken with an 18-200 "super-zoom". Such lenses typically introduce noticeable distortion.

Aperture does not correct this distortion, unfortunately.

 

[jms969]

Lens correction is already built in. It's automatically applied when the preview is rendering for the first time. It's a hidden future and those who say ap3 is behind Lightroom. Well I guess we taking about amateurs. If you could only know how many possibilities aperture holds you wouldn't never believe. Google Joseph site - aperture expert or Robert Boyer. Email then and ask them what is better..

From your suggested site:
https://www.apertureexpert.com/tips...s-are-essential-to-your-aperture-workflo.html

Lens correction
Just because we don’t have built-in lens correction doesn’t mean it’s unavailable to Aperture users. A reader mentioned PTLens [site link] ($25). They offer a standalone version as well as a plugin for Aperture. I haven’t tried it personally but that’s a pretty affordable way to add a desperately wanted feature!

Aperture DOES NOT HAVE BUILT IN LENS CORRECTION!!!

edit: plus using a plugin like PTLens you have to round trip out of Aperture creating a massive tiff file

I've done my own tests on this using RAW images taken with an 18-200 "super-zoom". Such lenses typically introduce noticeable distortion.

Aperture does not correct this distortion, unfortunately.

Bingo, Aperture is aging abandonware, time to move on to a professional application!!!

 

[bakechad]

Bingo, Aperture is aging abandonware, time to move on to a professional application!!!

Or look at well supported open source application that inherently cannot be abandoned since the source will always be available, Darktable, that has built in lens correction using Lensfun.

 

[Bear]

...
Bingo, Aperture is aging abandonware, time to move on to a professional application!!!

You have an add definition of abandonware. Apple has been providing patches/bug fixes pretty regularly and they've even hired engineers to work on it. How is it abandonware?

What I will agree with is that Apple isn't providing new features fast enough for some people.

 

[jms969]

Or look at well supported open source application that inherently cannot be abandoned since the source will always be available, Darktable, that has built in lens correction using Lensfun.

Certainly worth taking a look at...

You have an add definition of abandonware. Apple has been providing patches/bug fixes pretty regularly and they've even hired engineers to work on it. How is it abandonware?

What I will agree with is that Apple isn't providing new features fast enough for some people.

Aperture 3.0 arrived on February 9, 2010, a major update is years behind. To your point, about all apple has done is provide some patches, bug fixes, and compatibility updates. They have done very little to add features or fix major issue such as, memory leaks, the problem with it being a cpu hog, crashing, fragile library database, etc...

Edit: Here is a graphic from DPS (Dec 2013), it is just another reason why I think aperture is EOL...

Edit: I am loving LR5, made the switch and haven't looked back... Signing out of this discussion...