Lightroom or Aperture for Mac users?

[Desert Rose]

Thanks Nicole. Are the two programs similarly matched for editing? Right now I work 10 hour days plus commute. I don't have a lot of time for comparison.

[Nicole]

I find that they are pretty well matched for editing. It's been a while since I did the Aperture 2 trial. I'm trying to remember if / how localized editing in Aperture works since the localized adjustment features are my fav part of Lightroom. I'm sure an Aperture user can chime in there.

From personal experience, I'm not saying this is 100% correct at all, I've been able to find more plugins for Lightroom than I did when I was trialing aperture (and free plugins at that). But that doesn't mean that the Aperture ones aren't out there.

[cameragirl]

Originally Posted by Desert Rose

I have to ask... which one is better for editing photos? Do they basically do the same functions for PP? Being a Mac user, I can see some advantages of Aperture and integrating with other programs. I would like to hear opinions of those who have edited with both formats. I will be purchasing either Aperture or Lightroom in the near future. I just can't decide which one! Please help!

Yep, that was exactly my point too, being a Mac user. Using Aperture and iPhoto together, would that be an advantage? So far, I like Lightroom better. I have both trial versions downloaded. When I open Aperture i just don't know what to do (ok I will have to read or watch video tutorials online) but Lightroom seem to make more sense.

[Nicole]

With Lightroom / Aperture (given that they perform the same function), I don't find the need to use iPhoto. The only thing I'm using iPhoto for now is possibly putting together a book of a project, but then I just drag and drop my photos in. Sorry if I'm hogging the discussion responses

[cameragirl]

Absolutely not Nicole, I love to hear your advice/experience. That's exactly why I thought iphoto will be useful, for greeting cards and so. And sure, why not using it only for that purpose? I also think i will use iphoto for personal photos like birthdays. In that way separate my 'business' categorie. Btw, do you backup to an external disk? I used to have all my photos on an external disk. Now I have this 'big mac' I might store my photos on the computer but still need to back up, of course.

[Nicole]

I do backup to 2 external disks for Time Machine (in 2 locations), plus I have another drive for archived images. The good thing is that if you want you can always set either program (I think) to backup your images to an external disk right away when they download. Still, becuase I'm working on a laptop I generally try to keep only about the last month's worth of images on there rather than everything.

Speaking of the archiving procedure, I've actually found that both Aperture & Lightroom will let you move portions of your catalog "offline" which still lets you see a preview of the image even without having your external drive plugged in. I always found Lightroom worked better for me with that, but that's because for some reason Aperture 1.5 would never ever finish processing the previews (2 may be more cooperative in that aspect).

Back on the iPhoto topic, I haven't had any hassles using it for just those few things (I think it does a great job at making cards etc!). I just don't use it as my main storage, so I just drag in the pictures I want to use.

[xxpinballxx]

Lightroom is the best of everything. I have yet to get it since I have the CS3 suite.
Lightroom is the photographers photoshop. Its does basically everything a photographer would want as far as editing an image. its name even gives it away......
Aperture, Like nicole said, was something i couldnt get use to. I got it with my MBP and never really got into it. I'd go for lightroom.

[essjay]

I'm straddling the fence somewhat. I prefer the organisational tools and metaphors in Aperture but prefer the editing and workflow in Lightroom. So for now I'm with Lightroom, but all it would take is a slight bump from Apple to Aperture and I'd be over again (and then the opposite would be true, repeat until nauseated). I think that your organisational and editing tools are as personal a choice as a camera. I preferred the way a Canon felt in my hand so I went Canon, I prefer the way Lightroom handles editing so I went Lightroom. It's much of muchness really.

[cameragirl]

I agree, it is a personal choice. Some prefer this, some prefer that. So far I feel more familiar with Lightroom, because every time I open Aperture, I don't know what to do, where to go.
Most important is, I do have PSE6 and love it for editing. Will this be sufficient or do I really need something like Lightroom? I know, Lightroom is more focused on organizing but with Bridge you can do this too.

[Chad Z.]

Both programs are awesome. I've never encountered anything that I need to do that both can't do. Mainly just what you are used to from what I've seen.