Aperture or Lightroom?

ishamy · 4 Feb 2015 at 15:51

Right guys, wife just bought me a new machine for my 30th new iMac

It's the base model with a 1tb drive added. Really happy as my 'old' machine was really old!

Now I have the decision to stick with and buy LR for the Mac or move to Aperture. Basically I have pretty much never used an OSX based machines so I've got a lot to learn either way.

What would you guys do and why, if you were in my situation. I don't read that often about people using Aperture actually, any reason for that?

Thanks

w.k · 4 Feb 2015 at 15:54

If you are familiar with LR then stick with what you know. LR is excellent and I cant see Aperture being significantly better.

DBT85 · 4 Feb 2015 at 16:23

If you already have Lightroom then keep using Lightroom. Shouldn't need to buy it again as I think you key works on both Windows and OSX.

Or you could get the photography bundle from Adobe, works out to £8.57 a month for Lightroom and Photoshop, so not far off the £90 odd quid that LR5 standalone costs right now, and you get Photoshop too. https://creative.adobe.com/plans/photography

Lightroom 6 isn't too far off and will be included in that deal, but obviously won't if you just have the standalone LR5.

I don;t know many folk into photography out here in the real world, but the few that used to use Aperture all switched. No idea why.

ishamy · 4 Feb 2015 at 16:35

OK cool will look into the plans, but if I understand it right it's a yearly plan so I will have to carry on paying the sub in say year two to carry on using the software where as I would own the package after spending the £90 it costs standalone?

Also just read Apple are pulling Aperture soon (Rumor?) so maybe another reason to give that a miss then...

DBT85 · 4 Feb 2015 at 18:40

It is indeed an ongoing thing. But with a new Lightroom coming out every 18 months or so I'm happy with it. Hell, I pay more than that for Spotify.

An Exception · 4 Feb 2015 at 20:08

Aperture is dead. Lightroom is probably your best choice.

Nexus · 4 Feb 2015 at 20:27

Yup, Apple announced back in summer that Aperture is no longer being developed any further. They have switched all their efforts into a new Photos app which is basically going to be iPhoto but with some more of the power of Aperture.

For the serious amateur photographer or pro though, the Photos app doesn't really sound like its going to cut it. Plus given they have binned Aperture, I can't see how you would want to put much faith in it.

I liked Aperture and have used it for a number of years, but made the decision after the announcement to transition to Lightroom.