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Lightroom vs Aperture

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
Hello all,

Sorry if this has been done to death here, but can any expert user of both softwares care to comment on total-workflow comparisons between the two?

I use Aperture, C1, and CS4 presently. I prefer the look of the Aperture images but also freely acknowledge that all expert users of any of these can get pretty much any look they want, and that look to be completely satisfactory for any professional purpose.

It's more the ingestion–preview and gallery or journal output aspects that I would like more info on. I have a dot mac account, so the 'mobile.me' connections from Aperture is very handy for clients, but I also have a server that I use (via Transit) that works as well.

Interested person wants to know! TIA, KL
 
I think you might have a hard time finding someone who really understands the workflow with both, since they are both workflow tools that also happen to process files. If Aperture works for you, there is no great reason to switch. Also, as far as I understand, Aperture dictates a workflow, Lightroom does not. So there really is no such thing as a complete Lightroom workflow. I rename, add metadata and global keywords, edit out the truly bad images (the ones that would have gone in the trash before you left the lab) and apply color profiles and general processing during import. From there I will process images as needed (little lighter here, little darker there, dusting), rank them and then publish them (website, print, upload, etc.). However, those things can be done in any order and at any time. Because you are always working with the raw image and just adding instructions to the recipe, the workflow is very flexible.

That said, I am very impressed with Lightroom 3 when used with custom profiles. IMO the image quality is still not up to par with C1 or other stand alone raw processors, but for the first time in the product's history it is close enough for me that workflow (including only having to keep track of raw files and not worry about derivatives) makes it my one stop shop. Some people will set white balance and color profile with C1 and then process in LR. That is OK too. If you are just looking to use Lightroom as a catalog and process in C1, I doubt you will find much difference/improvement over Aperture.

I will be interested to see what Phase One does with iView/Expression Media now that they own it. C1 and EM are both best of breed software and if Phase One can blend them into a real package I will buy that in a second.

I am a photographer and I find that I can do anything I really need to do to an image in Lightroom, and as such have not opened Photoshop since the first Lightroom 3 beta came out. My creative director (an excellent photographer in his own right) uses photoshop for everything and as such has found no need for Lightroom.

Sorry, I know this isn't quite what you asked for, but I hope it is useful.
 
Last edited:

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Kit
I did a big comparison when Aperture 3 came out, and decided to stay put - I can't even remember why now!
 
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