Aperture 3 vs Lightroom 3 (beta 2) – Feature Comparison Review

SLIDESHOW

Common Features

• Export video sizes ranging from iPhone to HDTV.
• Add music track to slideshows.
• Fit slideshow to audio track.
• Slideshow titling.

Slideshow Summary
Aperture wins in this category. Different people will find this a make or break feature. Lightroom’s slideshow is a vast improvement over previous versions, but I really like the ability to edit slide transitions, utilize the Ken Burns effect, and incorporate video clips within my slideshows. The ability to make PDF slideshows direct from Lightroom is convenient, but there are other options for Aperture users if required.

PRINTING

Common Features

• Contact Sheets.
• Print Packages.
• Customizable Presets.

Print Summary
If you print your own images you’ll find the Aperture & Lightroom fairly even in this regard. Aperture has the edge with its ability to order prints & create books within the program. Yes, you can order books & prints via third party apps or websites, but the convenience of creation from Aperture shouldn’t be understated. Lightroom has the upper-hand in terms of flexible print layouts. While both programs allow for contact sheets or print packages, you are free to place your photos however you want on a printed page in Lightroom. If you’re still hung up on the book thing, see how I use InDesign with Lightroom/Photoshop to create book layouts.

Comments – Regarding Aperture, I’d like to see more options for books & ordered prints. The convenience is great, but the pricing through Apple is expensive when compared to third party vendors.

WEB GALLERY

Common Features

• Image Gallery Creation.
• Included Templates.

Web Summary
If you don’t mind using non-editable templates, exporting to your hard drive THEN uploading to your website, or you wish to publish to MobileMe then Aperture will work for you. Lightroom also comes with web templates, but has a few more options in terms of customization. You can also publish to YOUR website directly from Lightroom, no “export to desktop” as a required step.

Closing Thoughts

If you’ve read this entire post, then chances are you wanted to get some insight as to which program will be a good fit for your workflow. As I mentioned, I’m biased towards Lightroom, and although there are plenty of things I like about Aperture it’s not enough to make me switch today.

As I’ve stated before you should try out both products and see which one works best for you. Lightroom’s UI makes sense to me, you might prefer Aperture’s tab layout. For every argument I give you that Lightroom is the best choice, an Aperture enthusiast will counter with some cool feature they like.

In the end, remember it’s not the tool you choose, but how you choose to use those tools.

There are some features I did not have a chance to review this time, e.g., Facebook/Flickr social media exports, but expect that coverage in future posts.