March 17, 2006 – Apple’s freshly updated Aperture photo management software is now available on the company web site. Version 1.1 offers users a long list of improvements, including universal compatibility on PCs and Macs, better RAW image handling, and more editing tools. Owners of the first version of Aperture can upgrade for free and new consumers can find the software at a retail price of $499.
Apple Aperture 1.1 has a host of features tailored to digital cameras that just hit the market. Most new models have higher ISO sensitivities now, so the new version of Aperture includes an automatic noise compensation tool. More cameras are including RAW file shooting as well; the 1.1 version of Aperture includes a new set of algorithms that decodes RAW files with better accuracy.
Users can also fine tune the RAW files by adjusting the decoding settings. The contrast and sharpness can be altered as well as the type of noise reduction applied; the Chroma Blur option lets users choose chrominance or luminance-based noise reduction algorithms.
Apple Aperture 1.1 also includes a color meter that lets users select pixel values and show them in RGB, LAB, or CMYK color formats. Apple’s Aperture 1.1 also lets users switch between software editing programs with ease. The new version has improved export controls so users can now specify the default dots-per-inch figure for opening photos in an external program. Photoshop users can also tweak layers from Photoshop files without having to create flattened versions of them.
Other improvements are in the areas of cropping, printing, and web output, among others. Apple Aperture 1.1 was developed from input given by professional photographers and is now available on Apple’s web site.
