C1 Pro switching to Lightroom or Aperture?

[JonathanKannair]

For several years I've been happily using C1 Pro with Canon cameras and Mac PowerBook G4 (location) and G5 Dual 2.0 (editing). What I especially like about C1 Pro is the two monitor support (great for editing in C1) and the ability to shoot tethered (works 95% of the time). I've also been very happy with the quality of the raw conversions. But I'm wondering about Lightroom and Aperture and I have read many posts and articles about both programs and have briefly played around with Lightroom (what I don't like about Lightroom is the lack of dual monitor support and the difficulty shooting tethered; what I don't like about Aperture is what I understand to be its hardware requirements and the inability to shoot tethered).

If someone has made the switch from C1 Pro to either Lightroom or Aperture I'd very much appreciate your thoughts. Particularly regarding dual monitors, tethered shooting and the functionality of either of those programs on the aforementioned hardware. (My license for C1 is good through the anticipated 4.0 release so I don't need to make an immediate change.)

Thanks!

[Edmond_Terakopian]

Hi,
I switched to Aperture. I love it! I've been running it on the last two models of the 15" MacBook Pro (with 2Gb RAM) so can't comment on how it'll run on your kit. I'd imagine that you editing Mac will be fine but it might be a bit slow on your laptop.
I've used it to run an external monitor which works fine although don't do tethered shooting, so can't comment there.
I think that its a great program; very subtle when needed and elegant in use. Also, you can build a library as you go on so it works like a data base too.
I'm a news photographer so generally work and wire quickly and Aperture fits in to my workflow perfectly.

[BobSmith]

I switched to Lightroom for tethered shooting. I use Bridge/ACR/Photoshop for the bulk of the rest of the workflow. Eventually I'll use Lightroom more but it's main limitation for me at the moment is almost non existant network support. I made the switch primarily because of C1's lame file nameing and metadata capabilities compared to the Adobe apps. I've owned Aperture for quite a while but just haven't been able to work it into a workflow that suits my needs... mostly due to lack of serious effort on my part to learn it's nuances.

I shoot tethered with a 5D using EOS Utility to a particular capture folder. Lightroom is set to watch that folder and autoimport. When it does so it moves the file into another folder (on a network server). Lightroom is set to auto apply my default processing and basic metadata. I keep LightRoom set to show the most recently imported image in single image enlarged view so that I can easily see it from the camera position across the room. This is taking place on a Powerbook connected to a larger display in my studio. After shooting I move to another workstation for editing (20" Intel iMac with another 20" Cinema Display attached). I use Bridge to move the files from the shoot into a client specific "working" folder and complete the edits in Bridge/ACR/Photoshop.

EOS Utility with Lightroom works fine for tethered shooting as long as you're shooting relatively slowly. I'm mostly doing product shots so that's not a problem. If I'm shooting something that requires faster tethered shooting I'll use Bridge instead of Lightroom to monitor the folder where EOS Utility is placing the files... and set Bridge into a contact sheet view of the incoming images.

Bob Smith

[Alan_Ackoff]

I own Aperture, C1, and Lightroom. I've been using Lightroom. Have removed Aperture from my computer. I'm curious to see version 4.0 of C1 when it comes out because like you I qualify for the free upgrade.

One plus for Lightroom is the great support with books, articles, videos, etc. from the Adobe community. Also, Adobe is receptive and responsive to user input in a way that I find admirable. Their level of customer service is exceptional.

I can do everything I need in Lightroom and it has some unique tools that I use all the time. I used all 3 applications until it evolved that I found myself using Lightroom exclusively. This is just my 2 cents. Of course your mileage may vary.

[Martin_Kristiansen]

I shoot a lot of products and use Lightroom just as Bob does. It is a very easy system once you get into it. I have been shooting tethered since the Kodak DCS 420 and 460 (anyone remember those cameras) and this is the best system yet for me. Even better is my clients love it and it makes client approval for photos much easier.

[BobSmith]

Originally Posted by Martin_Kristiansen

I have been shooting tethered since the Kodak DCS 420 and 460 (anyone remember those cameras)

I started with the DCS410 tethered with the longest SCSI cable I could find (12 feet?) to a 2400c Powerbook (still probably the smallest laptop Apple has ever made). The first job I shot with that setup was a location shoot in a gym where we were trying to illustrate a booklet about excercising during pregnancy. I would shoot while the art director and a physician watched the images come up on that tiny screen. They'd direct the models based on what they saw. Once they saw a suitable image we'd stop shooting and move onto the next setup. I fell in love with tethered shooting that day and have been doing it ever since. I used most every Nikon based Kodak that followed the 410... then switched to Canon when Kodak bailed out of the pro camera business. Yes indeed, this current setup shooting tethered via EOS Utility into either Lightroom or Bridge is the best and most versatile setup yet.

Bob Smith

[JonathanKannair]

Many thanks to all of you who have taken time to reply to my original post. I especially appreciate the feedback on shooting tethered with Lightroom.

When shooting tethered with Canon 1Ds Mark I, II or III do I understand correctly that you are only using the Canon EOS file viewer utility to create the tethered link?

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