Apple released two separate software updates yesterday. The MacBook Battery Update 1.4 "improves the ability of MacBook batteries to maintain a charge when the system is shut down and not used for an extended period of time" and is for 13" MacBooks.

In addition, the Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.5 adds RAW support for the Nikon D3X and Epson R-D1x in iPhoto '08 & '09 as well as Aperture 2.

The battery update and the RAW update are both free downloads from Apple.

In Apple's ongoing effort to add camera support for RAW formats, it has just released a new update. In update 2.4, Apple added support (for both Aperture 2 and iPhoto '08) for the following Digital Cameras that shoot in RAW format:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II
• Canon PowerShot G10
• Pentax K2000/K-m
• Leaf AFi-II 6
• Leaf AFi-II 7
• Leaf Aptus-II 6
• Leaf Aptus-II 7
• Leica M8.2

In addition, Apple notes that this update "...also addresses issues related to specific cameras and overall stability." You can download this update via Software Update or by downloading the installer package from Apple's Support Download website.


Thanks for the tip, Miguel!

Apple just released an update for RAW camera support for Mac OS X Leopard, Aperture 2, and iPhoto '08. With this new update, the following list of RAW-format cameras are supported:

• Canon EOS 50D
• Nikon D90
• Sony DSLR-A900
• Nikon Coolpix P6000

Apple also notes that this update "addresses issues related to specific cameras and overall stability." You can download this update by opening up Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by downloading the installer package from the Apple Support downloads site.


Thanks for the tip, Tony!

Today Apple released an update for Mac OS X's RAW compatibility. iPhoto '08 and Aperture will now be able to work with RAW formats from the following cameras:

• Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/Kiss Digital F/1000D
• Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n
• Nikon D700
• Olympus EVOLT E-420
• Olympus EVOLT E-520
• Olympus SP-570
• Samsung GX-10
• Samsung GX-20
• Sony DSLR-A300
• Sony DSC-R1

I'm sure this isn't a fix for everyone, but will probably make most photographers happy to see their camera on the list. You can download this update by opening Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by visiting Apple's downloads website and downloading the installer package.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Hasselblad makes high-end professional cameras that produce some of the largest digital images commercially available at up to 39 megapixels raw. It took until March for Apple to natively support the Hasselblad raw format and now the Swedish company has released Phocus for OS X, a dedicated raw processing application which provides digital lens correction, color adjustment, and Moiré removal together with tethered shooting and metadata control with geotagging for its entire line of cameras and backs.

Phocus is Leopard-only and available to registered Hasselblad users. In a lovely change of pace the OS X version is available now with the Windows version to follow later in the year.

[via Macworld UK]

Apple just released an update for RAW camera support for Mac OS X Leopard, Aperture 2, and iPhoto '08. With this new update, the following list of RAW-format cameras are supported:

• Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/Kiss Digital x2/450D
• Epson R-D1
• Leaf AFi 7
• Leaf AFi 6
• Leaf AFi 5
• Pentax K200D
• Pentax K20D

You can download this update by opening up Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by downloading the installer package from the Apple Support downloads site.


Thanks to everyone who sent this tip in!

There's been much debate on the interwebs on what lies in store for users of Aperture (Apple's professional-level photo management software). I'm not suggesting that we mourn Aperture's passing, but it has been a little neglected of late, and as someone who uses Aperture almost daily that makes me intrigued by Apple's plans for the application.

Apple has been hounded for a little while about some cameras not having RAW support in OS X: colleague Chris Ullrich's Nikon D300 is still unsupported, for example. So you can imagine the widespread surprise when Joe Schorr, Apple's Senior Product Manager for Photo Applications posted a thread on the Aperture Discussion Groups:

"We're constantly working to make Aperture an even better tool for users, and will soon release an upgrade that includes RAW format support for new cameras and other exciting new features. Please stay tuned."

This is where the plot thickens, dear readers, as the updates for Aperture's camera support actually hinge on updates to OS X. So if a new camera comes out, Apple puts out an OS X RAW Support Update for these new formats, and Aperture just works -- as do any other applications that utilize the OS X image frameworks. Now add into that the use of the word 'upgrade', not update, but upgrade. While perhaps hinting at a paid upgrade, it's good to know that the frustration of photographers everywhere isn't falling on deaf ears.

In the run up to Leopard Apple mentioned that they were adding support for more camera RAW formats, but it wasn't exactly clear which models would be supported. The final list is now available in this Apple Support Document. This means that native support for these cameras' RAW file format is in OS X and certain imaging applications, most importantly, Aperture. As it happens I was delighted to discover that my Panasonic DMC-FZ50 made the list after not being supported in Tiger. If you've been waiting for Apple to add RAW support for your camera you'll probably want to check it out.

[via MacVolPlace]

Apple is on an update tear today. Digital Camera Raw Support Update 1.0.1 is now available from Apple's website. What does it do? This is what Apple has to say: 'This update improves RAW file format compatibility for the following digital SLR cameras:

• Canon Digital Rebel XTi / 400D / Kiss X Digital
• Nikon D80
• Pentax *ist DS

Other issues addressed:

• Handling of large Canon RAW files (.CRW)
• DNG compatibility on Intel-based Macs
• Lines sometimes appearing in images exported from Aperture'

Digital photographers, get to downloading!

I am solidly in the rank amateur category of photographers, which is why I have never had reason to look into either Aperture or Lightroom. My camera doesn't even shoot in RAW.

However, James Duncan Davidson earns his way by shooting photographs and as such has used both Aperture and Lightroom (which is in beta). He compares and contrasts the two, though there is no clear 'winner' in this battle. Aperture is able to handle a huge volume of photos fairly well, but Lightroom's printing options are miles ahead of Aperture's.

[via Daring Fireball]

Preview.app is one of the most overlooked aspects of OS X (Keychain ranks up there too) but now the Digital Story is singing the praises of the RAW editing abilities of Preview. It turns out that not only can you open RAW files with Preview but you can do several color adjustments, convert it to other file formats, and a few other things to boot. All of this baked into the OS? Thanks, Apple!

I wouldn't toss aside your copy of Aperture or Photoshop just yet, but when you're in a pinch Preview is right there for you.

[via Infinite Loop]

When was the last time you heard of a .1 upgrade to an application putting $200 in your pocket? It looks like pushing the Aperture update back to April did some good after all: This morning, Apple released Aperture 1.1 with a host of upgrades and new features, the most notable being Universal Binary status, RAW image rendering speed boosts and new fine tuning controls, as well as a price reduction to $299 and - get this - a $200 coupon for Aperture 1.0 'early adopters,' redeemable at the online Apple Store (make your claim here).

General performance has dramatically increased on both PPC and Intel-based Macs, with Apple's press release boasting that "common repetitive workflow tasks such as Lift and Stamp and searching are processed up to 4x faster on a MacBook Pro (2.16 GHz) than on a PowerBook(R) G4."

The Aperture 1.1 upgrade is available for existing customers now through Software Update, and fresh $299 copies are also available now through the Apple Store.