Old camera, old Macbook...help with software!

[ittybittypilot]

Hello! After a 10 year hiatus, I'm getting back into photography with my 9 year old Nikon D60. I would like to shoot in raw, but I have an old Macbook that is not compatible with new photo editing software.

Does anyone know of either older software, or simpler newer software that doesn't need such massive memory or processor size? There is just no way I can swing a new Mac anytime soon, and I don't need anything fancy for editing.


Loving the forum, lots of good threads that are really helping me re-learn!


Sandy

 

[dxqcanada]

Umm, what model of a Mac do you got ?

 

[ittybittypilot]

Macbook Pro 2,2
OS 10 X version 10.6.8

 

[Designer]

I use Aperture 3 on my iMac. Apple is no longer supporting Aperture. I haven't checked the latest price of the software, but it may be coming down in price due to being discontinued. It does everything I need done.

 

[ittybittypilot]

I'll check it out. Hopefully the system requirements are simple enough for my dinosaur Macbook
Thanks!

 

[Derrel]

Lightroom 3.6 ought to run under 10.6.8...it does for me. Not sure, but perhaps you can find an on-disc copy of LR 3.6 from some on-line software retailer? I think Lightroom 4.1 would also run pretty well on that Mac under 10.6.8.

Other apps that likely could work would be like SilkyPIX, which is an interesting RAW developer with some very unique pre-configured development "looks" for Nikon NEF files from the D1h-D2x-D70- era of 2003 to 2005, in that general time frame. Although it's not super-fast, I liked SilkyPIX for its pre-set "looks". At times, it created amazing .NEF conversions for me, in ways I would not have thought of doing.

There is more than just one way to develop a raw Nikon image. Some of Nikon's own software had terrific image quality potential, but was prone to crashing; Adobe products seem pretty good to me. SilkyPIX was very stable for me back in the 2006-2008 era on D2x NEFs and S2 Pro .RAF files. (I beleive since that era they have changed the spelling to simply Silkypix.)

Again: there's more than one way to develop a raw image file; either ALL-user, with the user making all sorts of decisions, or in a sort of pre-set typeof way, the way the Japanese developers did with SilkyPIX, with phrases such as "Natural, but just a little bit lighter," and "Natural, but more dark", and other odd Japanese-type phrases, some of which I can not recall, but ways of describing the color-toning theory like, "Rich portrait with skin-tone emphasis," and so on.

See this thread, and look at the screen shots.X-Pro 1 RAW Processed in Silkypix: step-by-step with screenshots: Fujifilm X System / SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

[ittybittypilot]

Seems to have compatible system requirements. I just bought Aperture 2 on eBay for $14

Thanks for the tip! At $14 its worth a try.

I'm also exploring Silkpix as well. I was hoping there was more support for raw vs big fancy memory hog programs like Photoshop. I just don't need or want all those features (yet anyway)

 

[ittybittypilot]

I wanted to thank you all for helping with my dinosaur of a Macbook and the software troubles. I got my (perfectly new condition) Aperture 2 software off eBay for $14 and it installed PERFECTLY! It's a little different than the old Photoshop from 2007 I was used to, but frankly, I already like this better...more streamline, more intuitive (thank you Apple for not over complicating everything!)

I've also played around with Silkypix and I really like it's simplicity. So excited to get back into photography!

I guess I should introduce myself formally


Sandy