Software maker Apple, in conjunction with Photo District News, is conducting a survey on Aperture’s recent problems with their conversion of RAW images. Their development team would like to work from a wide range of images from their current Aperture users and so is asking photographers to submit images that illustrate particular deficiencies in Aperture’s RAW handling and include comments explaining their issues with it.

The images, according to Apple, “will be used exclusively for testing and evaluation purposes.” Apple assures photographers that the images submitted will not be published or released to the public in any capacity, marketing or otherwise. They will only be used for internal testing purposes to improve RAW image support in Aperture.

Apple has detailed instructions on how to submit both the original RAW file and modified versions of the same file in the form of a 16-bit TIFF. The very specific instructions include dropping off the folder of images at a specified Apple FTP site. Once submitted, photographers are also asked to send a notifying email.