Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. - PhotoCamel

loraksus · 12-31-2008

I've been using an old, old version of ACDSee for years (like version 2.2)
It didn't do raw or have many features, but it was really fast.
Doesn't work on vista though (it came out when windows 98 did, so...)
I'm looking for a replacement.

I don't want it to...
Be slow (bridge, newer versions of acdsee)
Crash, hang, freeze randomly (every app I've tried except for bridge, although bridge is sometimes so slow it might as well be hanging)
Play videos, flash or any of that crap.
Take 2 minutes to do some background stuff when opening a new folder (pretty much all the recent apps)
Make copies of files or save thumbnails or something in some stupid database that eventually grows to 12gb.
Be ignorant of changes of file locations and show me thumbnails for stuff that was moved weeks ago (picassa)
Hide the location of files from me like Picassa does (except for those 2 minor thing, I'd love it)

I just need an image viewer lets me quickly flip though pictures. I don't need thumbnails (although the option to turn them on would be nice), tags, star ratings or anything like that. No fades, no zooms, no stupid effects.

I would like it to...
-Open pics quickly without relying on a 3rd party program
-Read ahead cache to speed up flipping through in a "slideshow" type mode
-Allow me to return from a slideshow to the filelist - and not make me hunt down the file I just viewed
-Batch rename would be nice
-EXIF metadata support would really nice
-RAW support a bonus. Maybe RAW has been causing problems in the apps I've tried. If so, an option to disable RAW support would be awesome.

Any ideas?

swampler · 12-31-2008

Faststone

Rense · 12-31-2008

or irfanview, but indeed faststone is better.

JDArt · 12-31-2008

ACDSee Pro is the best one I've tried.

Mr. Pickles · 12-31-2008

Irfanview or Faststone as mentioned.

ALexD · 12-31-2008

For simply flipping through images quickly Irfanview is an excellent choice. It will also show thumbnails if you like. I have it set as the default image viewer so I can just double-click an image and have a look at it.

JDArt · 12-31-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALexD

For simply flipping through images quickly Irfanview is an excellent choice. It will also show thumbnails if you like. I have it set as the default image viewer so I can just double-click an image and have a look at it.

I think what many people really want or need from an image browser is some cataloguing ability, though. Does Irfanview do that?

Rense · 12-31-2008

no, but Idimager does, as well as imatch, lightroom, zoner photostudio ....

Max@Home · 12-31-2008

I second (or third, or whatever) FASTSTONE

...€0.02...

Kindest regards!

Max@Home

loraksus · 01-01-2009

Yup... looks like fasstone is the best. Still sits for a bit when opening a new folder, but better than the other ones I've tried. Some nifty features.

swampler · 01-01-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by loraksus

Yup... looks like fasstone is the best. Still sits for a bit when opening a new folder, but better than the other ones I've tried. Some nifty features.

Glad it works for you. I've used it for years.

PrestonSmith · 01-01-2009

I've used ACDSee and ThumbsPlus, but for quick viewing and searching I use Picasa from Google

Picasa 3: Free download from Google

It is free and it is fast. Limited capability but what it does it does well.

yendikeno · 01-01-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrestonSmith

I've used ACDSee and ThumbsPlus, but for quick viewing and searching I use Picasa from Google

Picasa 3: Free download from Google

It is free and it is fast. Limited capability but what it does it does well.

Agreed about Picasa for quick image viewing.

12-31-2008	#1 (permalink)
loraksus Vicuna Posts: 158 CamelKarma: 44 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. I've been using an old, old version of ACDSee for years (like version 2.2) It didn't do raw or have many features, but it was really fast. Doesn't work on vista though (it came out when windows 98 did, so...) I'm looking for a replacement. I don't want it to... Be slow (bridge, newer versions of acdsee) Crash, hang, freeze randomly (every app I've tried except for bridge, although bridge is sometimes so slow it might as well be hanging) Play videos, flash or any of that crap. Take 2 minutes to do some background stuff when opening a new folder (pretty much all the recent apps) Make copies of files or save thumbnails or something in some stupid database that eventually grows to 12gb. Be ignorant of changes of file locations and show me thumbnails for stuff that was moved weeks ago (picassa) Hide the location of files from me like Picassa does (except for those 2 minor thing, I'd love it) I just need an image viewer lets me quickly flip though pictures. I don't need thumbnails (although the option to turn them on would be nice), tags, star ratings or anything like that. No fades, no zooms, no stupid effects. I would like it to... -Open pics quickly without relying on a 3rd party program -Read ahead cache to speed up flipping through in a "slideshow" type mode -Allow me to return from a slideshow to the filelist - and not make me hunt down the file I just viewed -Batch rename would be nice -EXIF metadata support would really nice -RAW support a bonus. Maybe RAW has been causing problems in the apps I've tried. If so, an option to disable RAW support would be awesome. Any ideas? __________________ Members don't see ads in threads. Register your free account today and become a member on PhotoCamel - Your Friendly Photo Forum, gaining access to posting privileges, contests, free plug-ins and other downloads, unlimited online storage for your photographs, reviews, free marketplace listings, and much more.

12-31-2008	#2 (permalink)
swampler Camel Breath Location: Lebanon, TN Posts: 9,749 CamelKarma: 16228 Editing OK?: Ask first Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. Faststone
	__________________ Steve Middle Tennessee Sports Photos

12-31-2008	#3 (permalink)
Rense Camel Breath Location: Arnhem Posts: 16,686 CamelKarma: 19450 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. or irfanview, but indeed faststone is better.
	__________________ Rense [5D][50D][20D][G10][EFS 10-22][Sigma 12-24][Sigma 15][EF 17-40][TSE 24][Sigma 30][EF 50;f/1.4][EF 50;f/1.8][EF 24-105][Tamron 28-75][MP-E65][EF 70-200 f/4][EF 70-300DO][EF 85 f/1.8][EF 100 Macro][Sigma 105][EF 135 f/2.8SF][Tamron 180mm macro][Bigma][Tamron TC1.4x][580EX][420EX (2x)][M24EX][STE-2][DigiFlash][VariosixF2+Spot][a whole bunch of M42 lenses][CPS Europe member]

12-31-2008	#4 (permalink)
JDArt Camel Breath Location: Far out, man Posts: 15,685 CamelKarma: 4624 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. ACDSee Pro is the best one I've tried.
	__________________ My free desktop wallpaper.

12-31-2008	#5 (permalink)
Mr. Pickles Camel Breath Location: Old Folks Home Posts: 12,362 CamelKarma: 6828 Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. Irfanview or Faststone as mentioned.
	__________________ Idiot Savant AND trouble-maker... What's Camel Karma? Posting Images Tutorial

12-31-2008	#6 (permalink)
ALexD Alpaca Location: Wisconsin Posts: 20 CamelKarma: 32 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. For simply flipping through images quickly Irfanview is an excellent choice. It will also show thumbnails if you like. I have it set as the default image viewer so I can just double-click an image and have a look at it.

12-31-2008	#8 (permalink)
Rense Camel Breath Location: Arnhem Posts: 16,686 CamelKarma: 19450 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. no, but Idimager does, as well as imatch, lightroom, zoner photostudio ....
	__________________ Rense [5D][50D][20D][G10][EFS 10-22][Sigma 12-24][Sigma 15][EF 17-40][TSE 24][Sigma 30][EF 50;f/1.4][EF 50;f/1.8][EF 24-105][Tamron 28-75][MP-E65][EF 70-200 f/4][EF 70-300DO][EF 85 f/1.8][EF 100 Macro][Sigma 105][EF 135 f/2.8SF][Tamron 180mm macro][Bigma][Tamron TC1.4x][580EX][420EX (2x)][M24EX][STE-2][DigiFlash][VariosixF2+Spot][a whole bunch of M42 lenses][CPS Europe member]

12-31-2008	#9 (permalink)
Max@Home Photocamel Master Location: Castricum, The Netherlands Posts: 6,286 CamelKarma: 6171 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. I second (or third, or whatever) FASTSTONE ...€0.02... Kindest regards! Max@Home
	__________________ [All Canon] [EF16-35L II] [EF24-70L] [EF24-105L IS] [EF28-300L IS] [EF70-200F2.8L IS] [EF100-400L IS] [EF50F1.4] [EF85F1.2L II] [EF135F2.0L] [EF 1.4x II] [270ex] [430ex II] [580ex II] [ST-E2] [CP-E4] [EOS-1D Mk III] [EOS 5D MkII with BG-E6] [CPS Europe member] ...PBase images ?? ...or: SmugMug images ??

01-01-2009	#10 (permalink)
loraksus Vicuna Posts: 158 CamelKarma: 44 Editing OK?: Yes Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. Yup... looks like fasstone is the best. Still sits for a bit when opening a new folder, but better than the other ones I've tried. Some nifty features.

01-01-2009	#12 (permalink)
PrestonSmith Guanaco Location: Kansas City Posts: 266 CamelKarma: 276 Editing OK?: No Gallery \| Blog	Re: Image viewer? Please help me find one that doesn't suck. I've used ACDSee and ThumbsPlus, but for quick viewing and searching I use Picasa from Google Picasa 3: Free download from Google It is free and it is fast. Limited capability but what it does it does well.

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