[rparmar]

I have found lots of info on this topic, but too much of it is dated. The other problem is that reviewers go on and on about image processing features, RAW conversion, fancy doodads and other guff. All I want is the best cataloguing software -- forget the other features! I realise that it is difficult keeping up with a moving target (Aperture 3, then Lightroom 3, then...) but I'm going to pose the question of what is best in the easiest possible way. In fact, this "question" might be quite informative to others looking to get the best product.

Requirements:
* Virtual albums with free organisation of files on disk.
* Support for file versioning and stacks
* Able to edit EXIF tags and the like individually and in arbitrary groups of files.
* Able to add custom XMP metadata.
* Copy'n'paste tags from one file to another.
* Mark images with colours and symbols to make selection and notation easy.
* Configurable light box: contact sheet, 4-up, full-screen, etc., including synchronised zoom and pan.
* Search & filter for images based on file name, folder, tags etc. simultaneously.
* Batch conversion, rename, etc.
* Robust database that can handle anything.
* Performance must not be unbearably slow. I have 8 cores; please use them!
* Able to script custom actions and workflow support (preferably in Python).
* Able to work off-line so the catalogue can be taken on-site, for example.
* Great support.
* Open source (no, not likely).
* If not open then affordable.
* Windows 7 64-bit compatible.

To cut to the chase: is there any reason not to get IDimager? It seems to tick all the boxes. For reference, here are all the products I looked at, categorised.

First, the leading choices.

IDimager $69 / $139
The baseline for comparison.

Bibble $200
Seems very complete.

Adobe Lightroom $300
Rather monolithic and missing features but maybe in beta? Expensive.

Here are the open source programmes. Unfortunately none come close to meeting the requirements.

BlueMarine $0
Open source and dead in the water.

RawTherapee $0
Open-source but no real cataloguing functionality.

Raw Studio $0
Open-source but mostly RAW processing. No Win build.

Chhobi $0
Open-source but very basic. No Win build.

albumshaper $0
Open-source but very basic.

These two look nice but are Mac only.

AntZero AtomicView €59
Slick interface but feature complete?

Adobe Aperture $200
There are those who like it. ;-)

And here are all the rest; programmes that do not (seem to) meet the requirements.

IMatch $65
No versioning and searching seems limited. Clunky interface with many features requiring scripts.

Adobe Bridge w/ PhotoShop
Folder-based.

Canto Cumulus €349
Archaic and expensive.

Extensis Portfolio $200
Feature incomplete.

DigitalPro $179 / $259
Website inspires no confidence.

Adobe Photoshop Elements €100
Has some Lightroom functionality.

LightZone Aurora $150 / $250
They used to have a cataloguing programme but now seem oriented towards processing.

ThumbsPlus $60 / $100
Pretty crude.

Camera Bits Photo Mechanic $150
Who knows?

ACDSee Photo Manager $63
Who knows?

FastStone Image Viewer free / $35
My favourite viewer but not a cataloguer.

Here's hoping all this helps others, and that those who have compared my top three choices can add some useful info. (This will be an upcoming blog article.)

[Marc Sabatella]

To cut to the chase: is there any reason not to get IDimager?

I'm playing with it right now, and would say no. That it, no reason not to. Like you said, it does everything you need (and then some).

Just a couple of comments:

First, the leading choices.

Not sure if you deliberately left off Microsoft Expression, but in its previous life as iView MediaPro, this was the one to beat. Not sure what it's current status is, but it seems it should be at least on the list to consider.

Here are the open source programmes. Unfortunately none come close to meeting the requirements.

Here, the obvious missing candidate is digiKam, which I take to be the front-runner among open source option. It's intended for Linux but from what I understand should work under Windows too (maybe not the latest version yet). I honestly don't know to what extent it meets your requirements, but again, definitely should be on the look-at list, especially given your preference for open source. I see they just released 1.2 today (!), and I hadn't really looked since a 0.X release a few months ago. Obviously, it's an active project, and seems to be picking up stream from what I can tell. if it even comes close to meeting your requirements, it could be worth taking a gamble that they'll add whatever is missing soon enough.

IMatch $65
No versioning and searching seems limited. Clunky interface with many features requiring scripts.

Ugh. I almost gave up on the whole idea after trying this one out a few years back, thinking if they were all going to be this bad, then this just wasn't to be.

LightZone Aurora $150 / $250
They used to have a cataloguing programme but now seem oriented towards processing.

Aurora is basically their "lite" product. You might still take a look at the full LightZone. But I suspect it's still not nearly full-featured enough in cataloging to merit serious consideration.

ACDSee Photo Manager $63
Who knows?

You'd need the Pro version (add a "1" in front of that price) to come close to meeting your requirements, but still, no versioning or stacking and a couple of other missed checkboxes. FWIW, this is what I use. I like it a lot for its simplicity and the integration of the non-destructive editing, but as a standalone cataloging program, I'd admit it's not up there will the others. What I will say is that in the same sense that IMatch almost made me give up because it was so awkward, ACDSee won me over with its extreme straightforwardness. When I was comparing programs, I kept wanting to set up little "sandboxes" for each program to play in, and quickly found myself using ACDSee for most of my basic file management tasks while exploring the other programs. The moment I realized that was when I made my decision. Playing with idImager right now, I have to say I am experiencing deja vu. Not that idImager is nearly as clunky as IMatch, but I am not finding it nearly as intuitive. Since by now I really know ACDSee well, I am being mindful that it's unfair to expect it to be as easy for me to use at first as ACDSee is right now. But I can't help but remember how much ACDSee really jumped out at me from the get-go in a way that pretty much nothing else has (I'd say Bibble 5 looks promising, as does digiKam).

[rparmar]

Thanks Marc! I am with you in the general sentiment that an easy-to-understand programme is worth more than a clunky one that has killer features. But of course I'd like both sides of the coin!

FYI, Microsoft Expression is DOA and people on their forum are frantically looking for an alternative.

Thanks for letting me know about digiKam, which somehow I had never heard of! Unfortunately I think the designers made a big mistake in not supporting virtual folders. The folders you see in this app are the ones on disk. And all editing is destructive. So it is not possible to flexibly make folders and hierarchies for the purposes of organisation without also actually moving/deleting etc. the files on disk.

Also versioning and stacks are not supported. But while these may come in a future release, the basic paradigm is wrong for asset management.

A shame -- I got all excited there for a moment.

[PDL]

MS Expression Media is still running at version 2 and has been removed from Expression Studio v3.
It how has its own home page: Microsoft Pro Photo: Expression Media 2 - Catalog and Organize Digital Files Easily With Image Management Software. It is still there rumors of it's DOA are just that - rumors.

The Elitist - formerly known as PDL

[rparmar]

PDL: The info I got was direct from the user's themselves, via their forum. In fact the thread Expressions Media is dead has been running since February 7. If indeed it's just a rumour then Microsoft is adopting an odd position in not making a statement against it.

In any case, this s/w does not, apparently, support Windows 7. Way to go Microsoft! Also, according to their docs, PEF files are not supported except as previews. I would love to hear from anyone who knows better.

[Bart]

...
In any case, this s/w does not, apparently, support Windows 7...

Works perfectly on Windows 7.

[PDL]

I have no idea why Expression Media 2 would not work on Windows 7. Vista and 7 use WIC and codec's to work with Pentax PEF files. I have Expression Studio 2 loaded on my Vista box, along with the Pentax codec, and everything works - slow (thanks to Pentax slow codec), but it works. Since Windows 7 is Vista "refined", why would Expression Media not run on Windows 7? Are you basing this on your environment, or what you read on forums.

The parent of Expression Media was a seperate product that was bundled into the Expression Media suite. Maybe - just maybe - MS is seperating it out again as it was before.

Now, if MS, Adobe, Apple and the rest of the industry could just agree on a common database management system that would be product independent. That would be sweet.

The Elitist - formerly known as PDL

[rparmar]

Since Windows 7 is Vista "refined", why would Expression Media not run on Windows 7? Are you basing this on your environment, or what you read on forums.

I am basing it on Microsoft's own documentation. Even the product homepage says this. Nice to know they are wrong. Or rather, not so nice. Shouldn't they know if their own software runs on their own operating system? Does not exactly inspire confidence.

[marcinski]

Hi
Among the programs you listed I used Bibble and like it very much. It replaced lightroom 3 beta on my computer when I switched to Linux full time. Yes it's paid but it's well worth it IMO. It supports tags, versions, stacking and advanced search. The output batches are great.
I tried Digikam, but couldn't warm up to the interface, it's clunky but a lot of people like it so you may give it a try.

Marcin

[Marc Sabatella]

Thanks for letting me know about digiKam, which somehow I had never heard of! Unfortunately I think the designers made a big mistake in not supporting virtual folders. The folders you see in this app are the ones on disk.

I guess I assumed the things shown as "albums" would be like what you refer to as virtual folders. Is that not the case? Personally, I wouldn't be without both types of views - virtual and disk-based, and lack of the latter was one of the things that initially put me off LR and makes IDimager less friendly than I'd like too. It's tough to integrate a collection into a cataloging program without an easy way to browse that collection, and having those disk views also helps in management. But sure, virtual collections are great for organizing - I just assumed digiKam had them from the screenshots I saw of "Albums" and the mention of using a database.

[PDL]

I am basing it on Microsoft's own documentation. Even the product homepage says this. Nice to know they are wrong. Or rather, not so nice. Shouldn't they know if their own software runs on their own operating system? Does not exactly inspire confidence.

Looks like there is a workaround for the "known" issues:
Messages from your Expression Media Support Team
Confidence can best be inspired by more than skin deep investigation.

It appears to work, eventhough the product page does not say Windows 7 explicitly. Windows 7 is Visa along with some major kernel tuning, I will find out in the next month or so, since I have the Windows 7 Ultimate box sitting on my desk.

The Elitist - formerly known as PDL

[rparmar]

Confidence can best be inspired by more than skin deep investigation.

Frankly, this attitude is getting tiring.

Why did you think I started this thread? To find out stuff I didn't know. Or do you expect me to already have all the answers? For every single product I listed?

For all the similarities there are many differences between Vista and Windows 7, and many products that simply do not work on Windows 7 64-bit. I have come across several since upgrading a couple months back. Assuming a product will work is a rather bad idea.

[rparmar]

Among the programs you listed I used Bibble and like it very much.

Cool. This product has a great feature set but I have not heard much from actual users about how it is to use.

[rparmar]

I guess I assumed the things shown as "albums" would be like what you refer to as virtual folders. Is that not the case?

An album is just a folder on disk, near as I can tell.

[Derridale]

Have a look at Photo Mechanic - much loved by many professionals.

Welcome to Camera Bits, Inc.

In particular, it seems to be very fast at rendering thumbnails - important for large collections.

And of course, one you've left out of your list, but perhaps not so obvious as a cataloguing app, is Google's Picasa. I have used that for a few years for home photos (as opposed to more "serious" stuff) and it works quite nicely. I wouldn't be too reluctant to use it for the more serious stuff either, except that I have that nicely set up in Aperture on my Macs.