For a long time I have used Kodak EasyShare simply because that is what came with the camera. And for a basic computer dummy like myself it was basically idiot proof and served my no frills need to photograph my modeling projects etc. However that program for whatever reason decided to start acting up and basically just plain died. Plus in 2012 Kodak bailed out of supporting the software and the CD that came with the software won't load a working version without the internet components. On the computer in my home office/workshop/craftroom/mancave I'm currently using the Windows Live Photo Gallery, which I don't like plus just has too many moving parts for this old low tech geezer to figure out. I still have a working copy of the EasyShare on my Wife's puter in her woman cave at the end of the hall. But it can be a PIA to get up and go down there to use, plus disturbing her with what She is doing. So for the camera savy tech folks any recommendations for a decent no frills program I can go down to my local puter store and buy that will work basically like the old EasyShare. Something I can edit the size, brightness, and a few other minor things for my modeling photography.
Give this one a lookie see. http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm I have been using it for years. Does all the photo editing you are seeking. And...ITS F R E E !!!! Also check out their http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm Does a great job with batch resizing too
I use ThumbsPlus for sizing/adjusting graphics: http://www.cerious.com/ But I've been using it long enough to be accustomed to it, so I can't say how simple it would be for a new user. I originally started using it because it lets you interactively change the compression level of a JPG image, and see how the image quality and size are affected. That was extremely important back in the 56K modem days, while deciding the optimal tradeoff between quality, speed, and available hosting space. It also has the ability to batch-process images, when you want to apply the same changes/conversions/renames to multiple files.
I see we have two votes for the Picassa and it's free which brings a smile to this miserly old geezer. I normally edit my photos and store them in My Pictures in Windows and just on my computer, or transfer to a CD. Took a look at the site and I am not sure if everything ends up on Google or not and I would prefer the or not part. Sio maybe one of you can clarify for me a little of how it works and whether I can keep on doing what I have been doing with this program.
I second Boxcab with IrfanView. Been using it a long, long time. I've always thought it was really easy to use too.
Yes, a great free program. For most users who want to do simple editing and don't want to spend a long time learning how to use software this is the ultimate piece of software.
I'll add a vote for Picassa and Irfanview. I haven't used Irfanview in a while but it was an excellent program. picassa can also catalog photos which can be a blessing or a burden depending on how you look at it.
Well gentlemen that was quick and certainly gives me a selection to look at tommorow. Thanks all for the quick replies.
Gonna hijack the thread for a mo ent, can any of them do image filtering, such as to take a model photo and twist it down to something that looks more likeit came from the 50s,or whatever era you might be modeeling?
The below shot of a car I'm working on was shot in color. The current Windows program I'm using referred to in my first post allows me to convert to black and white or in this case to sepia tone. I could also do this with the Kodak EasyShare program before it went south on my puter and still can on my Wife's puter. The car is caboose red the mat it is on is green with white lines.
Nothing gets loaded up to Google unless you want it to. I use both Picassa and Irfanview along with Photo Shop Elements. I like to use Picassa to preview photos before editing. I find Irfanview a great tool to do a quick resize and crop if no other editing needs to be done. Gary
I just did this to a color digital shot of my Challenger with IrfanView: Is that what you were looking for? Perhaps it's aged a bit more that for a 1950's photo, but hopefully it gives you an idea.
Forgot to mention that also have (an older version of) Photoshop Elements. But I only use that for really heavy duty stuff, such as attempting to salvage old slide scans. I find myself most often just opening IrfanView whenever I need to do a quick re-size, crop, etc.
Another good free program is Gimp. It's a lot like Adobe Photoshop. The learning curve is pretty steep, but it's a very powerful program when you want to do even more. http://www.gimp.org/
There is also a version of GIMP called PhotoGIMP. The interface is similar to photoshop and allows a user familiar with PS to get up to speed quicker. It is free also
