MicroSoft offers free "RAW" thumbnailer and viewer.

[bvar22]

I use Windows Explorer (FileManager) as my desktop interface and PhotoAlbum.
None of the aftermarket (3rd party) software "Album" programs is as good or as powerful or as fast as the FileManager (Windows Explorer).
It is easy and fast to scroll through the thumbnails, and then just drag the shot you want into whatever software you are using to edit pic. Until now, XP couldn't show RAW thumbnails.

All 3rd Party Software (Corel, Adobe, everything else) will try to Shanghai this file association on install. If you don't want to load Adobe or Corel everytime you want to view an image, keep your "file association" set to "Windows Image and Fax Viewer" (you can change it back in Windows Explorer if its already too late).. It can do a very fast screensize view of the thumbnail simply by double clicking on the thumbnail of interest. The "Windows Image and Fax Viewer" can do a very fast slideshow of a whole directory of photos, and offer the option to delete each one.
I use it to sort through my pics after I download them to a "DUMP" directory.
Most of my shots get immediately deleted.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D48E808E-B10D-4CE4-A141-5866FD4A3286&displaylang=en


There is also a "RESIZE" powertoy offered that works with a "right click" inside Windows Explorer (FileManager). It will do batch resizing.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

There are some other cool utilities on the same page.

Thought you might like to know.


NOTE: I haven't used the RAW viewer since I don't yet have my camera that will take RAW images,
but I'm getting ready!

[Blue_In_AK]

1. That really bugged me

the way the photos would always snap into the processing program from "My Pictures." I just unchecked ALL the file association preferences in PaintShop since I wasn't sure what association to use.

[F.Gordon]

2. When I upgraded to Paintshop Pro X.......

... it came with a free download for Photo Album 6. Does RAW thumbs just fine. And loads them in fast too.

[bvar22]

3. I got mine yesterday,

and installed last night.
I installed the PhotoAlbum, but haven't really had the time to look at it closely.

From what I've seen of PaintShop ProX, I really, REALLY like it.


I've always used the Windows File Manager (now Explorer) as my interface since Windows 3 ( a holdover from the DOS (pre-windows days). It gives the most direct (and powerful) access to the files on the HardDrive, and lets me organize the HardDrive the way I want it. With XP, there are some steps that need to be taken to return the Explorer (File Manager) to the control of the user.

When I plug in my camera to the USB, the camera appears a just another drive (G:/ on my system, I have alot of partitions) (I had to turn off that annoying Windows Pop Up "What do you want me to do with these pictures?").

I expand the G:/ (camera drive), then "cut and paste" to a directory (Named "DUMP") on my H:/ Drive (a partition for pictures only).
This moves everything from the camera to the HardDrive. It erases the camera, but saves everything. I can then "unplug" the camera and it is ready to go. I can then use Explorer to view the thumbnails in "DUMP" and delete the obvious losers. By "doubleclicking" on the first image that is left, it is displayed in the very fast (screen size, and fairly color correct) "Windows Image Viewer". I scroll through again, deleting the trash.
All this can be done before starting any 3rd Party applications.
I then move the "keepers" to a new directory created with the date and other identifiers in the Folder Name.
I then open thos of interest in Corel for a closer look, or modification.

Everybody has their own ways of staying organized. This method is a holdover from the DOS days, and people tend to stick with what they learn on. I like the unfiltered power of the Explorer (File Manager). Care must be taken....important stuff that Windows needs to run can be deleted from Explorer.

It will take a pretty powerful scrapbook program to romance me away from Explorer, but I'm still looking at the CorelAlbum.


Did you get the download, or order the disk?

Bob

[Blue_In_AK]

4. That's pretty much the way I do my photos, too

only I keep them in "My Pictures" where I've set up numerous files and subfiles -- i.e., "Anchorage" with subfiles "Coastal Trail," "Pt. Woronzof," etc. and then I have further subfiles with the dates the photos were taken. I'm an old DOS user, too -- WP5.1 was the first word processing program I learned for a PC, although I learned all those old machines going back to Mag cards when I was a legal secretary. That was such a step up from the old correcting Selectrics. They drug me to windows kicking and screaming, believe it or not, but I'd have a hard time going back to DOS now, I suspect.

And I really, really like the Pro X, too. It's so EASY.

[F.Gordon]

5. I did the download

And paid the $5 bucks to insure the download for 2 years in case my computer goes bonkers.

I've never connected my camera to the computer. I use a flash card reader built in... before that I used a Viking flash card reader. When I finally clean up all the crap and dead spiders in the basement I do want to setup my 20D for studio work with my spare computer. Have a software thing for the 20D that allows you to immediately see your snap on the monitor after you take it. It's really hard to "see" your snap on the small little screen on the back of the camera especially since I like doing low light funky stuff. :crazy:

I have a "Canon Folder" that holds all the 100 photo files that the Canon produces. Back up to DVD once a week or as needed. Since I shoot in RAW + Jpeg I can open the Canon Folder and skim through the jpegs in the explorer pic slideshow thing to quickly view every snap I took.

I then copy the "decent" snaps to a Darkroom Folder. This folder has subfolders for each month. As hard as I try to be organized I still find myself "digging". And now that I have a "Film Folder" and a "Scan Folder" I have waaaaaay too much shit. I'm going to try using this Photo Album thing to insert key search words into each photo so I can find things quicker.

Whatever works I guess.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. If you ever do plug your camera into the computer to download

your photos be sure to change your "communication" from normal to PCP or PTP or whatever the other option is. If you don't, it'll shut your computer OFF, and you'll have to unplug it, plug it in again, and reboot. And then don't forget to put the camera back to normal if you want to go back to using the card reader, or the same thing will happen. Lesson learned the hard way.

[F.Gordon]

7. Thanks. That's good to know

I seem to learn everything the hard way.
:dunce:

I've setup our laptop with the flash card reader so for those once every 10 years when we take a vacation I can upload/backup to the laptop as needed.