Zoner 16 Free Edition

	Zoner has done some welcome interface improvements in the latest release of their image management software.
Now instead of tabs to access your favourites, folders, and catalogues; everything is accessible in a panel that can easily be toggled. This makes the workflow more intuitive, and you can easily maximize your browsing workspace.
	The split browser views in the pro version are now in the free version as well. It’s a nice feature to compare images in different folders.
The preview panel is gone, and now there’s a ‘preview mode’ instead. This shows the selected image and has a ribbon of images underneath. Took some getting used, to but i like it. There’s also a mapping option that will allow you to geotag images.	Toggling folders in the browser is a nice touch also. (This is not the same as a flatview, but simply hides the subfolders in the current directory)
	Out of all the FREE image managers out there, Zoner is by far the slickest looking. BUT.. There are still some features that are missing, and can be found in other freeware image managers.
MY WANT LIST FOR NEXT RELEASE:
1. FLAT VIEW. This is great for seeing multiple subfolders (xnview has had this option for a long time)
2. PLUGIN SUPPORT. There’s no way to launch photoshop plugins! I have a wealth of great free plugins, and Xnview scores again by offering the option to use them. Zoner supports photoshop plugins, but only in the PRO version.
3. TAGGING! Fastone Viewer and Xnview offer tagging checkboxes for images. it’s nice when i don’t want to use ratings for image selection.
4. CUSTOM RENAMING. Allow to rename files on import based on tags or values. (this feature is missing in the free and pro versions). I generally like to add the date to the filename of whatever photo i take. Even if my camera numbers reset, it makes every photo filename unique.
So is it worth the install? YES. still a great image browser, with some great features built in: panoramic stitching quick effects web galleries batch image upload feature to online services like facebook, flickr, and picassa	VIEW DOWNLOAD PAGE

Favorite Free Photo Browser

I’m always on the lookout for good freeware tools. When I spend time reinstalling windows on someone’s computer, I like to include a variety of freeware that I find useful. Usually some sort of security/anti-virus. A zip utility, and an image browser. Because 99% of people will surf the net, get some kind of archive at some point, and will have images to view or share with others. At first, I was putting on Irfanview, then I migrated to XnView, and then to Faststone Image Viewer.

Each one of these viewers have their own benefits. And I won’t cover that in this post. Instead I’ll focus on an image browser that would be close to the image browsing capabilities of my old favorite, ACDSee. Ok, so after some surfing, I came across this:
Zoner Photo Studio Free

It’s very ACDSee-like in appearance, but offers a few features that even ACDSee lacks! Let’s get on with the mini-review!

MANAGER:

Well this is the Zoner’s manager interface. Zoner offers a dark theme, just like ACDSee. Tree browser and preview pane, with a task list on the right. Let’s compare this to ACDSee 12

As you can see the “manager” mode is very similar, and using them both, I can say that switching back and forth is very easy.

Viewer:

Each viewer mode is configurable, but you can see that once again, they are very similar.

Zoner:

ACDSee 12:

EDITOR:

Let’s compare the editing windows for them.

Zoner:

ACDSee:

 

Some differences here, but alot of the same basic editing is available. Color, B&W, Sepia Tone, Resizing, etc.

Some really nice features are included in the free zoner software. Batch EXIF editing, keyword application and searching. Which is great for those just starting to learn to manage their photos.

Now for the bells and whistles that’s unique to Zoner.

• Sort Photos – Read a group of photos and separate them based on Exif information (like date taken)
• Panoramic Stitching – Stitch together photos horizontal, and vertical panos are supported
• Create 3D images
• Calendar Generator! Really nice feature actually

So, why free? Because Zoner offers 2 other versions of their program, a Home version and a Pro version. You can check out the comparison chart here:

Zoner Comparison Chart

I’ll do a mini-review of the pro version of zoner vs ACDSee Pro at some point. But, if you’re curious, it’s worth checking out.