Photo info software

[Nowhere]

I remember a software which can read some hidden info from a photo file has been mentioned here once...so I'm looking something like that.
(I'm interested mostly in dates (backup on a cd, original files lost...), but other info would be fun too...)

Preferably free and lightweight.

[Nowhere]

Just realized (while checking features for Fred) that Picasa can do it!

But shame on you, az & VJ, that you didn't know

[Maggi]

xnview can also read images' meta data ...

http://www.xnview.com/

[magog]

I use PMView for year now and since the v3 it can show the meta data (EXIF and eventually also IPTC) every digital camera put's into the file.
If you ever edit a file which does not support EXIF/IPTC, the meta data get's lost.
Here are the features: http://www.pmview.com/featuresR2.html

Here the main pages:

http://www.pmview.com

It looks very much like XnView when I compare those two apps.

[VJ]

Just realized (while checking features for Fred) that Picasa can do it!

But shame on you, az & VJ, that you didn't know

I use proprietary Nikon software......


Jörg

[Fred H]

Anybody knows a FAST image reader which can display Adobe's .DNG files?
Please don't tell me about Photoshop CS2, it does, I have it, but it is SLOW.
Nikon Capture 4.2 does too, but is the slowest I've seen.
CaptureOne, ACDSee7 are not compatible wiht .DNG
Raw Shooter Esentials 2005 is fast enough, but it has a strange layout. It is the best viewer for .RAW .NEF .DNG. and RSE is able to edit all of them.
But I am looking for just a simple but fast VIEWRER and .DNG is a must.
I will double click and pop up these files.
Maybe it's time for Adobe to create such a fast reader for their new standard?
/Fred

[GuchiGuh]

i am not sure, but Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) maybe?

[Fred H]

Thanks, Guchi, but no. irfanview doesn't even compares with RawShooter, which I found the fastes .RAW/.DNG viewer and editor.
Photoshop CS2 and Photoshop Bridge are the best when they are (slowly) started up.
Regards,
/Fred

[GuchiGuh]

is there anything special about Adobe's .DNG format?

[Fred H]

Good question. The .DNG (Digital NeGative) format is Adobes own invention, thought to be an universal .RAW format for ANY (?) digital cameras.
I was imprudent and converted two large maps of my .NEF (Nikons own RAW) files to .DNG and erased the original .NEF files. Not a big deal, but I am irritated not to be able to view fast my DNG/RAW files.
The only differences bw. the normal .RAW and .DNG is that the .DNG is a bit smaller in size but lacks the thumbnail info. However, the .DNG contains all EXIF info and you can reedit the images (exposure, saturation, whiteballance, tint etc, etc, exactly as it would be an ordinary .RAW. But, you can not revert a .DNG to .RAW, but only to .JPG or .TIF.
In the future I will avoid to convert my files to .DNG, untill this standard will be wide accepted, and I will back up my image files as original .NEF (I am using a Nikon D70 DSLR camera)
The Best .RAW/.NEF editors, IMHO, are Photoshop CS with Camera RAW 2.4 plugin, Photoshop CS2 as is, Capture One (not for .DNG) or RawShootEssentials2005 (even for .DNG) A lot of people on Photo Forums use CaptureOne, but I am so experienced with Photoshop (CS2) that I prefer it anyway.
A fast .RAW viewer is, however, ACDSee7 (not for .DNG)
/Fred

[Fred H]

Thanks, Guchi, but no. irfanview doesn't even compares with RawShooter, which I found the fastes .RAW/.DNG viewer and editor.
Photoshop CS2 and Photoshop Bridge are the best when they are (slowly) started up.
Regards,
/Fred

I was VRONG.
IrfanView opens even .DNG files, but I made a mistake. I've had ACDSee 7 installed in may computer which completelly confused a lot of file associations. So, e.g. double clicking to a ZIP file in the explorer tried to print the file instead.
Now uninstalled ACDSee and thanks God, now I discovered IrfanView. Damn ACDSee never again in my computer.
About the RawShooter, it IS fine and fast but RS doesnt show JPGs. It is exclusivellty a RAW editor/viewer.
/Fred

[Fred H]

Today I found a superb image viewer program: dpMagic 1.2
Download a shareware ver. here:

http://www.dpmagic.com/

It is cheap, only $9.95 and it is WOW.
It is fast, views the EXIF info and displays the histograms.
The layout is very similar to the WinXP image viewer.
dpMagic can view .RAW files and even .DNG files, very fast.
Again: WOW.
/Fred