To get me to switch, F-Spot needs...

["Seb Payne" <seb sebpayne com>]

I am currently using Lightroom/iView Media Proon Mac OSX but I am eager to switch to Linux. The main obsticle seems to be photo management. I can't find a single application that can fullfill my needs. Basically, I want:

 

a.) An application that can cope with a library of around 15,000 with 500 new photos a month

b.) Export to Flickr/smugmug photo sharing services

c.) Cope with RAW images - handle, adjust, convert and hold metadata in XMP

d.) Print photos in standards sizes (e.g. 4x6, 5x7, full page)

e.) Slideshows with music (intergration with Banshee's Library?)

f.) Searchable functions - e.g. search for tags, rating, description, author

g.) Good IPTC support for extended data - e.g. location, copyright, URL, owner

 

How does F-Spot cope with these in my eyes? A it fails miserably. I have thousands and thousands of tags and having a large photo with each tag means it wastes space and if I have 1000s of tags, it is impossible to find any. Why not impliment a catalogue sets (as used by iView Media Pro) to allow users to create 'albums/sets' of photos as well as tags? Basically - the accessing system for tags needs to be better. Searching is a must have so I can find images quickly and easily - why not use the same Lucene.NET backend as Beagle or whatever Banshee uses. B works fine Flickr but thereis no smugmug support. They have an Open API - it is a popular service for professionals.

 

C is very good - the best I have seen on Linux. Gradual development will make this better. D is not good. The printing interface isn't great - no option to select sizes and the Linux printing system means I can't have any high quality prints. E needs improvement and more control over the slideshow - times? music? F is a lot better to than other Linux solutions but the ability to search by date, event would be big.

 

So, the features of F-Spot are mainly there. Currently, the interface is just unworkable and will keep me on OS X. I'mwilling to do a mockupof what I think would be good if anyone wants one

 

Thanks

 

Seb

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Seb Payne
www.sebpayne.com