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Comparing XnView MP / FastStone Image Viewer

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h2k

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Hello, for fast image viewing on an oldish Win Laptop, I am considering the freewares
  • XnView MP 1.0
  • FastStone Image Viewer 7.6
They seem very similar, even though XnView might have even more options.

My questions:
  • Do you see any relevant DIFFERENCES between the two?
  • What are your favorite functions in those two programs?
I don't need info about even other alternatives (even if they are better). Also paid software is not an option here, so no comparison to LR or C1 is needed. Hi-end imaging is not planned, but if you know of differences in basic imaging like cropping, I'd be interested.

I am aware of the following differences so far:
  • XnView MP offers much larger thumbnails (up to 768x576, as opposed to max. 265x190 with FastStone)
  • XnView offers much more detailed info text below each thumbnail
  • Only XnView is also availabe for Mac and Linux
  • Only FastStone is available "portable"
  • Only FastStone has image comparison for 2-4 pics
Any other interesting (relevant) differences?

Thanks for your real-life experience!
 
About portability:

From the XnView download page you can also download a zipped program folder.

When you set the option [integration > paths > XnView settings] to "use .ini file" in "program (XnView)" and also change the remaining catalogue options to "program (XnView)" you have a portable version.

-

So even less difference to two apps that to my eyes look very similar in what they can do. Both support monitor colour profiles, can show EXIF GPS info plotted on a map, batch process, do advanced management with tagging/rating/moving/renaming (also batched), lossless jpeg operations (like rotate), etc, etc.

Now that I look at FastStone's feature list is looks like it does support a bit more pixel editing than XnView does. Things like heal brush, clone stamp and special effects.
 
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XnView MP directly accesses exiftool. However, I have FastStone configured so that Control-1 opens exiftoolgui, which allows me to easily export exif data to a text file.

I use FastStone primarily because I've used it longer, has the image comparison feature, and it's what my wife uses. But I can right-click on an image in FS and select open with XnViewMP if for some reason I want to do that (not often).

I also have Ctrl-8 configured to open IrfanView as it seems to render images closer to my printed output.
 
h2k said:
Any other interesting (relevant) differences?

Thanks for your real-life experience!
Click to expand...
I have not used Faststone, but I use XnView MP mainly because of its three capabilities:
  1. Support for a large number of formats
  2. Extensive batch conversion
  3. Multi-platform support
 
h2k said:
Hello, for fast image viewing on an oldish Win Laptop, I am considering the freewares
  • XnView MP 1.0
  • FastStone Image Viewer 7.6
They seem very similar, even though XnView might have even more options.

My questions:
  • Do you see any relevant DIFFERENCES between the two?
  • What are your favorite functions in those two programs?
I don't need info about even other alternatives (even if they are better). Also paid software is not an option here, so no comparison to LR or C1 is needed. Hi-end imaging is not planned, but if you know of differences in basic imaging like cropping, I'd be interested.

I am aware of the following differences so far:
  • XnView MP offers much larger thumbnails (up to 768x576, as opposed to max. 265x190 with FastStone)
  • XnView offers much more detailed info text below each thumbnail
  • Only XnView is also availabe for Mac and Linux
  • Only FastStone is available "portable"
  • Only FastStone has image comparison for 2-4 pics
Any other interesting (relevant) differences?

Thanks for your real-life experience!
Click to expand...
Since they are free why not just load them onto you machine and use them? The use of the features and their value will be unique to you.
 
The main things i use them for is:-

Xnview MP is easier to view detailed exif data.

Faststone is good for comparing images.

I set faststone to open xnview to i can see the exif data easier if needed.

I dont edit in them at all.
 
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JustGeorge said:
.....I use FastStone ....., has the image comparison feature, and it's what my wife uses.
Click to expand...


XnViewMP has side by side comparison

Select images Shift-C or Menu>Tools>Compare

b2c30e2518ab482b8ae0e11ea5b36d3d.jpg.png

Faststone is a good one stop shop if you want to do some editing/tweaking of jpgs. It is actually very versatile but doesn't try to be what it isn't.

XnViewMP is a good all round viewer but the editing tools are hideously awful. Great for multiple actions on batches of files - and yes accessing full exif data.
 
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h2k said:
rambling robin said:
XnViewMP is a good all round viewer but the editing tools are hideously awful. Great for multiple actions on batches of files - and yes accessing full exif data.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Primarily it's the interface. It's the 'Filters' section I find especially bad.

Like all software you can learn to drive it - and in fairness a lot of the tools are good. However Vignetting seems to do nothing and uses spin boxes where sliders would be better to give a view of the range of effect - if it worked.....

It is under active development unlike FS which has slowed to a crawl - but having said that I use FS 6.4 in WINE so it doesn't really matter.
 
Faststone does the same.....

I read here so many used only 'viewer' options..

FS does so much more !!

Batch Rename f.i. Takes the date from the Exif and renames the file in YOUR format

f.i. YYYYMMDD-$H$N$S_xxx (x is a serialnumber you can add to make the files unique)

We have 4 cameras

At te start of the holiday: set date and time correct on all 4 !

Comming home: rename the files (from all 4 cameras) as mentioned above + a (for example) 3-digit serial number.

Now you have all the files chronological and unique !

If wanted, FS can also put them in folders during renaming: by day or month or your own foldernames etc. !!
 
maltmoose said:
The main things i use them for is:-

Xnview MP is easier to view detailed exif data.

Faststone is good for comparing images.

I set faststone to open xnview to i can see the exif data easier if needed.

I dont edit in them at all.
Click to expand...
Windows: I use FIV and I have installed KUSO Exif Viewer (is free) Then in FIV I can point easily to several external installed software. To view the Exif in FIV I've defined a letter (I've chosen <E> in this case) to open KUSO from within FIV. With <Escape> KUSO closes again. Very handy !
 
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