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Author Topic: how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?  (Read 6175 times)

Riverman

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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« on: January 30, 2007, 06:12:46 pm »

Has anyone used both Iview Media Pro and Lightroom.  I have Iview Media Pro 3 and want to know if there would be any reason to go with Lightroom.  I must say I'm intrigued by Michael's Lightroom DVD tutorials.
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seanmcfoto

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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2007, 05:49:16 am »

Quote
Has anyone used both Iview Media Pro and Lightroom.  I have Iview Media Pro 3 and want to know if there would be any reason to go with Lightroom.  I must say I'm intrigued by Michael's Lightroom DVD tutorials.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98389\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
First off, they are not the same Animal even.
iView is a fully fledged DAM with limited editing features, LR has a basic DAM inside and a fully fledged image processor.
It's worth spending the $12 and getting the overview to understand better than a writing a post can make you understand.
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Sean McCormack
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Mark Graf

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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2007, 11:13:28 am »

There is some overlap that would make someone want to consider using Lightroom for DAM.  Sure it isn't as fully featured as IVMP, but perhaps someone doesn't need all those features.

I bought IVMP a month or so ago, and realized I didn't demo it enough to determine how it would interact with my network stored images.   The performance is absolutely terrible, and there doesn't seem to be any fix on the horizon except when the new Microsoft branded app is released.

My limited trial of Lightroom B4.1 has much better performance with network stored images, but I have yet to import my full catalog.

So I am seriously considering using Lightroom as my DAM tool.  I really only need categories, sub-categories, labeling, rating, and keyword organization - Lightroom seems to offer all of that and more with the metadata browser.

Mark
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Nick Rains

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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2007, 06:04:14 pm »

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I bought IVMP a month or so ago, and realized I didn't demo it enough to determine how it would interact with my network stored images.   The performance is absolutely terrible, and there doesn't seem to be any fix on the horizon except when the new Microsoft branded app is released.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=99462\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

In what way is the performance'terrible' ?

I use IVMP as my core DAM and it is fine for images stored in other parts of a network, for me at least. Since IVMP works with a central DB of thumb images I'm not sure how network images can be a problem.
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Nick Rains
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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2007, 09:20:01 pm »

Quote
Has anyone used both Iview Media Pro and Lightroom.  I have Iview Media Pro 3 and want to know if there would be any reason to go with Lightroom.  I must say I'm intrigued by Michael's Lightroom DVD tutorials.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98389\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Over the last two months or so I have trialled both Media Pro and Lightroom, as well as Aperture.  Originally I just used iPhoto to catalogue my photos but I grew out of that a long time ago!  Since then I have bumbled along using the file browser in Photoshop Elements 3.  As you can imagine, after that, Media Pro was like a breath of fresh air!

I don't understand how someone could find Media Pro slow.  Initially, I used it on a G3 iBook, then on a G4 Powerbook and I could not believe how quick it was.

Having said that, I don't think I will buy it.  It is a brilliant application for importing, comparing, rating, moving, storing and deleting but any editing has to be done in a seperate application.  I would have been content with that if I hadn't tried Aperture and Lightroom (beta 4.1).  Neither of these programmes is as good at cataloguing as Media Pro because they tend to move the file into the application and it has to be "exported" (i.e. copied) to move it back out again.  There are ways around this and I believe V1 of Lightroom will have this sorted.  That's okay though, because if you use either application all the time, you can keep tabs on your photos just like with Media Pro.

That's where Media Pro stops for me, in practical terms.  Now the other two come in guns blazing because they have decent, useable editing tools and good choices for printing, plus one or two other tricks.  This is so useful, because I can shoot, import, compare, delete, edit, catalogue, store and print all at once.  Saves hours and hours!

I haven't yet decided 100% but if v1 of Lightroom is what is promised I'm going for that.  Aperture is truly wonderful but it really needs a big desktop screen (or two) and has more gadgets than I need.  Lightroom as it stands is quick and easy to use,  Though it took weeks to actually come to terms with how to do things, it now seems so simple!

Hope this helps.  It is just my experience, I'm a photographer, not a computer technician!

Don.
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Mark Graf

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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2007, 02:33:18 pm »

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In what way is the performance'terrible' ?

I use IVMP as my core DAM and it is fine for images stored in other parts of a network, for me at least. Since IVMP works with a central DB of thumb images I'm not sure how network images can be a problem.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=99520\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Trust me - I wish that wasn't the case, and I know I am not alone because several others with similar setups are also reporting issues.  (see the Iview forums) My images are stored on a NAS (ReadyNAS NV+ with a GigE connection, desktop is WindowsXP Pro), but my Iview catalog file is on my local internal hard disk.  

When just opening IView, the program is slow to respond to clicking on different categories or image folders, pretty much any command I throw at it.  I have watching folders turned off, I don't have the 'enable large previews' checked, so my catalog isn't all that big (about 8,000 images in it now).   It seems like IView is constantly trying to access or recatalog images that it already has thumbnails for?

The only solution I have come across is to have my images stored on a separate share of the network and then that share needs to be unmounted when working in IView - which seems kind of silly, but it is supposed to help.   I like the program a lot, but this issue is just hanging me up from being able to use it.

If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2007, 02:34:12 pm by Mark Graf »
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Nick Rains

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how does Iview Media Pro compare with Lightroom?
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2007, 03:32:16 pm »

Quote
When just opening IView, the program is slow to respond to clicking on different categories or image folders, pretty much any command I throw at it.  I have watching folders turned off, I don't have the 'enable large previews' checked, so my catalog isn't all that big (about 8,000 images in it now).   It seems like IView is constantly trying to access or recatalog images that it already has thumbnails for?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=99692\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have about 15000 DNG files stored on a local HD. There is a mirror on another networked machine, but that HD is local to that machine.

IView is fine in this role, it fires up in a blink and everything is there. The only time it slows is when quickly scrolling down a large array of thumbs. I use it as the core of my workflow and nothing else comes close as far as offline storage is concerned.

I suspect IView is showing its heritage in your case. It was never intended to be a high end network archive like Fotostation is (was?). I guess whilst it can work with NAS enclosures, it's not happy, preferring the simplicity of online/offline storage.

Q: if you only have 8000 images why the specialised storage? Surely that many images would fit in a modest local drive array and you can use IView to it fullest extent.
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Nick Rains
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