Zoombrowser 3.2

[coolg2]

I could use some help and advice. I have been using Zoombrowser 3.2 with Windows XP. I have about 1,100 images. The last few times I've used Zoombrowser it appears to be getting slower and slower. The camera down loads are slower, it's slower to open a file.

Is this problem just goning to get worst? What stratigy can be used to improve performance?

[Conk]

The first things I would consider is ram. If this is not the cause or reason then consider the operating system you are using. Programs only work as fast as the computer will allow it to. However, I have personally experienced faster downloads with Windows camera and scanner wizard.
It seems that Zoombrowser isn't a very popular program and that many people are switching to Breezbrowser.
Just a few points to ponder. Hope this helps.

[Mike K]

Zoombrowser 3.2.1 was the last major update which increased the programs robustness and to a far lesser degree, speed. It does not crash nearly as easily as older versions. for those of you with older versions, go to the Canon site for a free upgrade (you have to load it on top of your existing ZB copy:
http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/zoombrowser.html
You probably have discovered that it does not like non-zb manipulations (windows explorer) of its images in its database as it easily looses track of them that way. At least it doesn't crash like to older versions. On the other hand, many other camera mfgs have even poorer programs supplied with their cameras.

As a graphical thumbnail program ZB is ok, but it is not designed for a large database of pictures. Thousand(s) sounds like a lot to me, you must have a large HD. Would you consider backing 2/3 of them off onto CD (the ones you know you will not be accessing very soon) and deleting them from the ZB database? Refresh the database.
Mike K

[puttick]

" I have about 1,100 images. The last few times I've used Zoombrowser it appears to be getting slower and slower. "

Just a thought - they're not all in one directory are they? It would take longer and longer to load the thumbnails each time. If so, split your photos into manageable directories of 20/40 or so by date, subject, whatever.

[coolg2]

Thanks for your comments.

I'm using Windows XP on a 1.8 mHz processor with 512 meg of RAM.

The photos are in about 20 different folders.

Perphaps, by trying to manage 1,100 images, I've exceeded the limits for which ZoomBrowser was intended.

Does anyone have experience with making a 2nd database with in Zoombrowser. It appears that's possible.

And, is Breezebrowser (spelling?) the non-Canon defacto standard?

Thanks again.

[Sheila]

coolg2 wrote:
Thanks for your comments.

I'm using Windows XP on a 1.8 mHz processor with 512 meg of RAM.

The photos are in about 20 different folders.

Perphaps, by trying to manage 1,100 images, I've exceeded the limits for which ZoomBrowser was intended.

Does anyone have experience with making a 2nd database with in Zoombrowser. It appears that's possible.

And, is Breezebrowser (spelling?) the non-Canon defacto standard?

Thanks again.

I have 4,500 images in 98 folders and run Windows 98 Limited Edition with 256 meg of RAM. I use a CF card reader to download into ZB but use Thumbs Plus to manage them. ZB is a little more stable than its predecessors but I don't take liberties with it! I have copied my pre D60 images on to a CD in case of any crash. I have to be more disclipined in what I keep and have spent many a happy hour deleting unwanted images. As you can see, I take a lot of snaps as I have had 3 digital cameras in the past two years.

Cheers
Sheila

[ken-w]

coolg2 wrote:
And, is Breezebrowser (spelling?) the non-Canon defacto standard?

Breezebrowser ( www.breezesys.com ) is certainly a popular program and it is designed to take advantage of the Canon digitals (i.e. CRW conversions). I use Breezebrowser to manipulate EXIF data, do quick selections of my photos and generate web galleries.

Unlike Breezebrowser, Zoombrowser is a database program. The thumbnails you are looking at in Zoombrowser are actually from within Zoombrowser's database - one reason why Zoombrowser gets slower as the number of images increase and also a reason why Zoombrowser has conniptions if you delete/add/change images using Windows Explorer (or other file manipulation program). Even with the database excuse, Zoombrowser is slow. I have to admit though I still use it to download photos - force of habit I suppose.

A better database program is ThumbsPlus ( www.cerious.com ). It's faster than Zoombrowser and has many more features. I use ThumbsPlus to generate contact sheets (image files of thumbnail pictures) which I use to keep track of my digital photos.

You should as a matter of course be moving all your digital originals to CD if for no other reason than safety (if your HD crashes and burns). A nice feature of ThumbsPlus is that it can maintain a database on your computer of "offline CDROMs".

One of these days I'll probably junk Zoombrowser in favour of Breezebrowser to download and do intitial image selection and sorting and ThumbsPlus to maintain a database of all my photos.

[octathlon]

I have been using SmartPix Manager. It's a great browser and you can also use the database to store/search descriptions and keywords for some or all files. You can also decide whether to store thumbnails and /or images inside the database.
www.xequte.com

I use Downloader from Breezesys to get the files off the CF card.