I too was a big fan of Firehand Ember, but have lost the installation execs. I have been using Irfan, and it's ok, but it looks like FastStone is what I'm going to start using exclusively. I had never come across FastStone in my searches, so thanks for pointing it out.
Enderswolf
September 9, 2011 12:35 PM
Same here...used Firehand Ember for years and was saddened when it was no longer updated. I switched to Picasa for a while, but never liked it. FastStone is great! It comes real close to being Ember and only differs by adding features that make it better. Highly recommended. Thanks Leo!
Mark Tier
January 25, 2012 3:50 AM
Thanks -- and you can view PSDs which you can't do in the Windows viewer.
Dick Thomas
January 29, 2012 9:55 AM
Interesting item! I have been using ZoomBrowser, which came with my Canon camera.
Can anyone give me any comparison info between FastStone & ZoomBrowser???
Thanx
Sam77
February 11, 2012 7:22 AM
I, too, have been an Irfanview user for years. Leo's recent article had me look at FastStone and I like it, but I'm far from ready to switch. The beauty of FastStone is: I DON'T HAVE TO 'SWITCH' - I set Irfanview as my external program (in FastStone), and all I have to do is tap my 'e' key and I'm instantly viewing my picture in Irfanview, with those features not found in FastStone - Truly, the best of both programs!
Yeppers
February 11, 2012 10:55 PM
Which one of FastStone free softwares allows you to reduce the FILE size of an image? It seems like their Photo Resizer allows you to change only the physical dimension (height and width) of a photo -- or am I mistaken? Thanks.
Mark J
February 12, 2012 2:56 AM
@Yeppers
In FastStone Image Viewer, you can reduce the physical size of the file by using the resize/resample option. Changing the height and width reduces the number of pixels in the photo thus reducing the number of bytes.
Steven Read
May 12, 2012 1:10 PM
Thanks Leo, will give it a try...
ember lover
August 2, 2012 1:41 PM
ember lover is pleased to report that he has tested firehand ember 7.1.1 (which is the internal version when the executable for installation shows 7.3) on windows 8 release preview and it works fine (except for the same problem with windows libraries as in w7). Now I do have the choice of upgrading to w8 if I wish, since my favorite photo program continues to work. I've still never found a photo viewer that has these two unique features: 1, it lets you open an unlimited number of photos to view in separately controlled windows at the same time; and 2, it renames files in the order in which you ctrl+click on them so you can reorder slide shows in a snap!
so we're more or less safe for another couple of years.
I also recently tested about half a dozen photo enlarger programs, from free to $200, and decided that to my eyes Firehand Ember was better or equal to all of them. MWS was a heck of a programmer.
Steve
November 2, 2012 8:32 AM
About once each month, I gather family photos from various cameras, cell phones and tablets. I usually sort first by "Date taken" and then start deleting the many clunkers. I was unable to find how FastStone sorts by date taken. Is this feature under development?
Comments Page 3
Read the article that everyone's commenting on.
June 16, 2011 10:01 AM
I too was a big fan of Firehand Ember, but have lost the installation execs. I have been using Irfan, and it's ok, but it looks like FastStone is what I'm going to start using exclusively. I had never come across FastStone in my searches, so thanks for pointing it out.
September 9, 2011 12:35 PM
Same here...used Firehand Ember for years and was saddened when it was no longer updated. I switched to Picasa for a while, but never liked it. FastStone is great! It comes real close to being Ember and only differs by adding features that make it better. Highly recommended. Thanks Leo!
January 25, 2012 3:50 AM
Thanks -- and you can view PSDs which you can't do in the Windows viewer.
January 29, 2012 9:55 AM
Interesting item! I have been using ZoomBrowser, which came with my Canon camera.
Can anyone give me any comparison info between FastStone & ZoomBrowser???
Thanx
February 11, 2012 7:22 AM
I, too, have been an Irfanview user for years. Leo's recent article had me look at FastStone and I like it, but I'm far from ready to switch. The beauty of FastStone is: I DON'T HAVE TO 'SWITCH' - I set Irfanview as my external program (in FastStone), and all I have to do is tap my 'e' key and I'm instantly viewing my picture in Irfanview, with those features not found in FastStone - Truly, the best of both programs!
February 11, 2012 10:55 PM
Which one of FastStone free softwares allows you to reduce the FILE size of an image? It seems like their Photo Resizer allows you to change only the physical dimension (height and width) of a photo -- or am I mistaken? Thanks.
February 12, 2012 2:56 AM
@Yeppers
In FastStone Image Viewer, you can reduce the physical size of the file by using the resize/resample option. Changing the height and width reduces the number of pixels in the photo thus reducing the number of bytes.
May 12, 2012 1:10 PM
Thanks Leo, will give it a try...
August 2, 2012 1:41 PM
ember lover is pleased to report that he has tested firehand ember 7.1.1 (which is the internal version when the executable for installation shows 7.3) on windows 8 release preview and it works fine (except for the same problem with windows libraries as in w7). Now I do have the choice of upgrading to w8 if I wish, since my favorite photo program continues to work. I've still never found a photo viewer that has these two unique features: 1, it lets you open an unlimited number of photos to view in separately controlled windows at the same time; and 2, it renames files in the order in which you ctrl+click on them so you can reorder slide shows in a snap!
so we're more or less safe for another couple of years.
I also recently tested about half a dozen photo enlarger programs, from free to $200, and decided that to my eyes Firehand Ember was better or equal to all of them. MWS was a heck of a programmer.
November 2, 2012 8:32 AM
About once each month, I gather family photos from various cameras, cell phones and tablets. I usually sort first by "Date taken" and then start deleting the many clunkers. I was unable to find how FastStone sorts by date taken. Is this feature under development?
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