Kestrel GX 1.3.1

Overview

Is Kestrel GX just another ordinary photo collection manager? Well not exactly, since it integrates techniques that were not used before by any software of this kind. Not only it allows you to organize your photos and catalog them in any way you want, but it can also be used as an image editor as it has many editing tools that can be of great help at crucial times. Adding keywords and tags in photos is possible too so that you can find them later by using search queries containing those keywords. These and many other features are included in this small, lightweight and affordable program.

Installation

To install Kestrel GX all you need to do is run the installer, follow a few easy steps and then wait for the main installation to finish (it will only take a few moments). No special settings other than the standard ones are needed to be configured throughout the process. No viruses or any other kinds of malware are contained in this package. Likewise, no additional software are included.

Supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista and 7 (32 and 64-bits).

Interface

The program has a very beautiful dark interface, which is both stylish and modern. The main window is divided into several different parts. From the left side you can navigate through your disk and locate the folders with your photos. After selecting a folder, all the containing photos will appear at the bottom in thumbnail view. Clicking on a photo will open it in image viewer, which is in the center of the window. Below the image you can see a set of tools for various purposes; rotating the image, renaming it, viewing it on full screen, opening the image editor and a few others. On the right side of the window you can see a list of text boxes and properties regarding the pictures, such as keywords, dates, ratings etc. These are used to find the photos easier after tagging them.

Pros

It is astonishing just what kind of information you can edit in a photo. Apart from the casual tags like Date/Time, Author, Description, Comment and Copyright, you can edit loads of other “hidden” properties, since Kestrel GX can read EXIF, IPTC and GPS information. These include values like Camera Model, Creation Software, Exposure Time, Lens Aperture, Focal Length, F-Number, Exposure Mode, ISO-Speed, White Balance and countless other properties.

The image editor feature gives you the ability to manipulate your photos as if you were using an image editing software. For example, it has tools for cropping, rotating, resizing, sharpening, adjusting noise, color, saturation, brightness and contrast. In addition, it has a red-eye removal tool, as well as a tool to add watermarks in your photos.

The following image file formats are supported: TIFF, GIF, JPG, PCX, BMP, ICO, CUR, PNG, WMF, EMF, TGS, PXM, JP2, J2K, WBMP, PS, PDF, DCX, RAW, BMPRAW and PSD. You can convert your photos into BMP, GIF, JPG, PCX, PNG, PSD, TGA and TIF as well. Another interesting feature is that you can create photo books, which are basically PDF files with photo albums.

Cons

Absolutely no cons. This is one of the few software that actually combine a nice and easy to use interface with enhanced functionality and zero bugs.

Alternatives

Now, this is a tough one. You can’t easily replace Kestrel GX without referring to professional software. However, Diffractor (free) is a software that approaches it as it has similar features and is not hard to use either. In fact, the major difference between them is that with Diffractor you don’t have the ability to change as many tags as with Kestrel GX. Other than that, they’re not very distant software. For a more professional suggestion, Ashampoo Photo Commander (paid) is a great choice.

Conclusion

This intuitive program has a lot of cool features left for the user to explore. It’s a true winner in the area of photo organizing software. It gets a 5-star rating with no hesitation.