digiKam 6.4.0

Overview

As we live in a highly technological age, more and more people are using digital cameras to capture important moments from their vacations, gatherings, family, friends, landscapes, and so on. But the big question is how do you manage all those thousands of pictures? The short and simple answer to this question is with the help of the digiKam software application. digiKam is a KDE application, meaning that it uses gphoto2 to perform various camera operations. However, there is a lot more to the application than meets the eye, as you are about to find out.

Installation

In a nutshell, download the latest version of the application, meaning digiKam 2.5.0, roll the installation kit and voila, start organizing, importing, sharing, editing or creating pictures. The application does not have any special system requirements and does not come with malware or other harmful applications for the computer. In order to start the application, simply connect your camera to the application and let digiKam do the rest. Not using Linux? No problem, use the Windows version.

Interface

You should know from the start that digiKam contains a very large number of features and functions. It is quite a powerful software tool that can meet the highest standards and satisfy users that need to undertake complex photo manipulations. However, if you are simply looking for an application that can help you perform the rudimentary and basic digital photo management tasks, then it can do that as well. Besides the features that let you manage photos, the software also includes a map function and timeline, where you see statistics about the number of pictures you have taken.

For beginners, the application can seem a bit too much. However, once you get the hang of it and understand what the functions do, you will have no problem operating it. Bottom line, it has a clean display that will not confuse or intimidate anyone, while keeping the expert features carefully organized in the main menu.

Pros

Managing a lot of photos can be quite a task and frankly, there is no other software application that can compete with the sorting and collecting functions of digiKam.

Cons

In order to maintain the quality of the pictures you are managing, it is important to work on copies of the original photos that are saved in the .png format. If space is a problem, then you can convert it to a .jpeg format after you are done editing. The problem here is that not many users remember these tips.

Alternatives

There are quite a few alternatives to digiKam. However, following are the most popular similar software applications: Picasa (Windows, Linux), IrfanView, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (Windows, Mac), Apple iPhoto, Windows Live-Photo Gallery.

Conclusion

There is no denying that digiKam is a complex and powerful photo organizer that can help make your life easier. In fact, it is like you found 50 dollars in the pockets of a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in a while. From basic features to advanced functions, digiKam has everything that beginners and experts alike, need. However, this review would like to point out that its usefulness depends on how eager you are to learn more about special effects and balancing pictures.