Digital Photo cataloging software - What's best?

[NickWelford]

I seem to have many thousands of digital pics cluttering up various pcs, ipads, phones etc. Now I've just got a terabyte portable hard disk where I thought I would deposit them all, however, I'm snowed under. I really don't need the multiple copies of some pics that I seem to have, and it's difficult to find the right ones anyway.
Is there a simple program that will help me to catalog the collection, with the capability of different search criteria, and just keep one unique copy of each pic?

Help!!

 

[AndyT]

I've used Picasa for years and found it pleasantly intuitive. It now seems to be leaning towards social photo sharing a lot, but the old database building, tagging and editing are all still there.

Free from Google at http://picasa.google.com/

 

[Benchwayze]

+1 for Picasa

Nick.

There are one or two 'duplicate file' finders out there too. I just collect the files all together, slap them on 32 gig memory sticks, and then delete the lot from my PC. Amazing how much space there is afterwards.

 

[finneyb]

I used Windows Live Photo Gallery - it was a long job even with the face recognition helping
I t was worthwhile at the end of the day.

Brian

 

[Robbo3]

If you want to have a go from a different angle, there are a couple of freeware programmes that use the EXIF info to sort by the date & time that the photo was taken;

Amok Exif Sorter - http://www.amok.am/en/freeware/amok_exif_sorter/
Stamp - http://www.klingebiel.com/tempest/hd/stamp.php5

or some duplicate finders;

AntiDupl - http://antidupl.narod.ru/english/index.html
DupeLocator - http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=205
Duplicate Image Finder - http://www.ashisoft.com/duplicate-images-finder.htm

& some renamers;

Advanced renamer - http://www.advancedrenamer.com/
Lupas Rename - http://rename.lupasfreeware.org/
Rename to EXIF - http://www.digicamsoft.com/softnamexif.html
Siren - http://www.scarabee-software.net/en/siren.html
The Rename - http://www.herve-thouzard.com/

 

[travelster]

DBGallery is easy to use and is an excellent photo manager. Includes features to make it fairly easy and fast to tag, organization and search. Searches for duplicates as well.