In the digital age, making albums with paper photographs is no longer required. It is much easier to turn on the computer, find your pictures digitally and view them. In addition, you can easily edit photos as you like. However, it is necessary to make the viewing of pictures as comfortable as possible. To do this, there is a special program called the image viewer.
This is the general name of a software product that allows you to view pictures and photos, catalog them and perform simple editing actions. The trouble is that there are a lot of such applications. And not all of them look acceptable in terms of ergonomics. Our task is to choose the most functional and convenient photo and picture manager. To this end, we will conduct a short review of the most famous and popular utilities.
ACDSee
This is a veteran among such programs. He appeared during the times of "XP". That is, at a time when the concept of "Windows Image Viewer" was pretty abstract. In those days, the assortment of such programs began and ended with a standard utility of the operating system. And then the ACDSee was unrealistically cool. It had a cataloging system, supported image editing options (albeit very primitive), and allowed you to fully customize the management. All this remained in the program and now, some new options have been added. But against the backdrop of modern products, this viewer looks like a blatant anachronism. He has one more negative feature: in the free version of the program, the functionality is very limited. In order to use the application "to the full", you will have to pay a certain amount to purchase the version of "Pro". And who needs to pay money for a rather ancient program that cannot keep up with modern viewers? The best times of ACDSee are already behind. No matter how sad it sounds.
Picasa
This brainchild of Google most resembles the cataloger and image editor, but not the viewer. No, the viewing function is also there, but it works so slowly that impatient users may well get angry. But the program has many settings and options. Picasa can collect photos into albums, post them by shooting date, process them with special effects and send them to the Google cloud. However, the image viewer from this product is rather mediocre. In order for photos to scroll through without delay, you need a very powerful computer. But the program provides support for the RAW format, which is absolutely necessary for owners of SLR cameras and professionals in the field of photography. However, such bells and whistles are completely useless to the average user. The main thing here is comfort and speed. But Picasa doesn't have either. This is a powerful harvester, but for specific tasks. Therefore, you need to continue the search for the best image viewer for Windows.
Standard viewer "tens"
Windows 10 Image Viewer can well perform the function of a desktop application. But this is only if the user does not need additional features from the program. The functionality of this application is strictly limited. With it, you can only flip the image, flip it or crop. It is also possible to email it or put it in the OneDrive cloud. On this, the possibilities of the program are exhausted. Also quite inexplicably organized management. The control elements are not obvious, a beginner may well get confused and delete your favorite photo from the hard drive. This program has only one plus: it works very quickly, because it is integrated into the operating system. But you can’t call it free, because the user pays for using Windows, and, therefore, for using a regular image viewer. Thus, using a standard utility is not recommended due to its meager functionality and incomprehensibly organized management.
Nero Kwik Media
And this is not just a standard image viewer (in the usual sense of the term). This harvester allows you to catalog and view not only photos, but also music and video. Also there are ample opportunities for editing content of any type. But such versatility was not in vain. The system requirements for the program are much higher than for all previous heroes of the review. However, software from Nero is a great thing for those who need an all-in-one application. There is an editor, a converter, a viewer, and a recording studio (with the function of recording to CDs and DVDs). Of particular interest is the face recognition option. Nero can recognize the face of a specific person in any photo, which simplifies the cataloging of pictures with the user. A nice feature is that the utility is completely free. Which is very unusual, given the functionality. "Nero Quick Media" is one of the best programs for working with images.
FastStone Image Viewer
But this program can be considered the leader of the rating. It works as fast as a standard Windows image viewer (if not faster). But it has a very broad functionality (as opposed to the latter) and thoughtful management. This viewer is capable of loading images at lightning speed for viewing, editing, and more. A very significant advantage is the ability to fully customize program management. That is, the user himself determines how it is better for him to manage the utility. Another plus - the program is completely free. A significant advantage over all previous software products is the "lightness". To successfully view images, even a 15-year-old computer is suitable. The viewer and it will work quickly and stably. FS Image Viewer is the best program for viewing images on a PC. But just for viewing. Do not expect such rich functionality, as in Nero.
Finally
So, we examined the best programs for working with images: from the most functionally poor (Windows image viewer) to real combines for working with all types of content (software from Nero). However, neither one nor the other may be suitable for the average user. There is a middle ground that FastStone's manager represents. It is fast, lightweight, easy to manage and medium in functionality.