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Showing posts with the label review-software

Turning a spare PC into a big photo archive with ACDSee PSU 2026 & open source software

In this project, I am going over the process of scanning my entire photo and video archive, which sits at around 22 Terabytes, using ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2026.  ACDSee has sent me codes for this program in the past, but they have no relation to this specific project. I was simply curious to see how the AI keywords and face detection features would function when processing and using a large archive. As it turns out, it was quite the process getting this working and fulling scanning my ~22TB archive. My local setup using a small dedicated monitor to check the server computer locally. My goal here was to create a client-server environment. Rather than running this compute heavy process on my main computer, I wanted to offload the work to a separate machine with one of my archive copies attached. Obviously, scanning this volume of data takes a long time, so separating it from my main computer seemed like the best approach. The Software Setup: TightVNC and Remote Ripple To make ...

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2026 Overview

I did receive a code for this version from their marketing agency, but they had no say in the content of this article and related video. I've been using this software for many years and will be going over the new features, as well as the functions I use in my day-to-day workflow. I also have a live stream I did before creating the main video. There's a lot more use of the application in this longer video.  A screenshot of the main tabs of ACDSee PSU. Main Functions Overview On the top right of the interface, you'll find the main functions of the program: Manage: This is for managing your media files. Media: Provides a large list view of all the photos and videos in your database. View: Ideal for culling through photos and videos. Develop: Offers non-destructive editing, primarily for RAW files, but it can also be used with JPEGs. Edit: This is for raster-based, destructive editing with its own set of tools. People: Utilizes AI face detection to help you manage and name peo...

Nikon NX Studio for easier firmware updates!

Here's a quick Tip for Nikon Users: Easy Firmware Updates with NX Studio. In this article I go over the process of finding firmware updates for your Nikon camera as well as lenses.  If you’re not already using NX Studio , which is available for anyone who owns a Nikon camera, you should check it out. One of its helpful features is the ability to easily find updates related to firmware. Don’t forget that lenses also have firmware, not just cameras! So, it's a good idea to check if you have the latest version.  The NX Studio website page. For example, I noticed recently that both the 40mm F2 and 28mm F2.8 lenses had firmware updates. With NX Studio, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s functional, and in my experience, it works well for this. Here’s how you do it: The firmware list in NX Studio. Here's the main process in the current version of NX Studio:  Go into the "Help" menu and select "Check for updates." It may take a little while for the window to sho...

Acdsee Photo Studio Ultimate 2025 & Related Talk

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2025 brings a lot of new and refined features for photographers and content creators. I’ve used this program for quite a few years with my first video being on version 2018 . For this version, Acdsee's marketing firm provided a code to the application based on my usual collaboration terms where the company had no say in what is covered and can't preview anything I produce regarding it before release.  Acdsee's website. I created a long form video going over various aspect of the application. There's a lot covered I won't mention here.  New Features in 2025 Acdsee has a webpage that lists new features of whatever version is current. Check that out for more information. The program has had AI Keywords and face detection for a while now. This can be a useful feature, but if you're using an older computer, like mine that has an Intel i7-6700 CPU, you can easily disable these resource-heavy processes using the new Activity Manager.  The ...

Nikon Z5 v1.40 Firmware Eye AF Improvements!

Various links go to my affiliates, I earn from qualifying purchases! Nikon released a firmware update for the Z5 that specifically says improved and expanded eye autofocus functionality. That’s a solid upgrade! Let’s take a look… You can download the firmware update from the the Nikon USA website . Obviously if you are outside of the USA then check your country specific Nikon website for the update in case there are regional differences. Here’s my video testing out the new firmware compared to v1.20 and a Canon EOS M6 Mark II with two lenses that have a similar field of view. Though, not a lot of those Canon testing clips got into the video… Consider picking up a Nikon Z5 Digital Camera through my affiliate links: B&H Photo Video Amazon Adorama Best Buy ebay Used on KEH Here is the official list from Nikon’s website: Added support for the iOS version of NX MobileAir . Use NX MobileAir version 1.0.4 or later. Added support for MC-N10 remote grips . Added support for ML-L7 remote c...

Can Bing GPT AI Chat help me compare two cameras?

I was planning on making a simple comparison video between the Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS M50 Mark II. Right before I starting recording I received an e-mail that I gained access to Bing Chat , the new GPT AI natural language website and extensions to the Edge browser. This goal seemed like a good test of Bing Chat to see if it can work for this use case. I used Chat GPT to summarize the video transcript: Bing Chat isn’t capable enough to do this and it’s limited to 2000 characters per message. ChatGPT appears to have a limit around 4000 and it’s significantly better at using the text I provide it. Why that happens is impossible to say with what I know, but I’m guessing that it’s a mix of low processing budget, confusion from web results, and maybe a simpler model overall with not enough training on each subject.  Bing Chat called the Canon EOS M50 Mark II a DSLR camera which is incorrect. Opening Talk Canon is a well-known camera brand that produces high-quality cameras for both...