initial import timings.
i ran a few import timing tests to have some data to start working with.
The test consisted of a 1 GB compact flash card with 126 RAW photos and 3 jpegs.
- iPhoto: 19 minutes
- iView Media Pro: 4.5 minutes
- PhaseOne Capture Pro: 4.25 minutes
- Portfolio (with 1000x1000 offline preview files being created): 23 minutes
- Portfolio (straight import): 4.75 minutes.
This tells me a couple of things. The first is that iView and Capture Pro definitely not doing anything but copying the files and stashing the builtin thumbnails. The second is that i definitely want offline preview files so i can see what i want once i archive my files. However, i probably don't need to create those files upon import for every file (since i may be ditching a ton of the files anyway).
Winners:
- iView: Very quick import, plus excellent speed when switching views between thumbnail and edit mode.
Losers:
- iPhoto: I have no option but to import and create jpegs at import time. I know that iPhoto is a consumer app, but still. That kinda pisses me off. It is otherwise very simple. I wouldn't mind using the "digital shoebox" model if it didn't take so long.
Neutral:
- Capture Pro: Not exactly sure what i would do with this at the moment. A separate app for RAW processing doesn't seem necessary at the moment, but we shall see.
- Portfolio: Unless i turn off the offline preview stuff, this suffers the same fate as iPhoto. If i can generate the offline preview files after i throw out any shots i don't want this will get a boost.