Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

19 Sep 2020 11:18:50

Roy Rainford

For years I found Adobe Bridge useful for viewing photos which I have on the HD. My old 32bit version no longer works on 64bit Catalina. I don't want to start a subscription to Adobe so does anyone know of an alternative app to Bridge?

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

19 Sep 2020 15:01:44

Roy Rainford

Have found https://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/ and downloaded it. Not so 'clean' as Bridge but seems a workable alternative.

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

23 Sep 2020 10:59:10

Tony Still

Quicklook reads a lot of Raw formats (certainly CR2, CR3 and I think CRW for Canon) and obviously JPG/HEIF.

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

23 Sep 2020 11:24:34

Derek Wright

If you are working with JPG files or the Raw files are supported by the OS then I find that "Files" operating in image mode plus "Preview" for detail view of the images.
This works fine with RAW files apart from my latest camera which came out long after Catalina arrived and so Mojave does not understand the RAW files (even though the file format is the same as the previous camera version but with a different camera id. I have seen reference to a process that resets the identifier to the previous camera model - however the opportunity to illigitimise the RAW files does appear to be significant)

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

23 Sep 2020 12:47:02

Roy Rainford

Thanks Tony & Derek. Whilst 'Quick Look' reads a file, it doesn't appear to open folders. I want to view the folders contents all together on the desktop. (as image thumbnails).
Have looked at the 'Files' app but it seems to be for iOS devices. Perhaps I am looking in the wrong place.

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

23 Sep 2020 20:35:00

Derek Wright

Sorry I meant Finder - not Files

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

25 Sep 2020 07:11:51

Roy Rainford

Have had a closer look at Finder options. More useful than I realised. Thanks Derek.

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

26 Sep 2020 11:26:05

Rick Churchill

Roy, I can't get Finder to read our Fujifilm RAF files. On my Mac icon view shows generic Affinity photos icons and Quick Look does the same. Am I doing something wrong?

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

26 Sep 2020 12:30:55

Roy Rainford

Rick you are right. My RAF don't open in Finder. I have been shooting jpg recently and no problem with those.

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

28 Sep 2020 11:33:45

Tony Still

List of RAW formats supported by macOS and hence the Finder is here. You'll need third party software otherwise.

Adobe's DNG converter is another route for Raw formats. It doesn't give the easy previews you were after but it does get almost any Raw file into the DNG format. That preserves all the important Raw data and is readable by many other apps. It's free from Adobe.

Re: Looking for App alternative to Adobe Bridge

28 Sep 2020 17:54:54

Roy Rainford

Thanks Tony. Rick and I use the Fujifilm X-T20 and when I click on that model's 3, it takes me to a window which says: "Excluding RAW images taken using High Res Shots". Our RAW shots are usually High Res so I assume this is why we can't use the Finder. The DNG format may be a workaround thanks but not for me.