Subscription Model

[Gremlin]

I see no problems and expected Camera Bits once will move to subscription model...

But...the line has to be written, between longtime and new users - example "subscription model is on starting with version 7.0 we are introducing right now"

For us who financed company and its developments for years by buying regular "lifetime" licenses, Camera Bits has to provide:

- Lifetime support for Win/Mac OS
- Support for bugs related to OS

We are not unreal to expect new features and options to be free - but some fair relation with old users is appreciated.

 

PS:

Please note that cracked PM were available all the time, so it will be fair to grant legal users with lifetime support for already purchased software.

[Max Lemesh]

Agreed.

1. Give support and at least service updates to old users on PM6, who did support you when realistically they just could not to do it over these years..
2. Give us reasons to buy into subscription and PM7 features wise.

In saying that I’m pretty sure I’ll get the subscription, but I would rather get it because it is something amazing, not because I don’t have any other way.

[phrank]

I really hoped, PM7+ will be out and ready now.
PM6 might be the best and fastest for culling work, but the PM6+ lacks a lot of DAM features which I got in Aperture, Lightroom and Capture One – and well the best but abandoned Media Pro (which is and was still the best DAM solution).
My hope was I wait for PM7+ to get released and I will buy it – almost whatever it costs, as long it serves my needs for Digital Asset Management.
Now, a year later, again Black Friday, I’m really dissappointed.
Why should I buy an outdated software for Digital Asset Management? No upgardes possible. If I would keep working only with my old camera and computer equipment, it might be makes sense…
I really wanted to move all my DAM workflow to Photo Mechanic. I don't like these subscription models, specially for databases, where I won't have access to, if I quit once the subscription.
Like at Capture One, it would be great if I could buy the last perpetual version after quitting the subscription and still be able to work on the database/catalog/library.

@CameraBits will the PM6+ database be  up- and downcompatible with PM7+ ?
It might be a solution for me, if I have a subscription at PM7+ and can access still the database with the outdated PM6+ when stopped my subscription. But as said PM6+ is lacking of some DAM features I liked at other software.

[carlseibert]

@phrank  Out of curiosity, what DAM features are you looking for that are in Lightroom and Capture One that aren't in PM+?

[treyneal]

I really hoped, PM7+ will be out and ready now.
PM6 might be the best and fastest for culling work, but the PM6+ lacks a lot of DAM features which I got in Aperture, Lightroom and Capture One – and well the best but abandoned Media Pro (which is and was still the best DAM solution).
My hope was I wait for PM7+ to get released and I will buy it – almost whatever it costs, as long it serves my needs for Digital Asset Management.
Now, a year later, again Black Friday, I’m really dissappointed.
Why should I buy an outdated software for Digital Asset Management? No upgardes possible. If I would keep working only with my old camera and computer equipment, it might be makes sense…
I really wanted to move all my DAM workflow to Photo Mechanic. I don't like these subscription models, specially for databases, where I won't have access to, if I quit once the subscription.
Like at Capture One, it would be great if I could buy the last perpetual version after quitting the subscription and still be able to work on the database/catalog/library.

@CameraBits will the PM6+ database be  up- and downcompatible with PM7+ ?
It might be a solution for me, if I have a subscription at PM7+ and can access still the database with the outdated PM6+ when stopped my subscription. But as said PM6+ is lacking of some DAM features I liked at other software.

I'm with you on the DAM features that I hoped PM6+ would implement. I was a long time user of MediaPro and stayed with it to the bitter end, even to the point of not updating OS versions to keep it running and keeping an old MAC running with it on it.  Threw in the towel when it looked like PM6+ would cover most of it.  Still better than anything else to replace MediaPro but it does seem to be running on a very old platform.  That of course is part of why it works well - not overburdened with graphical bloat.  I have been experimenting with Peakto software.  Nice interface, has some built in AI for keywording (needs a fair bit of learning to get closer to accurate but it's a start), does some nice work with discovering versions of images that are scattered across storage, smart organizing tools that require no user effort.  Not sure it can replace the speed of PM and so far I cannot see how it handles ingesting/renaming/other ingest processes that are a big part of my workflow.

[myotis]

@phrank  Out of curiosity, what DAM features are you looking for that are in Lightroom and Capture One that aren't in PM+?

I can list some:

No smart folders, you can save searches in PM, but this doesn't offer the organisational structure that smart folders do

Cannot search or filter on vertical/horizontal images, often a key tool in searching (in fact  I have PM auto add a  "horizontal" or "vertical" keyword based on the exif tag that works.

Cannot compare more than two images at the same time (again you can sort of work around this by using large thumbnails, but comparing 4 images at a time (especially in C1) I find particularly useful.

Cannot adjust exposure of an image to allow easier comparisons between underexposed/overexposed images when culling.

Cannot have non-exporting keywords. Both C1 and LR give you a way of using "working or private" keywords in the keyword field that won't be exported when embedding keywords in a Tiff or Jpeg. This allows you to use keywords as an organisational tool e.g. "needs further editing" "possible for project x" etc.

Cannot stack images (neither can C1, but LR can) This allows stacking of images so only a top image of a stack is displayed in the browser. e.g a series of exposure bracketed files, a series of files for a pano, or images from the same burst of wildlife or sports images.

This is my personal list, and they are all things that are preventing me from fully commiting to PM+ as a DAM even though I suspect I have been using PM for maybe 20 years now, and a very committed user of PM for ingesting and keywording.

[krakouer]

I'd also love a feature to keep track of which files I sent to which clients. Have like a catalog of issued shots. Would be great. I can do that now with PM6 but it's really clunky to create the "collections". Having dynamic search terms/tagging would be awesome. Even to be able to see all the photos I ever sent to Client X, regarldess of folder structure would be useful.

[myotis]

I'd also love a feature to keep track of which files I sent to which clients. Have like a catalog of issued shots. Would be great. I can do that now with PM6 but it's really clunky to create the "collections". Having dynamic search terms/tagging would be awesome. Even to be able to see all the photos I ever sent to Client X, regarldess of folder structure would be useful.

That is exactly how a smart folder and non-exportable key-words (as mentioned in my post above of things C1 and LR can do) works.  Add the clients name as a keyword (but put it in the "do not export" list of keywords) and have a smart folder collecting all files that have that keyword.

[krakouer]

Yeah, absolutely.

Pro photogrpahy kind of a shinking industry in some respects, I think the devs could consider opening PM7 up to a much wider audience and casual photographers if they put a lot of effort into a fully fledged DAM system. Having ingest and ability to manage master shots, client sets, managing portfolio shots, personal libraries etc... would make it an incredibly useful program. I can't think of anything that would come close with the incredible ingest and metadata system PM6 already has.

[Horst H.]

a Subscription Model makes sense if they have great new things in pm. just for some updates that sometimes it makes worst than before, i dont need a subcription model. but if you see, what adobe fire up with updates, well than yes i would take it. starting by face detection. that nerves to play all the time face memory by editing pictures.

[jose]

starting by face detection. that nerves to play all the time face memory by editing pictures.

you will have to check photo by photo if the detection has been good. In groups this takes time, if you want to be sure that it is well archived.
In my work identifying and writing the data in batch is much faster because I don't have to check anything.

[filrub]

I am definitely ok with the subscription model but please let’s go to the facial recognition!!!

[lalaorange]

New email and blog post from the founder. A perpetual license will be offered. Details to follow.
https://home.camerabits.com/2023/11/12/changes-coming-to-photo-mechanic/

First thought is it would have been nice to send this out before the promo expired...? It would have made me a lot more likely to bite.

[bwana]

New email and blog post from the founder. A perpetual license will be offered. Details to follow.
https://home.camerabits.com/2023/11/12/changes-coming-to-photo-mechanic/

First thought is it would have been nice to send this out before the promo expired...? It would have made me a lot more likely to bite.

I welcome the news.

[sydlow]

FWIW, I've been a PM user since 2008. I've paid a couple of times for upgrades but what I'd like to add to the discussion is that I use PM for the original functionality of culling/rating and captioning.
Since 2008, the main additions to features have been in photo editing and raw processing, but I don't use any of those functions as the improvements, over the same time period, in photo processing in Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Capture One, have been so significant, especially with the Generative AI functions, that I doubt Camera Bits could ever replicate.

That's all to say that I can't see what features I would want added that I would pay for at the moment.
It would be great to see a roadmap from Camera Bits about what they are proposing to add to support the fees for subscription.