Slideshow App Recommendation

[Kit-V]

This is one of those questions I have researched quite a bit. Nevertheless, I want to be sure that I didn't overlook anything. I am looking for a Mac-based slideshow application that works well with Lightroom 4 for basic presentations. Let me briefly explain. The retention of image quality from Lightroom is critical. The application must have the ability sync the images with audio tracks. Features like cute transitions between images, the Ken Burns' effect & other enhancements are not important to me. My goal is to showcase my images with a minimum of visual distractions. Also, I do not work with movie clips so higher-end movie editing software would be an unnecessary expense for me.

Thus far I have been less than completely satisfied with iMovie, & Lightroom's slideshow module. Currently, I am using FotoMagico 4 which is promising but still has considerable bugs that (IMO) should have been resolved prior to release.

Undoubtedly there are some of you Mac users that rely on presenting your work via slideshows. I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts, considerations & recommendations. Thank you kindly.

Kit

[keithrsmith]

I don't use a Mac so I can't help with suggesting software unless you want to use win 7 under emulation, in which case your choice would be between Photodex Proshow - gold or producer-  or WNsoft Pictures2Exe.
But I suggest you look at the cheaper video editing packages such as Premiere elements which can do everything you want.  As for output quality, remember that this is really determined by the output mechanism that you are using - if projecting, most likely 1920*1080 HD video.  The main advantage of the slideshow programs mentioned was that they were the only way to produce an output that could make use of high res computer displays in the days when the only other display was standard def TV's.  They did this by producing executable programs which did everything at run time.
Today there is no need for this technique as the display technology is much better, so producing HD video is all that is required, and then these can be played on any other device without having to use a computer.

In fact if you fire up premiere elements it has an "easy" mode that uses a slide view rather than a timeline view.

keith

[johnbeardy]

Fotomagico or consider getting Aperture and using it for slideshows.  It has the 3 key features that Lightroom's slideshow sadly lacks - a timeline so you can sync pics and sound, multiple sound files, and transitions like Ken Burns. Just export JPEGs from Lightroom.

[AFairley]

You will find that the consumer-oriented video editing programs wil not cost any more than the top-level slideshow programs, and I expect that they will offer abilities lacking in the slideshow programs, for example the ability to time-stretch audio to hit a transition exactly, cross-fade between audio tracks, and so on, which may or may not be important to you.  I could be wrong about the slideshow program features, if I were you I would check out the demos which I presume are available.

[mstevensphoto]

if you're presenting for sales purposes then ProSelect is not to be overlooked.

[Kit-V]

Thank you, everyone, for the suggestions. Fortunately, the major issues I have had with FotoMagico have been resolved by an updated version. So I am cautiously optimistic that it will work adequately for me. But it is always good to have alternatives for the future. Thanks again.

Kit