It’s interesting reading the discussion. Before now, I’ve never considered using FotoMagico … the purchase price was just too steep to justify my 1 or two times a year at most I might use it. Now, with the subscription I am strongly considering it for a project I have for the future. I agree, I wish it were a final cut plugin as I’ve tried multiple photo plugins with mixed effect. Just like everything, pricing is always a challenge, especially for small business. Boinx makes awesome stuff. I pay for MimoLive because it makes me money in my business… do I wish the price was lower?…yes of course in some ways BUT I am happy to pay to keep Boinx motivated to continually improve it. If it is too high, they will sell less licences, maybe they’ll lower the price to keep customers, but the alternative is worse… maybe they’ll decide that it’s not worth their time….which would be much worse (not suggesting that they will, just a general comment applicable to any company that produces products). I have walked away from clients that expect a lower price for my services than what I am willing to do it for.
I’m having great success producing slideshows using iMovie or Keynote. I had never used iMovie but when the FotoMagico pricing model changed to the subscription, I spent about 15 minutes playing around with iMovie and was able to create some really cool stuff very simply.
Hi, yes I have used iMovie quite often for movies…I’ll give it a go for a slide show. I’ve also used the home edition of PhotoStage which is not too bad… thanks for the reply.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve used FotoMagico maybe 3 times in the 3 years or so I’ve owned it. I like it very much for what it does, and would gladly pay a reasonable upgrade fee for one optimized for the latest computers. But paying a monthly fee for a program I seldom use makes no sense for me, no matter how well it does the job.
Please consider that under the new model, you will pay $24 for those 3 times over 3 years using the most up to date FotoMagico instead of $140 for the next two updates under the old model.
Not to mention, if you recall Fotomagico 5 when it first came out was riddled with App crashing bugs… and playback issues that required numerous quitting and relaunches per session on Mac OS. It wasn’t until v5.4 many months later that it became more stable, but still had glaring bugs, and finally at 5.6.14 it was actually reliable. In fact all the reviews I’ve ever read said Fotomagico was cool if you can tolerate the never ending bugs. I’m not going to pay a monthly fee and wait a year or more until 5 updates for v6 to be reckoned with bug-wise… I use Fotomagico much less often now, preferring the precision control I get with Screenflow™ by Telestream. I can incorporate photos, movie clips and screen recordings all in one app with great voiceover control, Effects, Titles and Transitions and much more, all of which are very modern & professional looking. Also, precise Audio track control which I could never get right in Fotomagico, Ugh! The Goofy Skeuomorphic frames, or music that comes with Fotomagico is simply bloatware and very outdated for U.S. design trends and I would never use them. Version 6 just might be the last version you’ll ever see… now with the added shenanigans of a monthly rental fee. ~RpH
So again I’m just trying to do the math here. I looked up Telestream’s “Screenflow” (since that’s the app you mentioned), and it’s currently going for $119.20/year (reduced from a regular price of $149/year on a Black Friday Savings event, and with an automatic renewal fee of $79/year).
Assume you’re ready to apply yourself to creating a slideshow, and you have all the photos you need, videos, audios, etc. Now assume it’s going to take you one month to build it. With Screenflow, that will set you back $119.20. With Fotomagico, you’re only out $8.
Now assume you plan on creating a couple more slideshows throughout the year. With Screenflow, you’re still out $119.20. With Fotomagic, you’ll be out (probably) $24.
Unless you plan on using FotoMagico EVERY DAY of the year (which will set you back $96), it still makes more sense to go with FM than Screenflow, considering all else being equal.
Except that it isn’t.
I’ll probably stick with FM5. It seems to be working OK on my MacBook Pro Intel running OS Monterey. Once I get my new Mac Mini I am hoping it will run under emulation using Rosetta 2.
It can still be downloaded from the Boinx website. However, I plan to keep a backup in case it’s removed.
Hi @Londinense there are no plans to remove FotoMagico 5 from the website and you’re welcome to use it for as long as it works on your computer. Please keep in mind that it is not optimised for M1 and doesn’t perform very well under Rosetta 2.
Just looked in to see what was new, and I was looking for Version 5 as I just installed Montaray
and want to reinstall V5. But can not find it? I too do not like renting software, and an upgrade price of $79.00 CDN would be fine, and that would be OK, but here it’s $12.00 plus 12% taxes, sorry way too much for me. i love the software but I can get Photoshop, and Lightroom for $10.00 and the slide shows are nice, fotomagico, is great but sorry, when 6 is finished so am I. Thank you for a great product.
Hello (aka Part 2, Moving Forward),
Happy New Years, everyone, from London and Arizona! Here’s to making great slideshows today with… FotoMagico (FM), tomorrow with… (fill in here your program/method of choice).
We all appreciate FM, obviously, that’s why we’re part of this Boinx forum. But for various reasons, FM may not be the best choice for some of us going forward – because of increased cost, inconveniences, lack of features, etc.
As we all know, no one knows the future. FM may become, with more time, programming talent, and money (that’s where the new subscription scheme comes in), the ideal software we’ve all been dreaming of (some of us have been dreaming about all sorts of things getting better, not just FM). And when it does, there will be a celebration like no other, with the feature event being… wait for it… yes… a grand, epic slideshow!
In the meantime, perhaps we could share with one another (i.e. encourage and spur on) our thoughts, explorations, and discoveries into alternative methods and software. Perhaps someone is using FM in tandem with tools unknown to most of us, or have discovered secret features of common software that aid in the creation of slideshows. Or maybe someone’s 14-year old nephew has just last week assembled a bit of code that makes still images blend together with silky stealth, and the niece has linked up this functionality to a handy group of keyboard shortcuts and a media organizer tool. If so, might we all be privileged to share in the wonder?
Will Boinx permit us (current) FM license holders, yet waining enthusiasts, to occupy a few kilobytes of their servers as will undertake this common sojourn? to be the conduit of proclamations and whispers of new found routes and territories?
For those who dare leave the fold in search of greener pastures, we can assure the higher powers at Boinx that there will always be the longing for ‘home’ (i.e. FM). And should one of our co-companions from amongst the Boinx echelon so choose to participate, we would naturally welcome their contribution. After all, they are the standard bearers for that which we are seeking (but hasn’t yet come to fruition).
Please share your thoughts, no matter which way they lean…
Hi @waynecarsen FotoMagico works on Monterey and you can download it from https://boinx.com/connect/fotomagico/versionhistory/5.6.14
I’m sorry to hear that you feel FotoMagico 6 is too expensive. Can you tell me what we need to add to make it worth the CDN$ 12 plus tax?
We now offer a one-year license option which is close to your proposed upgrade fee.
I have exactly the same situation and feelings. I have been an strong proponent of Boinx software since before the arrival of Fotomaigico. I am also a professional photographer and use Fotomagico 3-4 times a years. I did not even know about the upgrade until I started a recent project. I like to keep all my software up to date, but cannot sanction paying the price outlined above for my usage. Boinx has always listened to their user base and I implore you to do something for users such as me and Bryce and all the others in a similar situation.
Hello silsurf,
My impression is that Oliver, CEO at Boinx, has explained the company’s situation fairly well, in the thread above. They are ramping up their funding to make FM a better, more up-to-date product. More money in, more programming, resulting in a better product. Makes sense to me.
I’m excited about what FM will become, but in the meantime I’m interested in exploring alternative ways of producing enticing slideshows, and fast.
How about you? Do you use FM exclusively, or do you integrate other software and techniques to make your slideshows?
May I ask, what type of slideshows do you create? Are they to present the results of a photo shoot, as I do, or are you selling the slideshow itself to your clients?
Thanks,
Bryce
Why yes, Internet connectivity provider, I’d be glad to pay you much more money right now on the hope that you will establish better and faster service someday.
My auto dealer says that if I only pay a few thousand more than this vehicle is worth, someday they’ll be able to produce a car that does all those amazing car things we’ve all talked about.
The doctors have told me that if I pay more than I should for my appendectomy, some day they’ll be able to perform that procedure while simultaneously giving patients a facelift to make them look beautiful.
Still make sense to you?
I don’t know where you live, but here in the US of A, we expect businesses to arrange their own financing for their expansions rather than putting the burden on their existing customers. Some don’t handle it that way and that’s when we stop buying their widgets.
Indeed, sjtryon, there’s a lot of truth in that (no matter which country one resides). But unless there is some rich uncle funding a business, its revenues usually come for sales to customers. And sometimes management has to make some drastic changes to keep that business afloat (e.g. reorganize, cut costs, merge, go public, and yes, increase pricing).
The challenge for customers is when that widget/service is rather unique, and one becomes dependent on it. What happens then when something changes, like a major price hike? That’s the very reason I started this thread in late November.
My proposition now, in light of the situation, is how do we continue to make great slideshows, quickly, without spending a lot.
Several FM users have expressed their intentions of curtailing their use of FM. I find that interesting, as I’m then wondering what tool they will then use.
And that is exactly what I’m asking in this “Part 2”, with the hope that everyone would start sharing their new found programs and techniques that facilitate the creation of amazing slideshows.
Greetings from London (from a Prescott, Arizona boy),
- Bryce
I switched to PTE AV Studio (previously as Pictures To Exe) which now has a MAC version. It is superior to FM in some ways but inferior in others. When I found out about FM6 I thought it worth exploring but the subscription rate immediately put me off. I hope Boinx see the error of their ways. Please note that any emails wont be seen by me as Boinx have my old address and despite repeated requests I have been unable to change it. (This just in case anyone comments on my reply which would, i think, normally lead to receiving an email advising me of this - As I will no longer be using FM I probably wont be visiting this Forum much.) Good luck everyone.
That’s a very odd business model. I paid for all upgrades since FotoMagico was first launched including all the extra content, but will not purchase the subscription plan. As many others, I use FotoMagico for a few projects a year professionally, but not on a continuous basis. Resubscribing every time I want to pick it up again isn‘t something I feel comfortable with. With the old versions, I at least have something I can still work with, even without the new fancy features. You are going to loose some old loyal customers with this mainstream strategy. In the case of FotoMagico I would reconsider or at least provide an alternative.
I will not subscribe for FM and also not for a single month and cancel that again. It is a pity: it is what it is…