Magix Photostory 2016 Software Review

Features
Ease Of Use
Performance
Verdict
System Requirements

Photostory 2016 Deluxe is the latest version of Magix' slideshow software that photographers can use to display their photos for friends and family. Slideshows can be created in the software then presented on TVs, smartphones and tablet devices in resolutions up to Ultra HD. Magix Photostory 2016 is currently available for Window devices and it's priced at £39.99, plus there's a 30-day money back guarantee available.

Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe Features

• For all camera formats, including HEVC
• 8 configurable tracks for photos, videos & music
• Edit 360° footage & create panorama montages
• Perfect image stabilization with proDAD Mercalli V2
• Automatic image optimization
• Add titles and work with editing templates
• A variety of effects, decorative elements, music and more are available 
• Convenient travel route animations
• High output quality in 4K resolution & 3D

New in Magix Photostory 2016:

• Import and edit photos and videos from 360° cameras
• Beat-based editing - Easily create transitions to fit the beat of music of your choice
• proDAD Mercalli V2 - Improve stabilization 
• New templates

Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe Ease Of Use

When you first open Magix Photostory 2016 you're greeted with a 'welcome' screen that gives you four options: Create new project, Load project, New slideshow as movie template and Watch introduction video. 

The introduction videos are actually really useful to watch if you've not used the software before, plus there are user guides available via the 'Help' menu and text helps pop up when you hover over an icon. There's also an 'ask a question' pop-up that's accessible via the ?i icon found in the top menu bar. 

The 'Load' and 'Create' options are rather self-explanatory but you are given a couple of other options when you create a new project, which we'll talk about shortly. 'New slideshow as movie template' opens up various templates already designed with shot lengths, music etc. in them. They're great if you want to save time and can be used for both stills and video. You simply pick a template, say how long you want the slideshow to last and then drag your own footage into the place holds provided. You can also drag a whole folder and the software will add the images for you. Be warned, the music can be a little loud, though. There's also a slideshow wizard which talks you through the steps of making a slideshow should you want some guidance. 

If you choose to start a new project you'll be asked to name the project and select the screen format you want it to appear in. After this, you can edit the slideshow in a photo storyboard mode or select the timeline view / mode which gives you more precise editing controls (more like you'd expect to see when editing video). There's also a window with straightforward video controls towards at the bottom of it which you use to preview your slideshow or particular effects you want to use on it. 

The software is actually really straight forward to use as most of the actions are just 'click, drag and drop'. There are useful editing tools supplied that you can use to make basic edits to images and images can also be rotated if the orientation is wrong. Text can be added to an image as captions, subtitles and speech bubbles and transitions are easy to apply thanks to the software automatically adding space for them to be applied. If you want to add movement to your images you can zoom into the photo, then pan through the image and 1-click animations are also available for transforming images into short videos. 

I know we've already mentioned transitions but they're worth talking about in more detail just because of the sheer amount that's on offer in the software. If you don't know, transitions are used to smoothly move between images and alongside simple transitions such as soft fade, more complex transitions can be applied, such as picture-to-picture fades. All transitions and effects can be previewed before applying them by clicking the small play symbol that appears on each of the transition / effect icons. 

Under effects, you'll find options for creating collages (picture-in-picture) where several images are placed into a ready-made template to produce the types of short slideshows you'd see on the homepage of a photographer's website to showcase several of their images to visitors. The movie templates can also be useful for creating this sort of thing, too but they do include music whereas if you use the effects panel you don't have to insert a music track should you not want one. 

Talking of music, there's plenty to pick from in the Slideshow music folder and as you do with images, you simply drag the song you wish to use on to your storyboard. In the timeline window you can easily fade the music in / out and also adjust its volume or length should it be too long / short for the amount of images you're using. There's also a really useful feature called beat-based editing where you can place snap markers in between where one photo meets another so the software knows to match the beat of the music with the photo transitions. 

Slideshows can actually be built in a matter of minutes, particularly if you use a preset template, and thanks to how easy the software is to use, even a novice will find that it doesn't take very long to construct a slideshow. 

When you've finished your edits, you can export the slideshow video to a device, upload it to the internet, burn it to DVD / BluRay or archive the project. When saving, there are various formats as well as quality options you can pick from and depending on which you pick will dictate how long it takes to export the project. 

Magix Photostory 2016 Results

Created using the slideshow wizard:

Picture-in-picture effect:

Movie Template:

Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe Performance

Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe produces results that are easy and quick to construct. The software also runs smoothly with no lag when dragging and dropping or making adjustments. The software did take quite a while to install (almost 25 minutes) but this could be down to the PC it was installed on and exporting projects can take some time but it gives you an excuse to put the kettle on while it finishes. 

Value For Money

At the current £39.99 price, Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe isn't a real bank breaker. In fact, the regular price of £44.99 isn't really that expensive either. Alternatives include Proshow Gold from Photodex which is priced at around £49, PhotoStage Slideshow which comes in at a rather reasonable £28.08 and Photostory Easy is also available for the same price. There are plenty of other slideshow software versions out there, some of which are free to use, but not all are as easy to use as Photostory or offer as many features but then again, if you're only looking for something basic then one of the free options may be suitable for you. 

Magix Photostory 2016 Verdict

Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe is easy to use and isn't badly priced either. There's plenty of features built-in and the software gives you the independence to be really creative as well as offer good guidance should you need it. Putting a basic slideshow together is a doddle and can actually be completed in a couple of minutes but there is the option to really go to town on your presentation, too. For those who enjoy showing family and friends images in creative ways, then you'll find Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe is perfect for you. Yes, it did take a while to download and exporting files can take some time but we're happy to overlook those two small issues thanks to how easy and fun the software is to use. 

Magix Photostory 2016 Pros

Easy to use 
Slideshow creation is a quick process
Great presets  
Reasonable price 
Fun to play around with 
 

Magix Photostory 2016 Cons

Install and export times can be slow 
 

FEATURES
EASE OF USE
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Magix Photostory 2016 Deluxe is easy to use , produces great results in not much time and its price is a steal.  

Magix Photostory 2016 System Requirements 

• Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10

• 64-bit operating system

• 4GB RAM recommended (minimum 2GB)

• Quad-core processor with 2.8 GHz or better (minimum 2GHz)

• Graphics Card: Onboard - minimum resolution 1280 x 768, dedicated - at least 512 MB VRAM

• 2 GB of hard drive space free for program installation