How to Review Photos with Survey Mode

Watch the quick video above, or follow the steps below. Survey Mode lays every near-duplicate of a scene out side by side, so you can compare look-alike shots directly and pick the keeper in seconds — no more flipping back and forth between frames.

Step 1 — Open a photo that has duplicates
In the culling grid, double-click a photo (or press Enter) to open it in Focus Mode. If the photo belongs to a group of near-duplicates, you'll see them stacked as thumbnails on the left.

Step 2 — Enter Survey Mode
With the photo open, either:

press the S key, or
click the magnifying-glass (Survey) icon in the bottom toolbar.
Every duplicate in the group now appears side by side, each with its own AI quality score at the top.

Step 3 — Compare and pick the keeper

Zoom and pan are synced across all photos — zoom into one face, and every image zooms to the same spot. Blinks, soft focus, and micro-expressions stand out instantly.
The AI scores give you a head start: FilterPixel has already ranked the group's sharpness, eyes, and composition.
Found the winner? Rate it right there without leaving the view — your rating style from Preferences (stars, colors, or tags) applies as usual.
Step 4 — Exit and move on
Click Exit Survey Mode (top-left) when you've decided. You can jump back in anytime with the S key or the Survey icon, and it works for every scene that has duplicates — whether the group holds two shots or ten.

Good to know

Survey Mode only appears for photos that have near-duplicates — solo shots don't need it.
Want to inspect a single photo more closely instead? That's Focus Mode — double-click any photo, no duplicates required.
Your picks flow straight into exports — see How to export your images from FilterPixel when you're done deciding.

Updated on: 25/07/2026