Capture One dilema

[leica dream]

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On an earlier thread I discussed the fact that my PSE 11 would not process RAW from my Leica CLUX so resolved to stick with JPEG.

Now, with the offer of discounted Capture One I am reconsidering whether to go that way and have done some very elementary research. PSE11 simplicity has served me well but even with discount C1 is not cheap even for the basic version perpetual licence so I need some reassurances. I don't want to go to a cloud based licence and have discounted Lightroom as an alternative.

A lot of emphasis is on RAW, but I assume JPEG can also be processed?

How can I get a pre-purchase assurance that C1 will process data from my CLUX?

Is C1 intuitive for a VERY amateur, or are there easy to access lessons to help with basic familiarity - rather like Lightroom?

If not Capture One............any other affordable amateur suggestions?

I use IMAC on Mojave so will that be OK?

Very grateful for any input.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2019 by leica dream

[wda]

Is it possible to download a free trial copy to see if it suits your needs?

[Drtmw]

Hi,

I have mostly moved to Capture 1 from lightroom for my CL images. To my eyes it is really better.

To address some of your concerns, please see below.

A lot of emphasis is on RAW, but I assume JPEG can also be processed?
Yes

How can I get a pre-purchase assurance that C1 will process data from my CLUX?

They have a list I believe

Is C1 intuitive for a VERY amateur, or are there easy to access lessons to help with basic familiarity - rather like Lightroom?

It’s a good deal different from lightroom but if you are not very accustomed to LR it’s no more difficult. I prefer it; to me it’s more intuitive. It is very customizable to suit your style. I use the auto option for most of my CL images and love the results. Capture one has a very extensive set of video lessons from rank beginner to expert. Best in the business. These are very helpful and easy to follow.

If not Capture One............any other affordable amateur suggestions?

I use IMAC on Mojave so will that be OK?

Yes

[wellfleet]

As of C1 version 11 the CL was included in the supported cameras list. To see what lenses are supported you'll need to download a trial copy and look at the lens list, or I suppose you could email them.

[zeitz]

I think "cloud based license" gives a misimpression.  If you use Lightroom (non-Classic), your files can be uploaded to Adobe's cloud, and the files can be shared and processed on an iPhone, iPad, or iMac with the editing shared across devices too.  Lightroom Classic and Bridge/Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop are not cloud based; you download the app and everything resides on your computer.  Of course Adobe has not announced their future plans for all of this.  Cloud storage seems to be the new way for software companies, including Apple and Microsoft, to make more money.  As the software industry matures, it seems to be moving to services instead of apps.

Also there is no license that I can find associated with Adobe CC monthly rental.  When I have gotten a new computer, and this has happened four times, I download the software and Adobe asks me which two computers I want the software to work on.  (iPhone and iPad don't count as computers.)  I don't know of any license key that I can find.  Stated another way, I am not asked for a license key with new installations.  But if I stop paying monthly, I assume the installed software will no longer work.  It may be prudent to save the processed image in .TIF format instead of .PSD format.

I can see the iPhone/iPad/iMac cross platform processing capability to many folks, but I don't use it.  For Photoshop the mobile capability is very much stripped down.

I have recently received a full license for Capture One 12, upgradable to Capture One 20.  One thing that really bugs me about Capture One is that the edit sidecar file are not stored with the image file itself.  The sidecar file is in a separate subfolder that Capture One creates itself, without my permission.  (If one of you Capture One experts knows how to reset this, I would be deeply grateful to learn the trick to place the sidecar in the same folder as the image file.)  I assume CL raw files are .dng; in this case in Adobe the user has the option to save the edits directly in the .dng file (still non-destructive) or to save the edits in a .xmp sidecar. 

[Exodies]

7 hours ago, zeitz said:

<snip>
But if I stop paying monthly, I assume the installed software will no longer work.  It may be prudent to save the processed image in .TIF format instead of .PSD format.
<snip>

When your Adobe subscription expires the Classic develop and map modules stop working. You still have full access to the other modules. No need to export everything as tif.

[prk60091]

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you can try rawpower developed by former apple/aperture engineers-  very similar to aperture

 

if you are still on mojave aperture (if you still have a copy ) will work and there are workarounds to keep it working on catalina... (which i have been using for 2 weeks and there are no show stoppers for me).

[marchyman]

23 hours ago, leica dream said:

How can I get a pre-purchase assurance that C1 will process data from my CLUX?

Capture one lets you use the program for 30 days without limits before purchasing.   The current discount will expire before that time is up, but you still have time to download the software and verify it works with YOUR images.

And FYI:  One thing Capture One wont do is let you tweak those 20 year old jpegs shot an 640x480 resolution.  True, that is almost thumbnail size on a modern 5K display.    You can import them but they are not editable.

[ansteyp]

Have you considered converting to a TIFF in Preview then moving into PSE? I do that regularly and am very happy with the result. 

[leica dream]

I have downloaded the trial version and been experimenting. Really impressed with the way C1 works for me after the rather old tech of PSE11. I shall purchase while discounts apply.

Grateful thanks for inputs from everyone.

[wellfleet]

47 minutes ago, leica dream said:

I have downloaded the trial version and been experimenting. Really impressed with the way C1 works for me after the rather old tech of PSE11. I shall purchase while discounts apply.

Grateful thanks for inputs from everyone.

Re: discounts, this is the best price I've seen which is good thru today , I believe - https://www.dtcommercialphoto.com/product/capture-one-pro-12/

It ends up being $154. with a free upgrade to Capture 20.

[wlaidlaw]

Just downloaded the latest upgrade to C20. A few very minor improvements from C1 V.12 but worth the price, even at the pre-release/pre-payment discount price I paid - not wholly convinced. It STILL doesn't have a de-haze tool in spite of many requests to Phase One from me and many other users. Pretty much every other RAW developer now has a de-haze tool, which is very useful, so I cannot understand why Phase One is so reluctant. They kicked me off their user/developer panel for complaining about this omission, when they brought out C1 V11, so it is obviously something they are very sensitive about. Just plain feeble not to have incorporated this tool. You can de-haze in C20 but it is about a 6 step operation. You can save this as a style but then it applies the same amount of de-haze every time, which is often inappropriate. 

Wilson

[zeitz]

My free upgrade from C12 to C20 did not work.  I am contacting Phase One's regional office directly to see what the problem is.  I found the steps to upgrade to be obtuse.   Maybe if my key were recognized as valid, it would have been easier.

[zeitz]

The Phase One office responded in less than 4 minutes.  I will be getting a new key for C20 directly from them.  Phase One is such a different business model than the folks on the West Coast.

[wlaidlaw]

There was a problem with the upgrade Phase One/Fastspring website yesterday, which has now been corrected. Even if like me you had a pre-purchase/pre-paid code and filled that in, so it showed an amount of £0.00 due, it still then forwarded you to either a credit card page or to Paypal, instead of generating an activation code. They fixed this very quickly after being advised.

Wilson