Capture One Vs Lightroom for Leica Q2

[SoCalLeicanator]

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Hello all, I just wanted to bounce something off the group.

For some reason, my lightroom stopped running on my PC laptop.  I have an appointment to get it looked it by a professional, but in the interim decided to do the Capture One trial to see if it worked on my computer (it did) and see what it was about.

Here's the rub.  The Q2 files seemed a lot more vibrant on C1.  There was more ability to pull from shadows and the rendering was a little more pleasing.

Am I crazy?  Has anyone noticed this difference?

[SrMi]

Which Lightroom version have you been using?

[SoCalLeicanator]

 

3 minutes ago, SrMi said:

Which Lightroom version have you been using?

I use the CC version not the desktop.  I do all the updates. 

[SrMi]

Just now, SoCalLeicanator said:

 

I use the CC version not the desktop.  I do all the updates. 

Have you tried the Desktop version? I have no experience with the CC one.

[dpitt]

The main reason I use C1P is that it still has a perpetual license. 'Perpetual' is relative since you receive feature updates for an year and then you are stuck on the same version with maybe a few minor bug fix updates.

After little more than a year I ran into issues with the latest Mac OS. And my version is not certified... So I am stuck on this Mac OS version. No issue for me since my hardware will not run the next Mac OS anyway. To be clear this is not an issue with the C1P subscription model or the latest perpetual licensed C1P version.

Second reason that I like C1P is that it seems a bit faster to process my images to the point I am satisfied. In part because it has all the features I would ever want. Really good stitching and layers + masking per layer.  All I will need for the coming years.
If you are into portraits and studio work in general (tethering) there are some wonderful tools in there to streamline and harmonize skin tones and exposure over a complete shoot. It is AI driven, so not a simple copy/paste of slider adjustments...

Third reason is that indeed, the files look great. Getting the same result with LR+PS is perhaps possible, but always different and it would take me more time to get there. 

I do not use that DAM part of C1P, but I like the way their sessions work, with everything contained in one folder, which can be backed up and moved without issues.

Edited May 13, 2024 by dpitt

[SoCalLeicanator]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

Have you tried the Desktop version? I have no experience with the CC one.

I do use it on my desktop.  It's just LR CC not LR classic.  The latter was a disaster on my laptop.  

The issue is they've got me with the storage.  I have so many photos there I'd be anxious about abandoning it altogether.  

Also, I don't really understand c1s model.  There's Capture but then capture one 21 etc. Are they different?  The same?  I don't know!

 

[Luke_Miller]

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What I notice is Capture One does not honor the Q2 crop settings.  So, everything is shown as 28mm.  The good news is C1 will also show the entire (close to 24mm) image as recorded by the sensor if you uncheck Hide Distorted Areas on the Lens Correction Panel.  I find this useful on occasion.  I use both C1 and Lightroom Classic and find them very close color wise with the standard profiles.  The C1 Pro Standard profiles are very good and I prefer them over those in Lightroom.  I don't use my Q2 for critical work, but if I did, I would get the Cobalt-Image profile for it.  That is what I did for my SL since C1 (unlike the SL2) does not provide a Pro Standard profile for it.

[powerdog]

If you’re open to another option, you might download the trial of On1 Photo Raw. I don’t have a Q2, but I’ve been Impressed when working with my Q3 files

[SoCalLeicanator]

6 hours ago, powerdog said:

If you’re open to another option, you might download the trial of On1 Photo Raw. I don’t have a Q2, but I’ve been Impressed when working with my Q3 files

I might give it a shot.  I'm sure it's me, but the Q2 feels like a new camera just with the V2 standard profile.  Like I said initially the biggest shock was that the files seemed to have a hell of a lot more dynamic range. They also seemed to be a little more vibrant and well Leica like.  I'm sure I'm screwing something up in LR and there is user error and mainly wondered if other Q2 shooters noticed the same thing. 

[Le Chef]

My DNG files from both Q2 and Q3 come in “flat” into Lightroom. In my mind that’s as it should be. I then use the histogram as a start point to bring the image to life the way that I want it.

[coleica]

I fell into what I like to call the Adobe trap.  Love Lightroom Classic, hate the subscription model.  If I were to switch to a different editing software, like C1, would the LRC edits transfer across?  My understanding is that they would not.  Hoping I am wrong.

[Stephen_C]

11 minutes ago, coleica said:

If I were to switch to a different editing software, like C1, would the LRC edits transfer across?  My understanding is that they would not.

No, I'm afraid they would not (at least when switching between Lightroom and Capture One—which is what I did some years ago when LR went subscription).

Stephen

[R.Theberge]

I use Capture One with my recently acquired Q2 and love the way it renders he files. About 3 years ago I did a comparison trial of several different ost processing softwares on Olympus, Fuji and Leica cameras. FOR ME, Capture One way far and away the best of the bunch which included DxO, ON 1, Affinity, Luminar as well as couple a couple of more obscure one.  

[Stephen_C]

I agree with that assessment of Capture One: it deals superbly with the files from my Q3 (and previously did the same with those from my Q2). It's very expensive but the sheer quality of the results is what keeps me using it (for now, anyway).

Stephen

[ianforber]

Another C1 user here, very happy with how it deals with files from my Q2 and M11. Initially, I too was irritated that it didn’t respect the Q2 crop but now I don’t mind as I only ever do the final crop on the full size DNG anyway and it’s almost always a greater crop. 

[hexx]

I've been also using Capture One Pro - for many years now. When I got Q3 last week, I had to purchase a new license as version 21 didn't support Q3.