In favour of Capture One (again)

[tashley]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

For ages I've been one of those guys who loves LR and 'just can't get on with C1' because of its workflow etc.

 

Then, a little over a month ago I purchased a Phase One P45+ back, camera and so on and have been shooting some MF. I learned from other users that it is vital to use C1 in order to extract the most detail from the files and I have proved to my own satisfaction that this is true.

 

I continued, however, to use LR for my M8 shots. But on a recent vacation to Barbados I found that some of the shots just weren't giving me the detail that I knew was there. It happens particularly on complex textures, which can go 'painterly' when I am certain they shouldn't. So on my return today I ran some samples through C1 and Lo! It is indeed true that it does a much better job of rendering detail in many files. Ignore the colour balance on these two but look at the detail in the rock, the concrete, the foliage, the red bricks in the roof.

 

Both files are somewhat processed - i.e. they have some sharpening, bit of levels, mild clarity boost and so on. I used the best technique I could in both programs to get the best detail without over-sharpening.

 

I know that many others have had the same experience but I just wanted to reiterate how true it is. My workflow with files I intend for serious use from now on will be as it is with my P45+ files, which is to do initial RAW conversion in C1 and then export as 16bit TIF and import into LR for local area retouching and cataloguing.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

All observations gratefully received!

 

Tim

 

p.s. EDIT: here's the original... the above are 100% crops, which I should have made clear!

Sorry!

[Shootist]

But is that detail you are seeing from the use of C1 or the default sharpening, and noise reduction, C1 applies even when you turn sharpening & noise reduction to zero.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[delander †]

I think you can disable sharpening on export in CaptureOne.

 

I must say I agree. I like the programme as a RAW converter very much and its way of working with camera profiles and its results of course, especially for the M8. I often use the different film looks and the B&W profiles.

 

But I dont have LR only PS/ACR.

 

Jeff

[tashley]

But is that detail you are seeing from the use of C1 or the default sharpening, and noise reduction, C1 applies even when you turn sharpening & noise reduction to zero.

 

It's a RAW development. The RAW file means nothing when it is opened at defaults in any RAW developer. What matters is what you can get out of it and after a lot of fiddling with the same files in both LR and C1 I conclude I can get more detail out of C1. Quite a lot more actually.

 

I went through this with the Phase One back files too: I really really wanted to believe that if I just found the magic combination of sliders in LR I would find the detail that C1 gives effortlessly but there is no way of doing it - as so many other people have assured me and as I hate to admit!

 

t

[SJP]

We want to buy this place, how much is it?

 

I guess the blurb from the estate agent reads: "Well ventilated villa with numerous possibilities for further development on a unique coastal location, with ocean and beach view"

[tashley]

We want to buy this place, how much is it?

 

I guess the blurb from the estate agent reads: "Well ventilated villa with numerous possibilities for further development on a unique coastal location, with ocean and beach view"

 

 

I already made enquiries, it's owned by a Russian billionaire. You should see his yacht....

[Knorp]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I already made enquiries, it's owned by a Russian billionaire. You should see his yacht....

What ? Irakly ?

[jc_braconi]

Tim,

sorry but which is LR and which is C1 ? not enough clear on the monitor

thanks

[ammitsboel]

I don't now what I like best of the files, the last one has neon colors which I doubt was there at the scene?

 

To me it seems if you a very good at processing you can make the pictures look very good with different raw converters. I just don't like C1.

[tashley]

Tim,

sorry but which is LR and which is C1 ? not enough clear on the monitor

thanks

 

Hiya,

 

I purposely didn't say: but the one which looks oversharpened and still lacking detail is LR, and the one which has much better local detail without too much obvious edge is C1...

[Rick]

Tashley... the colors, temp, and exposure are so different in the two images it makes it hard to come to any conclusions. So far, I have liked LR in this area of detail. C1 always wants to apply some level of sharpening that I can't figure out how to completely turn off. I also like the color rendition from LR better.

 

I am going to a Leica sponsored class with the C1 guru from Microsoft in a couple of months. He is supposed to show us how C1 is much better with the M8. I would love to learn how to make C1 work better than what I have gotten out of it. The Leica rep says this class is amazing.

 

LR user but, willing to learn.

[ammitsboel]

Hiya,

 

I purposely didn't say: but the one which looks oversharpened and still lacking detail is LR, and the one which has much better local detail without too much obvious edge is C1...

 

too me they both look oversharpened and too contrasty?

[tashley]

too me they both look oversharpened and too contrasty?

 

My fault - I have internalised soft proofing for LR and HP Hanny Textured Fine Art paper... but trust me the results are the same whatever your intended exit media: I'd happily make this file available for others to try.

 

t

[ammitsboel]

My fault - I have internalised soft proofing for LR and HP Hanny Textured Fine Art paper... but trust me the results are the same whatever your intended exit media: I'd happily make this file available for others to try.

Thanks, I have a difficult time deciding what's best in this scene but I assume that LR is nr.2 and C1 is nr.1?

[ho_co]

... I just don't like C1.

I don't care for working with Capture One either, but in my experience, Tim is right about its output.

 

I'm not comfortable with its workflow or interface, and am sure I can learn a lot from those with more experience, but you might want to check out my post http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-post-processing-forum/73349-does-raw-converter-make-difference.html#post760388, where I show the initial results of three different raw converters with the same M8 file. I was very surprised how much difference the raw interpreter made.

[tashley]

Thanks, I have a difficult time deciding what's best in this scene but I assume that LR is nr.2 and C1 is nr.1?

 

As I said at the outset, ignore the colour (I did this test for the detail and did not spend any real time trying to equalise the colours) and just look at the detail. To my eye, one of them is very clearly better than the other: in fact one of them looks like it was shot on a camera without an AA filter and one looks like it was shot on a normal camera... But I'm still not saying which is which ;-)

[delander †]

OK. to me the pink one looks like CaptureOne.

 

Jeff

[andym911]

the pinky one is C1

 

Andy

[delander †]

Slightly OT. I have tried so hard to like ACR but the number of 'overlapping' controls confuses and gives me little confidence that I achieve the 'best' output from it. Simply too many variations. With C1 it just seems so straightforward.

 

Jeff

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[carstenw]

Gah, the first image looks absolutely horrid. I am also increasingly getting frustrated with fine detail results from LR, but have started looking at RPP, which seems to be an up-and-coming star. RPP is not a full program, and is just intended to get the data out of the raw format in as good a state as possible, for further editing elsewhere, so it seems to be ideal. Donation-ware:

 

Raw Photo Processor (RPP)