Hodderauthor Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I've been using Lightroom to process my raw files and have been happy with the results. However, I recently tried a 30-day trial of Phase One's Capture One Pro software. The software appears to produce great results, although I find the screen is packed full of icons and very busy, making navigation quite challenging, and I'm still trying to get my head round their cataloguing/session set up. But it just made me wonder what software other contributors use. There are many references to Lightroom and Adobe on the forums but little seems to be said of Phase One. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 C1 is (probably) the best raw convertor around and has been for some time. I haven't upgraded from V7 as I don't get the time to use it much of late. CC/LR provides a fairly decent bulk processing workflow along with a pretty good DAM software so for bulk client work it's a current no-brainer. The Professor's blog has loads of good tutorials, if you have the time and can get your head around the UI, it's well worth the effort....advice I must take up myself. I highlight this section of AW http://blog.phaseone.com/author/adrian-weinbrecht/ in the hope he will see this link and buy me a drink at the next agency meeting..... and LR>C1 http://blog.phaseone.com/3-steps-to-an-easy-switch-from-lightroom-to-capture-one/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Yarvin Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 As it all too often happens, I'm with Geoff on this one. CaptureOne is the best raw converter for people who are really demanding about file quality. In addition to the tutorials, there are webinars, classes, and even a party or two in New York City. I strongly recommend it if you're the sort who wants more control and sheer image quality. And I just as strongly discourage you from trying it if your main interest is speed and/or ease of use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Woods Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Have a look at DxO Optics as Well. It's excellent, though I can't say how it compares to C1. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan_Andison Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 C1 is (probably) the best raw convertor around and has been for some time. I haven't upgraded from V7 as I don't get the time to use it much of late. CC/LR provides a fairly decent bulk processing workflow along with a pretty good DAM software so for bulk client work it's a current no-brainer. The Professor's blog has loads of good tutorials, if you have the time and can get your head around the UI, it's well worth the effort....advice I must take up myself. I highlight this section of AW http://blog.phaseone.com/author/adrian-weinbrecht/ in the hope he will see this link and buy me a drink at the next agency meeting..... and LR>C1 http://blog.phaseone.com/3-steps-to-an-easy-switch-from-lightroom-to-capture-one/ +1 Best raw converter by someway. Not perfect but then nothing is. Bags of control at the finger tips. I changed from LR to C1 Pro when I bought into the Fuji X System. I Still use the Fuji X-T1 but I've been testing a Sony A7rii with it's traditional Bayer sensor and the results are also stunning. It just gives the most detailed results at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I have used C1 since it first came available for DSLRs. Once you have sorted out your workflow and gained familairity it is not really any slower than LR (I used it for a while) for post-production. However I do my file renaming, keywording in PhotoMechanic before doing adjustments and raw conversion in 1 C1Pro. Unlike LR (I believe) C1Pro has layers which I use for many local adjustments. For me the quality of the results is second to none. (With my Fuji X cameras there is no smearing on foliage as was reported with LR). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodderauthor Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thanks for everyone's comments. Really useful. As I thought ... If I make the investment (time-wise as well as financially) I'll see the benefits. I think half my problem is I'm old fashioned ... I like to sit down and read a book to learn how to do something. And apparently there's not one due for Capture One until November. Until then, I'll keep watching the video tutorials ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Phase One's support is exemplary if you have any issues, questions they usually get back to you within a day. They also don't give up on you if the problem continues, there was an issue with 7 express on Pc's and because there wasn't a fix at that time they gave me the pro verssion until it was sorted. I bought 8 when the 7 cut down version was stopped.As orhers have said it's a great RAW convertor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I have been trying out the latest C1 Pro version recently. I agree that is is a better RAW converter than LR. But there are a couple of issues which have led me to conclude that the change is not for me, at least presently.While C1 Pro has layers which you can name, this is not much different to LR. You can create multiple local adjustments in LR, and, so long as you choose the correct pin, you can re-edit them - layers by another name, in reality.My issues with C1 Pro are that the spot removal tool is not nearly as good as that in LR, particularly for visualising sensor dust (which is a perennial problem for me), and it can only edit spots, not be dragged to an irregular or extended shape. Moreover, the C1 Pro layers only seem to support pen size pressure sensitivity, as opposed to flow/transparency. Since my preferred method of working is to apply adjustments gradually using pen pressure, this does not work for me. I find the C1 Pro interface more cluttered, and the option to use a second monitor (and therefore have more scree real estate for processing) places the wrong window in the second monitor, for my set-up, and I canot see that you can change this.All my keywords are in LR. The present version of C1 Pro has only very rudimentary keywording and cataloguing abilities. I could, in theory, process my RAW files in C1 Pro, then export a TIFF file which I could import into LR then keyword and spot in LR before exporting my final JPEG, but the size of the additional TIFF files would increase storage requirements, as well as this being a slower workflow. So, for me at least, for the time being C1 Pro does not suit my requirements, either as a RAW converter or for keywording.The keywording of LR also leaves something to be desired. I have also been looking at Photo Mechanic, which I think has much better keywording facilities, but again the workflow does not quite work for me. Moving from one file to the next for keywording purposes, after export of the JPEG from LR, simply involves too many arm movements and mouse clicks, with no alternative keyboard shortcuts. It was far too slow and time consuming, and I felt RSI coming on big time, so I abandoned the experiment. Keywording RAW files on import (or ingest, as PM calls it) can be very rapid in bulk in PM, but then if I want to keyword files indivdually in LR, this involves a lot of hassle in keeping the keyword hierarchies in sync, complicated by the fact that if you have keywords in square brackets in LR, PM does not recognise them as keywords but assumes they are categories.It is frustrating that there is a better RAW converter than LR, and a better keyword manager, but that neither of them offers the all-round package which LR offers, nor is there a way that (for me) allows them to work efficiently together. You will find plenty of YouTube videos explaining how either can work with LR, but I have not found any of them convincing when I have tried them. So, for the time being, I am sticking to (stuck with?) LR.Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodderauthor Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thanks for those comments, Graham. Yes, I think that sums up the situation. LR provides a good workflow, even if it isn't thebest RAW converter, and C1's keywording isn't there yet. From what I understand C1's keywording and library have come on leaps and bounds from 7, but 8 isn't quite there yet. Perhaps I need to keep a lookout for C1 version 9 when it comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemency Wright Consulting Ltd Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Hi Graham, we use PhaseOne Media Pro for some keywording projects. It's particularly good for bulk adding keyword sets to similar images (such as travel locations). Typically, it's then necessary to go through and keyword image by image. This works well though because it enables you to focus on specific keywords to differentiate your images and help them be found and sold. We don't use Media Pro for Alamy keywording since we tend to work direct in the Portal, but you can always export an Excel from Media Pro and I believe Member Services will append the data to your portfolio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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