DXO PL7 vs Capture 1 Pro

[CompleteUtterNonsense]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.




The mask



From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.




Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

 

[Digital Nigel]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.


The mask

From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.


Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

I suspect that a PL Control line would be an even easier way to produce that mask.

 

[IanYorke]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.


The mask

From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.


Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

Just in case you are not aware C1 offers sessions mode which doesn't use a catalogue.

Wait until you get into the advanced colour/skin tone tab.

Ian

 

[Annie Ng]

What am I giving up in terms of sharpening and denoise if I go with Capture One pro?

I suggest you trial both for 1 month and reach your own conclusion. If AI NR is not as essential for you, then go for C1P as it has spectacular colour rendition and the new AI Masking.

I am "new" to PL7 but my impression of trial of C1P shows it renders better colour. However, I value AI NR so much because I have many indoor low light images such that PL7 is essential to me.

 

[Ab S]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.


The mask

From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.


Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

I suspect that a PL Control line would be an even easier way to produce that mask.

I doubt that, although don't know for sure regarding this picture: the control line (dropper in the blue sky) will likely not give that a sharp mask..

DxO really has to come with serious masking next to control points/lines and luma masks!

--
Ab

 

[Ab S]

I suggest that you download a 30 day trial of C1and see what modern masking looks like.

I have other tools for that.

Which tools, if I may ask?

Thanks

AI MASKING in a style, batch processed to multiple not identical images, allows a high level of automation. Look at the Eli Infante video. It's in the last third of the video. About 12:30 minutes.

..sorry, I thought sybersitizen meant other than C1. Btw, indeed C1 masking is impressive!

 

[Digital Nigel]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.


The mask

From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.


Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

I suspect that a PL Control line would be an even easier way to produce that mask.

I doubt that, although don't know for sure regarding this picture: the control line (dropper in the blue sky) will likely not give that a sharp mask..

This is what I got (using the OP's second image):




PhotoLab sky selection using a control line

DxO really has to come with serious masking next to control points/lines and luma masks!

 

[TorsteinH]

I agree , the new Luminosity mask is a game changer. It's similar to Lumenzia and TK9 in Photoshop.

I have just upgraded , so it will take some time to learn how to use it.

I have found that the Luminosity mask is more useful than I first imagined. As an example can I in many cases just select a complete sky with the new mask, before that I had to use the Control Line.

Yes, I'm coming to the same conclusion.

Something that wasn't immediately obvious to me is that you can extend or reduce the luminosity masked area using the brush and eraser tools. And, of course, you can apply multiple luminosity masks to an image.

Like what I did in this photo. Two Lumi masks and ready to go!







--
Torstein

 

[Ab S]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.


The mask

From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.


Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

I suspect that a PL Control line would be an even easier way to produce that mask.

I doubt that, although don't know for sure regarding this picture: the control line (dropper in the blue sky) will likely not give that a sharp mask..

This is what I got (using the OP's second image):


PhotoLab sky selection using a control line

DxO really has to come with serious masking next to control points/lines and luma masks!

Very good and well done indeed!

--
Ab

 

[IanYorke]

Well, this is probably the shortest evaluation of any product I've ever done. C1 masking his 'Holly Carp!!' good.

Did not need any sort of tutorial to import into a catalog (already blows DarkTable out of the water).

10 minutes, one quick look at a turorial to figure a couple of things out about masking and voila, usable mask on a picture with a somewhat complicated sky. Start with AI mask to get most of the sky, use the magic brush to pick up the fiddly bits AI mask missed, do a quick refine mask and I'm off to the races. Oh, and all that using the track pad on my laptop.


The mask

From there, just selected the mask and started editing. Pulled down the exposure a bit, pulled up the contrast and saturation and already the image looks a lot better.


Adjusted image

I'm quite impressed by how well the mask handled the blurry branch in the backgrund to the right of the bird.

I know, not a great image, but I picked it because of the broken up sky in the background

I grabbed six images to play around with for my evaluation, but I may not even try another one as I have a busy weekend and need to make my decision by midnight Sunday before the black Friday sale ends.

The ease with which I created this mask, never having used the product before put a huge grin on my face.

I suspect that a PL Control line would be an even easier way to produce that mask.

I doubt that, although don't know for sure regarding this picture: the control line (dropper in the blue sky) will likely not give that a sharp mask..

This is what I got (using the OP's second image):


PhotoLab sky selection using a control line

DxO really has to come with serious masking next to control points/lines and luma masks!

The bird has an obvious selection halo. Might have worked better on the raw.

When you mask, however you do it, radial, brush, luma, AI etc you can refine (improve the selectivity) and feather the mask using a simple slider adjustment.

Ian

 

[Ab S]

As an former C1 Pro user (last version was 12.3) later in combination with DxO PureRaw and since about half a year to DxO PL6 and later PL7/FP7 only, reading this very useful thread regarding the new AI masking tools in C1 I just purchased C1 version 16.3 again.

I definitely appreciate the excellent DeepPrime NR and optical corrections of DxO, in particular for my 1" sensor Sony RX10iv.

So for the time being my workflow will be

• PL7/FP7 for default processing, and, if needed
• for masking (AI masking, magic brush, etc) OR in case I cannot obtain the desired tonal correction with PL's SmartLight and their (uns)selective tone sliders -> Export as a DNG into C1 and finish processing there
• In addition, if needed, import as TIFF to Topaz Photo AI for additional sharpening (e.g. due to motion blur or slight out of focus blur).

I.m.o. DxO should improve i) masking and ii) add an sensitivity slider to their selective tone sliders to let the choice to the user to have large overlap or (almost) no overlap between the tonal sliders.

Thanks all posters in this thread who convinced me to purchasing C1 again next to PL!

 

[maltmoose]

I also use capture one and dxo. I usually default to capture one as i find it easier and faster to work with. whilst i do have techniques to process high iso in capture one i'll sometimes decide to process it in dxo as that can work out easier. I actually do rate capture one noise reduction but when it comes to high iso, say over 3200, then dxo can be really impressive. I also prefer to process certain cameras over others in dxo.

I'm not a high masking user but when i need it i want it to be great and capture one makes it easier and better for me so dxo can still improve that.

dxo can certainly improve their non selective tone controls. only way to do that now is to bring out an alternative new tools to keep it backwards compatible.

dxo is a bit of a joke when it comes to non supported lenses.. why it cant just read the lens/camera metadata like other lenses and give some generic sharpening.

Curve tool often works better for tonal control than the selective tone controls and yet the curve tool is also really poor compared to capture one or any other raw convertor really.

dxo currently wants you to believe that its smart lighting fixes all your images but the reality is that it probably can do well on some images but kills others.. i turn it down and tweak manually the tools as needed.

Finally the main area for dxo to improve is workflow. copy and pasting setting in capture one is a breeze and dxo is a pain in the ass. There are other small areas for improvement. speed edit, mouse wheel changes on hover over setting etc.

Sounds like im hating on dxo but im not, im actually rooting for it, i want it to improve, i want it to be the best so i can dump capture one as their ridiculous pricing changes and loyalty are just annoying its users. oh and dxo filmpack is just as bad as capture one pricing, everyone hates it because they put small selective tools in filmpack (luma, fine contrast etc) instead of the main NON complete photolab app, significantly increasing peoples cost for now basic tools others get included in their main raw developer. think on dxo..

 

[IanYorke]

As an former C1 Pro user (last version was 12.3) later in combination with DxO PureRaw and since about half a year to DxO PL6 and later PL7/FP7 only, reading this very useful thread regarding the new AI masking tools in C1 I just purchased C1 version 16.3 again.

I definitely appreciate the excellent DeepPrime NR and optical corrections of DxO, in particular for my 1" sensor Sony RX10iv.

So for the time being my workflow will be

• PL7/FP7 for default processing, and, if needed
• for masking (AI masking, magic brush, etc) OR in case I cannot obtain the desired tonal correction with PL's SmartLight and their (uns)selective tone sliders -> Export as a DNG into C1 and finish processing there
• In addition, if needed, import as TIFF to Topaz Photo AI for additional sharpening (e.g. due to motion blur or slight out of focus blur).

I.m.o. DxO should improve i) masking and ii) add an sensitivity slider to their selective tone sliders to let the choice to the user to have large overlap or (almost) no overlap between the tonal sliders.

Thanks all posters in this thread who convinced me to purchasing C1 again next to PL!

That workflow should be fine. You can run Photo AI from C1 as Topaz provide a plugin.

I agree with your suggested improvements for DXO-Photolab.

Ian

 

[Digital Nigel]

I also use capture one and dxo. I usually default to capture one as i find it easier and faster to work with. whilst i do have techniques to process high iso in capture one i'll sometimes decide to process it in dxo as that can work out easier. I actually do rate capture one noise reduction but when it comes to high iso, say over 3200, then dxo can be really impressive. I also prefer to process certain cameras over others in dxo.

I'm not a high masking user but when i need it i want it to be great and capture one makes it easier and better for me so dxo can still improve that.

dxo can certainly improve their non selective tone controls. only way to do that now is to bring out an alternative new tools to keep it backwards compatible.

That's now fixed in PL7+FP7. You can be as selective as you like now using the new luminance mask. I'm still experimenting to find my preferred settings, but will probably include such custom tonal controls in my default preset. Then I can apply them as needed by adjusting their opacity.

dxo is a bit of a joke when it comes to non supported lenses.. why it cant just read the lens/camera metadata like other lenses and give some generic sharpening.

Curve tool often works better for tonal control than the selective tone controls and yet the curve tool is also really poor compared to capture one or any other raw convertor really.

dxo currently wants you to believe that its smart lighting fixes all your images but the reality is that it probably can do well on some images but kills others.. i turn it down and tweak manually the tools as needed.

Finally the main area for dxo to improve is workflow. copy and pasting setting in capture one is a breeze and dxo is a pain in the ass.

In what way?

There are other small areas for improvement. speed edit, mouse wheel changes on hover over setting etc.

Sounds like im hating on dxo but im not, im actually rooting for it, i want it to improve, i want it to be the best so i can dump capture one as their ridiculous pricing changes and loyalty are just annoying its users. oh and dxo filmpack is just as bad as capture one pricing, everyone hates it because they put small selective tools in filmpack (luma, fine contrast etc) instead of the main NON complete photolab app, significantly increasing peoples cost for now basic tools others get included in their main raw developer. think on dxo..

Yes, it's a disguised price hike.

 

[maltmoose]

I also use capture one and dxo. I usually default to capture one as i find it easier and faster to work with. whilst i do have techniques to process high iso in capture one i'll sometimes decide to process it in dxo as that can work out easier. I actually do rate capture one noise reduction but when it comes to high iso, say over 3200, then dxo can be really impressive. I also prefer to process certain cameras over others in dxo.

I'm not a high masking user but when i need it i want it to be great and capture one makes it easier and better for me so dxo can still improve that.

dxo can certainly improve their non selective tone controls. only way to do that now is to bring out an alternative new tools to keep it backwards compatible.

That's now fixed in PL7+FP7. You can be as selective as you like now using the new luminance mask. I'm still experimenting to find my preferred settings, but will probably include such custom tonal controls in my default preset. Then I can apply them as needed by adjusting their opacity.

I have pl7 now but not fp7. still on the fence for fp7. i'm interested to know how that can work as its something ive not seen yet.

dxo is a bit of a joke when it comes to non supported lenses.. why it cant just read the lens/camera metadata like other lenses and give some generic sharpening.

Curve tool often works better for tonal control than the selective tone controls and yet the curve tool is also really poor compared to capture one or any other raw convertor really.

dxo currently wants you to believe that its smart lighting fixes all your images but the reality is that it probably can do well on some images but kills others.. i turn it down and tweak manually the tools as needed.

Finally the main area for dxo to improve is workflow. copy and pasting setting in capture one is a breeze and dxo is a pain in the ass.

In what way?

In general capture one just has lots of little things that addup to make a nice overall workflow from start to finish. Some things may seem minor on its own but when you add it all up it can make a huge difference. I really like that capture one can import my images from sd card to my desired preset location and folders layout. its also nicer to cull images with. I like that i can change my short cut keys so i can use "-" for red color label, "+" for green color label or click on the colors from the interface. i also set star Rankings to the 1,2,3,4,5 keys. really simple in capture one but menu diving or finger twisting shortcut combos you cant change in dxo. Now onto the editing.

In capture one lets say you have 2 similar images, you process one and want to copy the settings to another. you can just select the image you want to copy settings from click on a copy button on the toolbar, click the 2nd image you want to copy to, then click the paste button on the tool bar and job done. 1 sec to copy and paste. You can also copy any individual settings like exposure, curves or whatever just as easy. Its a serious time saver without having to dip into menu. The other major workflow enhancement is that you can save a preset for any setting. Lets say you made a tone curve or hsl adjustment for a camera or situation. you can save it as a preset and use it direct from the tool palatte on any image. quick and easy. There are more complex ways of working with presets to. In dxo you have to go into a panel and select the ones you want to copy and paste everytime. Its a little frustrating, i never want to automatically copy my white balance and geometry to any other image for instance.

A very simple workflow enhancement for dxo would be changeable shortcuts and allow configuring buttons to be added to the top toolbar next to Red Eye and miniature effect etc... (id remove these for a start) why cant i add copy and past buttons there, why not the highlight warning indicator which i like easier access to. or color labels or undo/redo or select all etc. or a keyword preset dropdown box

how about full heic/hif support, this would kick capture one up the backside to implement it as well. speed up the image browser.

There are other small areas for improvement. speed edit, mouse wheel changes on hover over setting etc.

Sounds like im hating on dxo but im not, im actually rooting for it, i want it to improve, i want it to be the best so i can dump capture one as their ridiculous pricing changes and loyalty are just annoying its users. oh and dxo filmpack is just as bad as capture one pricing, everyone hates it because they put small selective tools in filmpack (luma, fine contrast etc) instead of the main NON complete photolab app, significantly increasing peoples cost for now basic tools others get included in their main raw developer. think on dxo..

Yes, it's a disguised price hike.

 

[CompleteUtterNonsense]

Played around with a few more images last night and went ahead and purchased Capture One.

It does what I want with masking very well and has a lot more to offer should I want to spend the time to learn.

At Black Friday pricing it is priced competitively with other products out there.

 

[IanYorke]

In general capture one just has lots of little things that addup to make a nice overall workflow from start to finish. Some things may seem minor on its own but when you add it all up it can make a huge difference. I really like that capture one can import my images from sd card to my desired preset location and folders layout. its also nicer to cull images with. I like that i can change my short cut keys so i can use "-" for red color label, "+" for green color label or click on the colors from the interface. i also set star Rankings to the 1,2,3,4,5 keys. really simple in capture one but menu diving or finger twisting shortcut combos you cant change in dxo. Now onto the editing.

In capture one lets say you have 2 similar images, you process one and want to copy the settings to another. you can just select the image you want to copy settings from click on a copy button on the toolbar, click the 2nd image you want to copy to, then click the paste button on the tool bar and job done. 1 sec to copy and paste. You can also copy any individual settings like exposure, curves or whatever just as easy. Its a serious time saver without having to dip into menu. The other major workflow enhancement is that you can save a preset for any setting. Lets say you made a tone curve or hsl adjustment for a camera or situation. you can save it as a preset and use it direct from the tool palatte on any image. quick and easy. There are more complex ways of working with presets to. In dxo you have to go into a panel and select the ones you want to copy and paste everytime. Its a little frustrating, i never want to automatically copy my white balance and geometry to any other image for instance.

A very simple workflow enhancement for dxo would be changeable shortcuts and allow configuring buttons to be added to the top toolbar next to Red Eye and miniature effect etc... (id remove these for a start) why cant i add copy and past buttons there, why not the highlight warning indicator which i like easier access to. or color labels or undo/redo or select all etc. or a keyword preset dropdown box

I agree with your comments. A simple keyboard shortcut to turn on/off highlight/shadow warnings would be so simple and such a help.

A filled mask option would also be so easy to implement. Currently you have to push a control line passed the image boundary. Really, it is such a kludge.

You can get a new perpetual licence for C1 for not much more than the upgrade price for Photolab and FilmPack 7. PL6 plus C1 is a tempting proposition as an alternative to upgrading Photolab. That should be a wake up call for DXO.

Ian

 

[Pixel8888]

I also use capture one and dxo. I usually default to capture one as i find it easier and faster to work with. whilst i do have techniques to process high iso in capture one i'll sometimes decide to process it in dxo as that can work out easier. I actually do rate capture one noise reduction but when it comes to high iso, say over 3200, then dxo can be really impressive. I also prefer to process certain cameras over others in dxo.

I'm not a high masking user but when i need it i want it to be great and capture one makes it easier and better for me so dxo can still improve that.

dxo can certainly improve their non selective tone controls. only way to do that now is to bring out an alternative new tools to keep it backwards compatible.

That's now fixed in PL7+FP7. You can be as selective as you like now using the new luminance mask. I'm still experimenting to find my preferred settings, but will probably include such custom tonal controls in my default preset. Then I can apply them as needed by adjusting their opacity.

I have pl7 now but not fp7. still on the fence for fp7. i'm interested to know how that can work as its something ive not seen yet.

dxo is a bit of a joke when it comes to non supported lenses.. why it cant just read the lens/camera metadata like other lenses and give some generic sharpening.

Curve tool often works better for tonal control than the selective tone controls and yet the curve tool is also really poor compared to capture one or any other raw convertor really.

dxo currently wants you to believe that its smart lighting fixes all your images but the reality is that it probably can do well on some images but kills others.. i turn it down and tweak manually the tools as needed.

Finally the main area for dxo to improve is workflow. copy and pasting setting in capture one is a breeze and dxo is a pain in the ass.

In what way?

In general capture one just has lots of little things that addup to make a nice overall workflow from start to finish. Some things may seem minor on its own but when you add it all up it can make a huge difference. I really like that capture one can import my images from sd card to my desired preset location and folders layout. its also nicer to cull images with. I like that i can change my short cut keys so i can use "-" for red color label, "+" for green color label or click on the colors from the interface. i also set star Rankings to the 1,2,3,4,5 keys. really simple in capture one but menu diving or finger twisting shortcut combos you cant change in dxo. Now onto the editing.

In capture one lets say you have 2 similar images, you process one and want to copy the settings to another. you can just select the image you want to copy settings from click on a copy button on the toolbar, click the 2nd image you want to copy to, then click the paste button on the tool bar and job done. 1 sec to copy and paste. You can also copy any individual settings like exposure, curves or whatever just as easy. Its a serious time saver without having to dip into menu. The other major workflow enhancement is that you can save a preset for any setting. Lets say you made a tone curve or hsl adjustment for a camera or situation. you can save it as a preset and use it direct from the tool palatte on any image. quick and easy. There are more complex ways of working with presets to. In dxo you have to go into a panel and select the ones you want to copy and paste everytime. Its a little frustrating, i never want to automatically copy my white balance and geometry to any other image for instance.

A very simple workflow enhancement for dxo would be changeable shortcuts and allow configuring buttons to be added to the top toolbar next to Red Eye and miniature effect etc... (id remove these for a start) why cant i add copy and past buttons there, why not the highlight warning indicator which i like easier access to. or color labels or undo/redo or select all etc. or a keyword preset dropdown box

how about full heic/hif support, this would kick capture one up the backside to implement it as well. speed up the image browser.

There are other small areas for improvement. speed edit, mouse wheel changes on hover over setting etc.

Sounds like im hating on dxo but im not, im actually rooting for it, i want it to improve, i want it to be the best so i can dump capture one as their ridiculous pricing changes and loyalty are just annoying its users. oh and dxo filmpack is just as bad as capture one pricing, everyone hates it because they put small selective tools in filmpack (luma, fine contrast etc) instead of the main NON complete photolab app, significantly increasing peoples cost for now basic tools others get included in their main raw developer. think on dxo..

Yes, it's a disguised price hike.

You could also make a style or even use smart adjustments

Good video from Julia Trotti

Beginning to End Capture One Photography Workflow

Another very useful C1 tool is speed edit, especially on a notebook with limited space.

Loading…

support.captureone.com

 

[Digital Nigel]

I also use capture one and dxo. I usually default to capture one as i find it easier and faster to work with. whilst i do have techniques to process high iso in capture one i'll sometimes decide to process it in dxo as that can work out easier. I actually do rate capture one noise reduction but when it comes to high iso, say over 3200, then dxo can be really impressive. I also prefer to process certain cameras over others in dxo.

I'm not a high masking user but when i need it i want it to be great and capture one makes it easier and better for me so dxo can still improve that.

dxo can certainly improve their non selective tone controls. only way to do that now is to bring out an alternative new tools to keep it backwards compatible.

That's now fixed in PL7+FP7. You can be as selective as you like now using the new luminance mask. I'm still experimenting to find my preferred settings, but will probably include such custom tonal controls in my default preset. Then I can apply them as needed by adjusting their opacity.

I have pl7 now but not fp7. still on the fence for fp7. i'm interested to know how that can work as its something ive not seen yet.

You can adjust tones and many other things in any brightness range you like.

For example, let's start with a simple linear gradient:


Simple linear gradient

Now let's use the Highlights tone control at its maximum setting (-100):


Highlights tone control -100

As you can see, this has reduced not just the highlights but the midrange and to a lesser extent, even the shadows. So let's use a luminance mask to only reduce the actual highlights:


Luminance mask to reduce highlights only

As you can see, this has produced a much more concentrated effect

If I compare them:


As can be seen, the Luminance mask can be used to limit the effect to any part of the range

Note that you could pick any other range(s).

dxo is a bit of a joke when it comes to non supported lenses.. why it cant just read the lens/camera metadata like other lenses and give some generic sharpening.

Curve tool often works better for tonal control than the selective tone controls and yet the curve tool is also really poor compared to capture one or any other raw convertor really.

dxo currently wants you to believe that its smart lighting fixes all your images but the reality is that it probably can do well on some images but kills others.. i turn it down and tweak manually the tools as needed.

Finally the main area for dxo to improve is workflow. copy and pasting setting in capture one is a breeze and dxo is a pain in the ass.

In what way?

In general capture one just has lots of little things that addup to make a nice overall workflow from start to finish. Some things may seem minor on its own but when you add it all up it can make a huge difference. I really like that capture one can import my images from sd card to my desired preset location and folders layout. its also nicer to cull images with. I like that i can change my short cut keys so i can use "-" for red color label, "+" for green color label or click on the colors from the interface. i also set star Rankings to the 1,2,3,4,5 keys. really simple in capture one but menu diving or finger twisting shortcut combos you cant change in dxo. Now onto the editing.

In capture one lets say you have 2 similar images, you process one and want to copy the settings to another. you can just select the image you want to copy settings from click on a copy button on the toolbar, click the 2nd image you want to copy to, then click the paste button on the tool bar and job done. 1 sec to copy and paste. You can also copy any individual settings like exposure, curves or whatever just as easy. Its a serious time saver without having to dip into menu.

It's pretty easy in PL to copy all or selected edit settings from one to other image(s). Just a couple of right clicks.

The other major workflow enhancement is that you can save a preset for any setting. Lets say you made a tone curve or hsl adjustment for a camera or situation. you can save it as a preset and use it direct from the tool palatte on any image. quick and easy. There are more complex ways of working with presets to. In dxo you have to go into a panel and select the ones you want to copy and paste everytime. Its a little frustrating, i never want to automatically copy my white balance and geometry to any other image for instance.

PL also lets you create presets with whichever settings you want, which won't affect any other settings. Just use the preset editor.

A very simple workflow enhancement for dxo would be changeable shortcuts and allow configuring buttons to be added to the top toolbar next to Red Eye and miniature effect etc... (id remove these for a start) why cant i add copy and past buttons there, why not the highlight warning indicator which i like easier access to. or color labels or undo/redo or select all etc. or a keyword preset dropdown box

how about full heic/hif support, this would kick capture one up the backside to implement it as well. speed up the image browser.

 

[Nick60279]

I also use capture one and dxo. I usually default to capture one as i find it easier and faster to work with. whilst i do have techniques to process high iso in capture one i'll sometimes decide to process it in dxo as that can work out easier. I actually do rate capture one noise reduction but when it comes to high iso, say over 3200, then dxo can be really impressive. I also prefer to process certain cameras over others in dxo.

I'm not a high masking user but when i need it i want it to be great and capture one makes it easier and better for me so dxo can still improve that.

dxo can certainly improve their non selective tone controls. only way to do that now is to bring out an alternative new tools to keep it backwards compatible.

That's now fixed in PL7+FP7. You can be as selective as you like now using the new luminance mask. I'm still experimenting to find my preferred settings, but will probably include such custom tonal controls in my default preset. Then I can apply them as needed by adjusting their opacity.

I have pl7 now but not fp7. still on the fence for fp7. i'm interested to know how that can work as its something ive not seen yet.

dxo is a bit of a joke when it comes to non supported lenses.. why it cant just read the lens/camera metadata like other lenses and give some generic sharpening.

Curve tool often works better for tonal control than the selective tone controls and yet the curve tool is also really poor compared to capture one or any other raw convertor really.

dxo currently wants you to believe that its smart lighting fixes all your images but the reality is that it probably can do well on some images but kills others.. i turn it down and tweak manually the tools as needed.

Finally the main area for dxo to improve is workflow. copy and pasting setting in capture one is a breeze and dxo is a pain in the ass.

In what way?

In general capture one just has lots of little things that addup to make a nice overall workflow from start to finish. Some things may seem minor on its own but when you add it all up it can make a huge difference. I really like that capture one can import my images from sd card to my desired preset location and folders layout. its also nicer to cull images with. I like that i can change my short cut keys so i can use "-" for red color label, "+" for green color label or click on the colors from the interface. i also set star Rankings to the 1,2,3,4,5 keys. really simple in capture one but menu diving or finger twisting shortcut combos you cant change in dxo. Now onto the editing.

In capture one lets say you have 2 similar images, you process one and want to copy the settings to another. you can just select the image you want to copy settings from click on a copy button on the toolbar, click the 2nd image you want to copy to, then click the paste button on the tool bar and job done. 1 sec to copy and paste. You can also copy any individual settings like exposure, curves or whatever just as easy. Its a serious time saver without having to dip into menu. The other major workflow enhancement is that you can save a preset for any setting. Lets say you made a tone curve or hsl adjustment for a camera or situation. you can save it as a preset and use it direct from the tool palatte on any image. quick and easy. There are more complex ways of working with presets to. In dxo you have to go into a panel and select the ones you want to copy and paste everytime. Its a little frustrating, i never want to automatically copy my white balance and geometry to any other image for instance.

A very simple workflow enhancement for dxo would be changeable shortcuts and allow configuring buttons to be added to the top toolbar next to Red Eye and miniature effect etc... (id remove these for a start) why cant i add copy and past buttons there, why not the highlight warning indicator which i like easier access to. or color labels or undo/redo or select all etc. or a keyword preset dropdown box

how about full heic/hif support, this would kick capture one up the backside to implement it as well. speed up the image browser.

There are other small areas for improvement. speed edit, mouse wheel changes on hover over setting etc.

Sounds like im hating on dxo but im not, im actually rooting for it, i want it to improve, i want it to be the best so i can dump capture one as their ridiculous pricing changes and loyalty are just annoying its users. oh and dxo filmpack is just as bad as capture one pricing, everyone hates it because they put small selective tools in filmpack (luma, fine contrast etc) instead of the main NON complete photolab app, significantly increasing peoples cost for now basic tools others get included in their main raw developer. think on dxo..

Yes, it's a disguised price hike.

I bought PL7 and C1. PL7 is not so good.