Capture One vs Lightroom using Nikon Z

[nosiesta]

I posted this in the retouching forum, but maybe it actually belongs more appropriately here.

To Nikon users mainly. Especially those in the landscape world.

Capture One vs Lightroom Classic. Personally, having down some testing over the last couple of days, I'm finding that I'm getting a 'little' more detail in C1's RAW processing, over LRC, but not a 'huge' amount. It is there though. Are you finding similar?

Are you finding other C1 features worthwhile? C1 seems to chew through importing NEF quicker too...

I quite like C1's interface and I really like their approach to masks being layers and that you can just reduce the opacity of that layer for a sort of global increase/decrease on whatever changes you made with that mask.

The AI selection seems a little less great than LRC, but not a lot in it.

LR's approach to how it operates as a DAW seems nicer to use than C1, but that could just be that C1 needs more getting used to.

Levels in C1 is a lot more intuitive than sliding the histogram in LR.

Applying saturation seems a lot more subtle in C1 than LR

Worth a switch at 50% off?! Or are you sticking?!

 

[jlafferty]

C1s advantages are mainly: tethering, it’s not tied to a central database and therefor more nimble and portable (Sessions), IMO generally better UI and color handling, probably faster processing out to JPEG/TIFF.

LRs advantages are that it’s an OK DAM, C1 has always been spotty in this regard and remains so - but it also means you’re stuck managing a central database which can deteriorate over time; also, tighter Photoshop integrations, especially if you’re doing round trips. Lastly, some compelling plugins, like film scan conversions.

It’s up to you what matters for your workflow. Personally… tethering is key for me. C1 is really the only, and best at this.

Anecdotally, as an aside… C1 is the most broadly used tethering tool and raw converter in the major photo industry markets, so it also means that - secondarily - if you’re in a major market, you can get regular employment operating C1 on photo productions - LR is more a “one man band” tool. C1 I think works equally well as a one man band tool, whereas skills in LR won’t translate to work in the industry.

--
http://jimlafferty.com
Evocative beats academic.

 

[ghostfox_1]

So c1 was better from that perspective anyway.

It also has better color management tools, or did when I switched at least

 

[Joacim Schwartz]

I have yet to try it, but as I sometimes work as an assistant for others, I am looking forward to working with the Re-tethered function:

Loading…

support.captureone.com

 

[kbrkr]

The deciding factor is really which one has the best Black Friday deal!!!

I like the Lightroom interface / workflow and the cataloging features better than C1.

 

[jlafferty]

The deciding factor is really which one has the best Black Friday deal!!!

Call me weird, but for me the deciding factor is which one makes making good work easier and more gratifying

 

[nosiesta]

The deciding factor is really which one has the best Black Friday deal!!!

Call me weird, but for me the deciding factor is which one makes making good work easier and more gratifying

haha, not at all and I agree. especially when the different in the technical elements are hard to spot without a pixel peek! C1 I find more fun to work with, but I already have an Adobe subscription, which I'd keep, so even with 50% off it adds cost.

was curious on other's experiences with C1 v LR and Nikon though I guess

 

[areallygrumpyoldsod]

I posted this in the retouching forum, but maybe it actually belongs more appropriately here.

To Nikon users mainly. Especially those in the landscape world.

Capture One vs Lightroom Classic. Personally, having down some testing over the last couple of days, I'm finding that I'm getting a 'little' more detail in C1's RAW processing, over LRC, but not a 'huge' amount. It is there though. Are you finding similar?

Are you finding other C1 features worthwhile? C1 seems to chew through importing NEF quicker too...

I quite like C1's interface and I really like their approach to masks being layers and that you can just reduce the opacity of that layer for a sort of global increase/decrease on whatever changes you made with that mask.

The AI selection seems a little less great than LRC, but not a lot in it.

LR's approach to how it operates as a DAW seems nicer to use than C1, but that could just be that C1 needs more getting used to.

Levels in C1 is a lot more intuitive than sliding the histogram in LR.

Applying saturation seems a lot more subtle in C1 than LR

Worth a switch at 50% off?! Or are you sticking?!

There are other options AND I use DxO pureRAW 3 to process the RAW files and then edit them in LRC like they are RAW (but they are Linear DNG).

Since day 1 with the Z9 and now the Z8 I have found Adobe Camera Raw's RAW conversion of lossless RAW files to be lacking compared to the results I am able to obtain with Capture One and DxO pureRaw 3.

I find the LRC interface, masking tools and my ability to edit fast with a near seamless hand off to PS a huge advantage over Capture One and DxO Photo Lab 7. With DxO pureRAW 3 simply processing the RAW files and delivering a linear DNG this process is very quick and easy -- well on my Mac Studio Ultra.

My workflow is consistent for Nikon Z files and Hasselblad 3FR files. Step 1) Import from Camera into LRC applying my standard data, renaming and import preset (I only use camera standard or flat never Adobe Standard or similar). Step 2) review and select the few images I wish to use nd grade these based on my priority - select the highest priority images and use File-Plug-In Extras and select DxO Pure Raw 3. Then in Pure RAW 3 - I use DeepPRIME XD and apply optical corrections when DxO has delivered a DxO Optical module for the camera/lens combination I used - if this does not yet exist I disable this. Returning the file as a DNG into a subfolder DxO and exporting to Adobe Lightroom Classic, which automatically adds the DNG file into the open catalogue/library. If the optics module does not exist I use LRC to apply lens corrections to the DNG file.

This takes say 20 seconds per image. The DNG file is 108.1-175.7MB - 2-3 times the size of the RAW file -- but I consider this worth it to be able to use the DNG like a RAW file in LRC after it has been exported by PR3.

Positives for Capture One -- [I chose not to renew my subscription this year] -- skin tone and raw processing engine, curve and levels appear much more detailed than LRC. AND of course far far more stable tethering than LRC.

Negatives for Capture One -- prehistoric masking tools compared to LRC's AI based tools. HUGE waste of time masking in Capture One. Highly unlikely to never work with Hasselblad RAW files. The Capture One "files" -- a very fast way to fill your hard drive with crud. that I simply do not want -- I much prefer to bundle my RAw and processed files with their sidecar files in a project directory and export port this from LRC when I am done.

Positives for DxO - Works with all main brand cameras including Hasselblad X2D and optics modules for most lenses exist -- but still not my Z-mount super teles. DxO US appears unable to source the the z400/2.8TC or Z600/4.0TC -- but almost every other lenses is already done - not the Plena yet.

Negative for DxO - Not free. Some folk find the DeepPRIME XD processing too strong. Obviously I don't.

 

[jhwalker]

I'm at virtually the same point with LRC + DxO PureRaw. The demosaicing, lens corrections, sharpening, etc., are excellent with DxO, but to tweak colors, tone curves, etc., requires LRC.

The only difference is I basically do ALL my edits in LRC, then output to DxO PureRaw, which creates the DNG files that automatically "inherit" the changes I've already made to the NEFs. I then use the DNG files to generate "final" JPG output and, eventually, delete the DNG files for disk space reasons, knowing I can recreate them at any time if there are improvements to DxO or if I want to radically change the look / feel of the NEFs and therefore need updated JPGs, as well.

 

[mgreene33]

I like the Lightroom interface / workflow and the cataloging features better than C1.

Same here. Seamless integration, when needed, with Photoshop too.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

I posted this in the retouching forum, but maybe it actually belongs more appropriately here.

To Nikon users mainly. Especially those in the landscape world.

Capture One vs Lightroom Classic. Personally, having down some testing over the last couple of days, I'm finding that I'm getting a 'little' more detail in C1's RAW processing, over LRC, but not a 'huge' amount. It is there though. Are you finding similar?

Are you finding other C1 features worthwhile? C1 seems to chew through importing NEF quicker too...

I quite like C1's interface and I really like their approach to masks being layers and that you can just reduce the opacity of that layer for a sort of global increase/decrease on whatever changes you made with that mask.

The AI selection seems a little less great than LRC, but not a lot in it.

LR's approach to how it operates as a DAW seems nicer to use than C1, but that could just be that C1 needs more getting used to.

Levels in C1 is a lot more intuitive than sliding the histogram in LR.

Applying saturation seems a lot more subtle in C1 than LR

Worth a switch at 50% off?! Or are you sticking?!

Since both have basically gone subscription (or at least in the case of C1, made it so you almost have to have a subscription if you're more than just a casual shooter), I would say Adobe is probably the better deal from a cost standpoint, plus features (the masking, third party plug-in/software support, among other things). C1 is more expensive PLUS you have to find a pixel based editor to supplement it (if you wish) which will add to the cost. I used to use C1 and Adobe, but cancelled my C1 subscription after a year because, well, I mainly had it for my Fuji cameras, but since I sold them, I no longer really needed them. I could do most things I needed to with my Z files in Adobe without too much fuss.

I guess the big thing that I'm not a fan of with C1 is the dangling carrot I guess as I'll put it. They make it so that if you're an avid shooter and like newer features, you have to subscribe (fine, ADobe is the same way but ADobe has a pixel-based editor included and it's been $10 since forever despite all the new features). With C1, it's like you have to pay a bit more, and if you don't you won't get any feature updates. Only security and stability/bug fixes. I mean C1 has some features that ADobe doesn't, but I think that gap is closing quickly especailly now that Adobe has added features like point-color, Curves for local adjustments, and the smart AI masking and denoising.

Of course you can do both plans like I did for a year, but then you're talking about $25 or $30 per month for software. I agree that Adobe isn't the greatest product out there, it is affordable and cheap (for what you get), it works, and it's being actively supported and improved and I would say is ahead of most of the competition in most regards. About the only place it seems to realy fall short currently is the UI is outdated but that's a small thing as it still lets me get my stuff done and relatively easily.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one, but if you've used aDobe in the past, you may have a bit of a learning curve switching to C1. Some of the sliders work differently, and while C1 has some extra sliders in their "Basic" panel, I still think ADobe is a better route for the money.

And contrary to belief, no matter which way you go, you never "own" the software. It's all licensed. The only difference is how you pay for it. And with adobe, after about 5 years, you will have paid about the same as the perpetual license of C1, but have the latest version. If you were to keep up with the latest featuers for C1 on a perpetual license (or even just a subscription) then you're actually paying more over a 4-5 year period.

--
NOTE: If I don't reply to a direct comment in the forums, it's likely I unsubscribed from the thread/article..

 

[Models By Day]

I've started to use C1 and really like it, especially now that I have my New 14-30 Z f/4 S

The Colors in RAW files seem to be way better in C1

I like how the Keystone is setup in C1 it makes for easy transformation.

Also you can get an extra 5mp of photo picture in some cases (at the wide end of zooms). However not really sure how useful that is or what the quality on the edges will be.

Picture database management in LR is Way better IMO. However still getting use to C1.

But then I have been using LR since like version 1.x and only a few weeks of C1.

 

[Ellis Vener]

So c1 was better from that perspective anyway.

It also has better color management tools, or did when I switched at least

Back in Decemebr 2022 Capture Oneannounced a major change to their perpetual license sales: https://www.dpreview.com/news/31643...ude-new-features-functionality-after-purchase and https://support.captureone.com/hc/e...oming-changes-to-our-perpetual-license?page=2

Going forward, if you want updates or newer versions, the only choice will be subscription licensing as well.

 

[ghostfox_1]

So c1 was better from that perspective anyway.

It also has better color management tools, or did when I switched at least

Back in Decemebr 2022 Capture Oneannounced a major change to their perpetual license sales: https://www.dpreview.com/news/31643...ude-new-features-functionality-after-purchase and https://support.captureone.com/hc/e...oming-changes-to-our-perpetual-license?page=2

Going forward, if you want updates or newer versions, the only choice will be subscription licensing as well.

Or just buy the new version at a discount whenever one comes up you feel you need to get.

You can still buy it, you just don't get updates past major version releases.

 

[Ellis Vener]

I posted this in the retouching forum, but maybe it actually belongs more appropriately here.

To Nikon users mainly. Especially those in the landscape world.

Capture One vs Lightroom Classic. Personally, having down some testing over the last couple of days, I'm finding that I'm getting a 'little' more detail in C1's RAW processing, over LRC, but not a 'huge' amount. It is there though. Are you finding similar?

Over the default Lightroom settings, yes, there's slightly more detail by default in C1, but you can get the same results by learning how to use the Clarity, Dehaze, and Detail settings in Lightroom.

Are you finding other C1 features worthwhile? C1 seems to chew through importing NEF quicker too...

This is because C1 uses the in-camera JPEG settings for the initial rendering while Lightroom generates it's own.

One issue about Lightroom is if you use Nikon's Active D-Lighting feature. Because Nikon sticks that in an undocumented data fork, you'll see it as you first import the photo into LR but that effect will be negated when Lightroom builds its preview.

I quite like C1's interface and I really like their approach to masks being layers and that you can just reduce the opacity of that layer for a sort of global increase/decrease on whatever changes you made with that mask.

You have that in the current version of Lightroom Classic.

The AI selection seems a little less great than LRC, but not a lot in it.

LR's approach to how it operates as a DAW seems nicer to use than C1, but that could just be that C1 needs more getting used to.

Levels in C1 is a lot more intuitive than sliding the histogram in LR.

Applying saturation seems a lot more subtle in C1 than LR

Worth a switch at 50% off?! Or are you sticking?!

I switched back to Lightroom for my day-to-day work last year. While I still use Capture One as needed - when shooting tethered - the usefulness of Lightroom's database and the improvements in the Develop module make Lightroom more useful for me.

 

[Tailslol]

I prefer C1 over LR any day. It's much faster on my M1 Max, more responsive UI, faster previews, and now it has panorama and HDR.

The only downside is the price. And now it needs AI noise reduction like basically all other tools out there.

 

[Last Mango]

I shoot with Nikon and Fuji. I was Lightroom only until Adobe converted to subscription only, which really turned me off. I switched to C1, which I love, except for the lack of integration with Flickr and other inline apps (I am not a professional, hobbyist that shares photo online and prints occasionally).



Roll forward, and finally broke down, now subscribing to Adobe mainly for Photoshop…C1 is better for Fuji X, but no difference with my GfX files and both handle Nikon Z7 files fine…to me, it is mainly about the user interface and / or specific features, i.e., C1 better for tethering, Adobe has better file management, etc, either are very capable if you know how to use them properly, C1 is definitely more expensive, but the subscription only feature still bothers me.

For C1, you can do most things without a pixel editor, but there are times when it is needed, hence the rub for me and no other pixel editors were appealing to me outside photoshop.

somewhat of a ramble here, but maybe this helps.

Rod

 

[Models By Day]

I shoot with Nikon and Fuji. I was Lightroom only until Adobe converted to subscription only, which really turned me off. I switched to C1, which I love, except for the lack of integration with Flickr and other inline apps (I am not a professional, hobbyist that shares photo online and prints occasionally).

There is a Free Express version for Fuji, missing features but can edit photos

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support.captureone.com

I've used the Express version of C1 But it does not have the Keystone feature or Tether

 

[Andrea Georgia]

I use both Capture One and Lightroom, which in my case means that I nearly always use Capture One except for the few times when I want to add some LR specific filters or framing.

While LR has improved the quality of its output over the years, C1 is still much superior. To me C1 has a much more finetuned and intuitive interface that offers more precise controls, better colours that give images more depth in colour, better default sharpness and definition without additional denoising as well as much more detail in the shadows without turning them into a brown and grainy mush as LR tends to do. I find that LR images look flat compared to C1 images, and I have done plenty of comparisons, also this year. So for me C1 it is, and LR only for few occasions.

That being said, I was pretty mad at C1 especially last year and this for going expensive subscription and even more expensive stand-alone without much discount for renewals anymore as in the past. I wrote them several times to complain that I get so many more features in my Adobe photo bundle for half the price and that they better cut their prices in half or I'll be gone - just to return to C1 immediately when I compared the output.

Now, with the current Capture One 50% discount they must have listened to me and countless others complaining about the price, lol, so for this moment the price is right again. Go for it, subscription or stand-alone as my version. It's absolutely worth it!

 

[akul60]

And contrary to belief, no matter which way you go, you never "own" the software. It's all licensed. The only difference is how you pay for it. And with adobe, after about 5 years, you will have paid about the same as the perpetual license of C1, but have the latest version. If you were to keep up with the latest featuers for C1 on a perpetual license (or even just a subscription) then you're actually paying more over a 4-5 year period.

Biggest difference is, as soon as you cancel subscription, you can no longer work on the files. With perpetual license, you can keep using the software until you computer breaks down, and you can’t replace with another that could run the OS it was on.



In my opinion, Adobe is evil, and lazy, and I will not spend my money on their products.

Luka