Capture One Pro vs Lightroom vs DxO....[Capture One wins!]

shreds said:
I think over the years I have tried and used all combinations, PS/LR/CO/NX2/Aperture/DXO/On1 etc. plus the 'free' ones such as The GIMP and RawThereapee too.

Much of it is down to personal preference at the end of the day, and the differences are small. I have however been using Capture One in its various versions since 2006 and not only has it improved, but is also probably my favourite workflow and its results usually require less steps to achieve the same result. :cool:
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....A workflow which suits you best is an aspect I definitely agree with along with a user-friendly interface. But for me the real deal-maker with CO8 is its RAW converter - That's fundamental and on which any editing workflow is based (assuming you shoot RAW of course!).
 
RedRobin said:
Oops! I have just bought my Capture One Pro 8 licence today .
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You have me convinced too, but as I have never really tried any other similar software, I will be starting from scratch, so thankfully will have little else to confuse me. :D
P.S. thanks "choppie" for the code, every little helps.

I thinks it's time to treat the iMac to a clean install of Yosemite, I have it loaded with "photo" software.
From now on its CO and my recent purchase of photoshop elements, should see me out. :)
 
Zimmer said:
You have me convinced too, but as I have never really tried any other similar software, I will be starting from scratch, so thankfully will have little else to confuse me. :D
P.S. thanks "choppie" for the code, every little helps.
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....I would advise downloading the 30-day Trial version of CO8 first just to make sure that you're not spending money on something way beyond what you need or want.

If you then like it, all you have to do is Quit the App, relaunch and hit the 'Buy' button and it will already have you logged and will instantly give you an Activation code following payment.
 
ok please understand I'm just a beginner in photo editing.I edited a raw photo in Photos then the same one in Aperture.

Viewing on my 27 iMac i really couldn't see any difference so my questions are.

isi it because Im viewing on the mac and not printing large and then comparing or is it my lack of using Apertures more advanced tools?

I was thinking of keeping aperture on my external Yosemite installed ext HD for future updates of OS X that don't run Aperture but if photos is giving me a similar looking file after I've PP it whats the point?

thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully explain
 
RedRobin said:
....I would advise downloading the 30-day Trial version of CO8 first just to make sure that you're not spending money on something way beyond what you need or want.
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I bit the bullet and bought it.
When I spend the dosh, I'm more likely to to use it. After paying the dosh, it also means I have put to bed, what software I am gonna use.
All of the products are probably beyond my needs, but yet I want a "decent" piece of software and if I'm going to invest the time playing with it, I may as well go for glory.
I have my iMac full of crap, trials of this, that and the other, photos all over the place and totally disorganised.
Downloading the latest build of Yosemite now, will do a full clean install of it, then install CO and photoshop elements and live happily ever after. :D
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
ok please understand I'm just a beginner in photo editing.I edited a raw photo in Photos then the same one in Aperture.

Viewing on my 27 iMac i really couldn't see any difference so my questions are.

isi it because Im viewing on the mac and not printing large and then comparing or is it my lack of using Apertures more advanced tools?

I was thinking of keeping aperture on my external Yosemite installed ext HD for future updates of OS X that don't run Aperture but if photos is giving me a similar looking file after I've PP it whats the point?

thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully explain
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I'd guess it's because you're inexperienced at editing or the image you compared simply didn't require much adjustment, speaking as someone who has used neither Aperture nor Photos. For me, very often the differences between adequately and well edited images are often subtle, and to do with careful control of tone, colour, limits, detail and density. Some images need just a tiny tweak, while others need a lot of work to look right. The best tools are the ones that will make a picture look the way you want it to, and it doesn't actually matter what you use as long as it comes out as good as it can.
 
Zimmer said:
I bit the bullet and bought it.
When I spend the dosh, I'm more likely to to use it. After paying the dosh, it also means I have put to bed, what software I am gonna use.
All of the products are probably beyond my needs, but yet I want a "decent" piece of software and if I'm going to invest the time playing with it, I may as well go for glory.
I have my iMac full of crap, trials of this, that and the other, photos all over the place and totally disorganised.
Downloading the latest build of Yosemite now, will do a full clean install of it, then install CO and photoshop elements and live happily ever after. :D
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....Going for Glory is good! :D

The fact is that, much like Photoshop, different people use different parts of a major software app and that there are some parts which you will never use but what you do use still justifies owning the app. How many of us use all of Photoshop's features? - Very very few, I wager.

Also, having the potential which Capture One Pro offers will give you somewhere to grow and improve your photography. But always remember that you can't polish a turd and that we ALL shoot turds occasionally. Even rolling a turd in glitter doesn't look nice! :D [I hasten to add that this is not something I have literally tried!]

Are you aware of the Capture One official user-to-user forum? I am finding it very helpful :

http://forum.phaseone.com/En/viewforum.php?f=55&sid=07865a1aff4857dd9a2972c1d5f4d87b

HTH
Robin
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
ok please understand I'm just a beginner in photo editing.I edited a raw photo in Photos then the same one in Aperture.

Viewing on my 27 iMac i really couldn't see any difference so my questions are.

isi it because Im viewing on the mac and not printing large and then comparing or is it my lack of using Apertures more advanced tools?

I was thinking of keeping aperture on my external Yosemite installed ext HD for future updates of OS X that don't run Aperture but if photos is giving me a similar looking file after I've PP it whats the point?
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....My advice is to definitely keep Aperture installed for the foreseeable future and therefore don't burn your bridges so you can't cross them again.

I use a 27" iMac too running Yosemite and don't do any printing at all except perhaps a few greetings cards to friends with my pics on them.

You won't see any difference in RAW images between Photos and Aperture because they almost certainly use the same onboard Apple RAW Converter.

Bear in mind that if you do decide to install Capture One Pro 8 (30-day Trial or bought licence) any .CR2 RAW file which has had any editing sliders moved within Aperture (and Photos) will have actioned Apple's converter and therefore if you then import that already converted image file into Capture One (CO) it will not be as good as an image which has solely used CO's superior RAW Converter. It's not just me who says that CO's RAW converter is superior to both Apple's and Adobe's (Photoshop and Lightroom).

You can however, Export the Original .CR2 file from within Aperture (and possibly Photos because they share the same Library like iPhoto did?) to your Desktop and then separately import that (unedited) file into CO. Import from within Co.

CO also has a feature which can Import your whole Aperture Library (as Lightroom does) but there is no point doing that at this stage. Your Aperture Library remains intact.

However, it sounds to me that you are not ready yet to move as far as Capture One and that Aperture will be more than adequate. Users are saying that Photos is merely a well upgraded iPhoto with more pandering to iOS users who GENERALLY are not serious photographers whether amateur or professional.

No-one quite understands why Apple have dumped Aperture's development and so they are migrating to Capture One and Lightroom. Phase One's Capture One has been available for many years and even Lightroom users are migrating to it. Lightroom has many many more users but I had no difficulty choosing Capture One.
 
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After LR CC new update and the long awaited GPU speed improvements that do not work with my supposedly compatible graphics card, I've just downloaded the trial of CO.

What do upgrades generally cost? And how often are they released?
Just trying to work out the most cost effective. Buy outright or pay monthly.
 
ecoleman said:
After LR CC new update and the long awaited GPU speed improvements that do not work with my supposedly compatible graphics card, I've just downloaded the trial of CO.

What do upgrades generally cost? And how often are they released?
Just trying to work out the most cost effective. Buy outright or pay monthly.
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....That's is the same question I started in the Capture One forum in the Mac section, but it applies to both platforms :

http://forum.phaseone.com/En/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=18742&sid=0d21f278aae8247c382eace1df2df841

Historically, Phase One upgrade versions about every 2 years but of course that's not fixed. Version upgrades apparently cost about £60(?) and as with other software, .dot updates are free.

I can already tell you that Phase One tech support is very prompt indeed.

You can register on that official user-to-user forum without having bought a Capture One licence first, so it's a useful place to ask questions before purchasing.

Concensus of opinion is that it's 'better' to buy outright, which is what I did yesterday after about 6 days of using the 30-day trial.
 
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Just my 10p, but despite the improvements in image quality in C1, the interface is so awful compared to LR's that I had to remain on LR for the batch work that I often end up doing. As everything ends up in Photoshop for retouching anyway there are probably tools in LR I don't go near that might sway the more LR centric users, but for me LR's keywording controls kick C1's into the dust. Whilst they are critical for me and my workflow, you might not care for them :)
 
Denyerec said:
Just my 10p, but despite the improvements in image quality in C1, the interface is so awful compared to LR's that I had to remain on LR for the batch work that I often end up doing. As everything ends up in Photoshop for retouching anyway there are probably tools in LR I don't go near that might sway the more LR centric users, but for me LR's keywording controls kick C1's into the dust. Whilst they are critical for me and my workflow, you might not care for them :)
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....Totally valid of course and proof that each of us uses software in our own different ways. I never ever use keywords for example because of how my 'album' folders are organised.

I have found that the C1 interface takes a bit of getting used to but then it all falls into familiar place.
 
Aye, alas I find myself shooting 20-30 people in a single sitting and need to capture the name data when tethered to help organise the shots after the fact. If it weren't for that I'd probably already be on C1 for good, despite the interface (Which IMO is not only oddly laid out but also glitchy - at least on Windows) - the difference in clarity and tonality whilst subtle makes it for me. Their tethering is more reliable too, it's just their metadata application is stone-age and GNNNAAH, can't you tell I'm frustrated? :)
 
RedRobin said:
I never ever use keywords for example because of how my 'album' folders are organised.
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I really can't imagine trying to get by without keywording. No matter how good your folder organisation it's still a pain sometimes. If I wanted to find a photo of aunt Agnes taken at a zoo (can't remember which) outside the hyena enclosure, with cousin It, taken in June, July or August in 2009 or 2010 then, assuming the right keywording, it would be easy to find.
 
hollis_f said:
I really can't imagine trying to get by without keywording. No matter how good your folder organisation it's still a pain sometimes. If I wanted to find a photo of aunt Agnes taken at a zoo (can't remember which) outside the hyena enclosure, with cousin It, taken in June, July or August in 2009 or 2010 then, assuming the right keywording, it would be easy to find.
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....No problem whatsoever as I only photograph particular wildlife subjects and not any Aunt Agnes or Aunt Betty etc. If I was after my picture of a Hyena I would look in 'Animals 2014' folder. A folder structure appropriately titled has worked fine for me for several years.

As I said earlier, each of us uses software (and hardware) in our own different ways which suit us best (Reply #94) - There's no right way or wrong way.
 
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