Capture One vs Lightroom

[Mike Farley]

A while back, I came across an article by Martin Evening where he compared the different approaches taken by Capture One which is produced by Phase One and Adobe's Lightroom when processing Raw files. Essentially, Adobe gives a neutral rendering and allows the photographer to decide how the final image will look whereas Capture One has built in enhancements to make the shot look "better" from the outset. That has lead some uninformed reviewers to state a preference for Capture One simply because images opened in Lightroom initially appear flatter. It is, of course, the final result which matters.

I wrote a forum post about it which you will find here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2615&p=12220&hilit=evening+lightroom#p12220

Now Ted Forbes has recently released a video which looks at the same topic from a different perspective. Whereas Martin Evening is better known for his association with Adobe, Forbes spoke to a representative of Phase One to to get a perspective on how Capture One processes images. The intent is indeed to enhance the image so that it appears natural to the human eye.

That is where it gets interesting. Martin Evening says that in Lightroom (or Photoshop CC which uses the same processing), it is possible to make images look similar to those rendered by Capture One. According to Forbes, the changes which Capture One applies automatically cannot be undone. That is fine if, as Martin Evening says, you like the way Capture One images look and are willing to give up some flexibility in exchange.

With the introduction of the subscription only Lightroom Classic CC, Adobe has introduced a new processing engine which the Phase One rep acknowledged is an improvement on its predecessors. Amongst other considerations, that it makes it possible to revisit older images and process them with the latest software to obtain a better result than previously. That is not new nor limited to Adobe and that opportunity has always existed as companies update their products. However, those who dislike Adobe's subscription model and sticking with older versions of Lightroom are limiting their options.

The final point that Forbes makes is that Capture One is not as comprehensive as Lightroom. It has fewer functions; image merge and geotagging are missing for example. Also, Phase One does not support medium format cameras produced by rival manufacturers. I was under the impression that Phase One had reversed that decision, but apparently not. Given that few hobbyists will ever purchase medium format cameras, for most that is unimportant.

Image Resource has a short article and a link to the video - http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/20 ... ts-the-eye.

[Sarahrs]

Have to say my current pet hate, is Adobe lightroom undoing all my good work. I make an effort to create mood, feeling and colour I want in camera. But the first thing that Adobe does when I open the RAW file is take away all my hard work, and then suddenly I have to try hard and recreate what I already put there in the first place. GRRRR

[Mike Farley]

Have to say my current pet hate, is Adobe lightroom undoing all my good work. I make an effort to create mood, feeling and colour I want in camera. But the first thing that Adobe does when I open the RAW file is take away all my hard work, and then suddenly I have to try hard and recreate what I already put there in the first place. GRRRR

That is Adobe's intention. Not to upset you, I mean, but present you with an image which you can manipulate as you wish.

One of Lightroom's strengths is that it has presets. Once you have manipulated an image the way you want it, simply save the settings. (I usually name them with the title of the shot I was processing. Which is great until I forget which shot is which. ) The chances are that while you might not use the same settings for every photo, there is a limited range of adjustments which you make. All you have to do is cycle through the presets and see which you prefer. The best one might not be exactly what you want, but it will be a good starting point to make further tweaks. If you find that you regularly use one preset in preference to the others, you can configure Lightroom to apply it automatically during import.

I have to say, I find that preferable to Capture One's "we know best" approach.