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About Capture One

Designed to accelerate efficiency for studios with high-volume photo production.

Learn more about Capture One

Pros:

It reminded me a lot of lightroom, the image batch issue was also improved in the last versions, I saw some old complaints about it. I even received a discount after free to purchase the software.

Cons:

Catalogs, sessions and a stupid decision not to support other medium format cameras except Phase One and Fuji.

Capture One ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
4.1
Customer Service
4.4
Features
4.5
Value for Money
4.1

Likelihood to recommend

8.0/ 10

Capture One has an overall rating of 4.7 out 5 stars based on 64 user reviews on Capterra.

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Filter reviews (64)

Benjamin
Benjamin
Photographer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Powerful photo editing and tethering with great color.

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Capture One makes it easy to reliably tether my cameras to a computer and have images reviewed by clients in real time.

Pros:

Capture One works very well for tethered shooting on photo sets. It is responsive and works smoothly. I appreciate how Capture One renders colors and skin tones of raw files.

Cons:

I feel like it's a bit expensive, and wish that I could export my raw edits easily to other applications like Adobe Bridge.

Ankur
Ankur
Photographer in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Media Production, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Best for Fujifilm Users

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: If you're invested in Fujifilm System, don't want to spend monthly on an Adobe subscription, and/or want software built for tether shooting, you can't look past Capture One. If you want close based service through which you can edit while you travel on your iPad/Smartphone as a content creator, Adobe and its ecosystem is the smarter choice.

Pros:

As a Fujifilm Camera System user, it is one of the rare software which allows proper compatibility it lacks Adobe Lightroom to use the Fujifilm Film Simulation, one of the significant reasons to invest in Fujifilm system which can't be achieved unless using JPEG. While editing RAW photos, those essential "Fuji" colors were lacking, but switching to Adobe Lightroom was an instant game changer. Colors were more vibrant, they had that Fujifilm look, and instead of presets, we could use Film Simulations and go from there to our heart content while editing.

Cons:

There are too many tabs and they're not quite easy to understand in the development module. Export & Import time is quite long while Fujifilm offers an additional benefit, with Sony it doesn't offer anything special. With Adobe Lightroom being a widely used software, the lack of preset is another major lockdown for Capture One. Unlike Luminar or Adobe, it doesn't use AI for a better and more intuitive look which makes it feel outdated.

Sam
Photographer in UK
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

The standard for studio image capture.

5.0 3 weeks ago New

Comments: Generally positive, I've been a user for many years and on the whole it performs as expected.

Pros:

It's the standard for studio based photography image capture. Really there is nothing equivalent out there.

Cons:

Sometimes it can seem a little bloated and the ongoing subscription model is frustrating.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Tethered Shooting & Editing with Capture One

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: My experience was good, and the software is very high quality, the comparison to using Lightroom vs. Capture One made me cut out Capture One. However, I would stress that this decision was based on what type of work I was doing at the time. If I had a full studio and did ONLY Studio work, I would probably re-investigate purchasing a subscription again. But as I said, the learning curve is steep!

Pros:

Capture One is a very robust piece of software, to say the least. It drew me in primarily for the tethered shooting capabilities and the applied editing upon import. At the time I was using the paid service for this software, Adobe Lightroom did not have much in terms of competition. Capture One was more advanced.

Cons:

While Capture One was more advanced, it has a very steep learning curve. It is well laid out for the most part, but it is a very complicated software to learn. Ultimately for the cost + the time needed to invest in learning how to use it, to justify the expense, I decided to move away from it. Not to say that the software is not good, it was just too expensive to keep using it. I use more Adobe Products and was not willing to pay for both.

Mikko
Photographer in Finland
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Brilliant photo editing, RAW conversion and photo library software

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: It is relatively easy to achieve understanding of the basic features of Capture One, however fully understanding and learning powerful editing tools takes time and practise to master, so there is a learning curve, but it is rewarding to see how much editing can be done already at this non-destructive stage. Because brush and mask tools in Capture One are so comprehensive it has become rare occasion or need to do editing with Photoshop. One can even use/launch some of the plugins (Topaz/On1) straight from the C1, but without exception files are converted to TIFF format and no longer RAW files when returning to Capture One. From the start I liked interphase and features better than Lightroom or CamereRaw and I also preferred how C1 handles Sony and Nikon RAW files as compared to LR.

Pros:

One of the key features that stands out in Capture One is its multiple ways of editing colours. There is even a special feature for fine tuning skin colours, but it can be used for all sorts other colour edits. Two other highly useful tools are ability to do edits in layers and use masks for targeted editing. One can build masks from colour selections into separate editing layers with ease. Program is highly customisable to better suit own needs and editing workflow. One small feature that I really really like is an ability write annotations or small notes into photos/files. These are priceless when there are several weeks in between edits, I mean it is easier to remember where the edit was left and what was planned do for it, if there are some instructions written in photo etc. and those notes/annotations do not show in final exported version of the photo. Ability to duplicate files and copy/paste settings to multiple files are also great feature.

Cons:

Camera specific ICC profiles (i.e Portrait, Landscape etc.) are missing for Sony ARW RAW files in Capture One Pro 20, instead there is only a generic camera profile for a camera say for A7RIII. For Nikon NEF RAW files such camera specific ICC profiles are there and they are many times much easier & convenient starting point for edits. Maybe version 21 of C1 Pro have fixed this and problem might be at the Sony end of things. Another annoying thing is very limited amount supported lenses for lens profiles. Here however latest Sony GM glass is well supported. Software is quite expensive and one has to purchase styles separately (and they are expensive as well) if that is something you might consider as important. There are some basic styles included, but not very many.

Rigger
Rigger
Productor de contenidos in Venezuela
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

capture a new target

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: I used other photo editing software but decided to take a chance and switch to Capture One.
Its simplicity helped me adapt although I miss some functions of the programs I left.

Pros:

The interface is very simple, minimalist. It has more advanced functions than competing software, even integrates functions of several of these software

Cons:

You still need to incorporate some functions of other photography software, and as for the default developer settings, it is still in diapers

Capture One Response

5 years ago

Thank you for your review and your recommendation. Please also be aware that the Capture One Enterprise version has Enterprise features only e.g. Barcode scanner integration, workflow support etc.

Xinyi
Xinyi
Data Scientist in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Hardware, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great alternative for Lightroom

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: I used to use Lightroom, but that subscription service is a little expensive for me because I'm not a professional photographer. Then, I found Capture One. It provides all features I need, and it's free. I love this software.

Pros:

This software provides most features you will need for photo editing. If you are using Sony or Fujifilm camera, you can even download capture one express, which is free!

Cons:

The required catalog file is pretty large and occupies some space. Also, unlike Lightroom, Capture One doesn't have Photoshop, so it might be harder to collaborate with Photoshop.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Internet, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Get better colors for your RAW

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Easy manage my photos.

Pros:

I could get better colors for my RAWs by default. I could restore the shadows from night images. Also, the interface it's more intelligent organized than other software.

Cons:

Managing the library with tags is very basic. I would like to have better copy/paste options like other competing software.

Penisoara
photographer in Romania
Photography, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Is a pretty good photo editing software

5.0 8 months ago

Comments: I used Capture One for quite some time, it is a very successful tool, I like the colors, not very overly vibrant, I like that you can work with editable masks, the editing speed is very good, even with a not very powerful computer. I switched to Lightroom because it offers a better workflow, you can find the tools easily and it is more user-friendly

Pros:

- the processing speed is very good - the color profiles are better than other softwares,( like Lightroom ) - the tethered shoot function is a very good feature for studio photography - the before and after function is very cool

Cons:

- a bitt expensive - some functions are hard to understand how to use them - AI Subject separation is still not well developed

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Retail, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Capture One Pro in eCommerce Photography Studio

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Capturing a high volume of model imagery along with naming product being photographed.

Pros:

Capture One can handle a large volume of images in one session and qucikly loads previews when launching the program. Has a feature to colour tag images to highlight favourite shots or can star imagery to highlight.

Cons:

Imagery cache can build up resulting in program getting slow. Manaul deletion of cache is require to resolve issue.

Andrew
Owner / Field Techician in US
Computer Hardware, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Capture One there is no better software for Image Capture and processing

5.0 last year

Comments: Capture One is a solid piece of software, that gets the job done, when photo professional need to get their projects completed on time.

Pros:

I've been using and training photo professionals on Capture One software since its beginning, and there's no better image capture and processing software in the market today or in the past for that matter.

Cons:

None that I can think of, Capture One continues to keep up with all the latest professional camera files formats and computer OS upgrades.

Bernard
Photographer in UK
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Powerful and always improving

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Makes post production efficient and productive

Pros:

Workflow management using sessions makes the process of editing easy to manage. The editing tools are incredibly powerful and with practice become easy and quick to use.

Cons:

The iPad and iPhone versions of the software are promising but need further development.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Arts & Crafts, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

the king's return

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I have been using Capture one for many years. I worked a lot with the competitor software Adobe lighroom. The latter remains far behind Capture One on almost all points. The main difference in favor of Adobe Lightroom is that it has a cataloguing function. However, thanks to its layers, which remain unmatched in the most recent versions of the competitor's software, Capture One remains the one and only serious and professional solution for the development of digital photography.

Pros:

Capture one remains the best solution for analyzing, developing and working with .raw files, as well as for studio photography in connected mode. The software is powerful, easy to use, once you have its logic and terribly customizable, which allows it to adapt to any user configuration.

Cons:

Perhaps the most disturbing point is the force of habit. Like any new software, we have to get used to the UX/UI couple. Once this small effort is made, the software fully deploys all its quality and efficiency.

erick
its really the best one in Brazil
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

really the best app

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: amazing, really easy to use and with incredible results

Pros:

the way the app see the colours, the way the app its organized its incredible, the multiples options the program gives me to do what i need to, its really fast to work with it and i really love the app because i can reach colours i can't reach with other apps

Cons:

actually, only the price sometimes makes me sad, but its not the worst, because the app has its value

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Health, Wellness & Fitness, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Capture One Software Review

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: I've been using Capture One for quite a few months now, after switching from a similar photo editing software. I love the highly customizable user interface, which made using this software a lot easier for me as a new user. I'm happy I made the switch to Capture One with its many great features.

Pros:

You can add searchable keywords, tags or ratings to images, which makes organising and looking for images very fast and easy. Capture One offers a broad range of tools, manual as well as automatic ones, to adjust color gradients, correct potential lens defects and fix exposure issues. The interface is highly customizable, which is particularly practical for beginners. You also get a choice of either an ongoing subscription to the software or a perpetual license, which many other programs do not offer.

Cons:

Capture One only offers limited support for older, lower-end and less popular cameras. The level of performance regarding image previews and final versions is also lower than that of similar softwares.

Capture One Response

5 years ago

Thank you for your review and your recommendation. Please also be aware that the Capture One Enterprise version has Enterprise features only e.g. Barcode scanner integration, workflow support etc.

Muegbeyogho
Muegbeyogho
Lead Photographer and Retoucher in Nigeria
Verified LinkedIn User
Photography, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

The best Raw processor software ever

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Its worth every dime spent.

Pros:

the color science, The ability to stack layers and build effects, the icc profile etc.

Cons:

It lacks camera calibration sliders like Lightroom does have.

Capture One Response

5 years ago

Thank you for your review and your recommendation. Please also be aware that the Capture One Enterprise version has Enterprise features only e.g. Barcode scanner integration, workflow support etc.

Fernando
Marketing Manager in Panama
Real Estate, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Wow! This is the best RAW editing tool!

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: For many years I've used Lightroom, but Lr has many problems with color management (even for Canon cameras) and too much use of CPU that makes the exports very slow and burns the computer.

Pros:

Color correctionNoise correctionIncredibly fastDark and brightest areas correctionEfficiency Librarys and sesions

Cons:

The price is higher than Photoshop+Lightroom, but, believe me, it is worth it to use Capture One and Photoshop!Is not very intuitive at first use, but Capture One has many tutorials to leave Lr and start using this fantastic tool.Believe me: you won't regret the change.

Patryk
CTO in Poland
Photography, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

(almost)reliable software

4.0 3 years ago

Comments: In my opinion, the program does the job, although I also believe that there should be more options (eg export).

Pros:

As a user, I like the speed and stability of this program. I had no problem with slow loading of thumbnails, even with thousands of files. During the time I have been using this program, it has never stopped working unnoticed.

Cons:

The program does not support hdr stacking and panoramas (yet). There's lack of plug-ins at current time, and only few export options (jpg, tiff, png).

Klemen
Klemen
Consultant in Croatia
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Fast, consistent RAW editor with excellent output

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: At first C1 was my goto RAW editor for Fuji XT4. Later we tried to launch editing outsourcing services. We have choosen C1 because of consistency between different cameras.

Pros:

My camera is Fuji, and C1 is specially good for Fuji camera's. I also like layers. Think of best mix of PhotoShop and LightRoom.

Cons:

Anamorphic pictures can only squeze up to 25%. Why limit that feature in the first place? WebP output would be nice. Specially with Google taking speed as ranking factor.

Tania
Tania
Account Executive in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great photo editing software!

5.0 5 years ago

Pros:

Love this software! As a hobby photographer I am now able to organize and consolidate all my photos in one place. I love that I am also able to easily use it with both my Nikon and Canon cameras.

Cons:

The annual plan is a bit expensive and limits the number of users on each plan so if you’re running a business this might be something to evaluate to see if it’s cost worthy.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Financial Services Software, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Look doing with capture one

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Overall experience is good and nice editing with bright and lively colours looking out of the box images with nice effects.

Pros:

I most like about this is film grain and grain tool and latest update for iPad support.

Cons:

I least like about is pricing is little more than another app .

Hristo
Owner & Photographer in Germany
Photography, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

After you get accustomed ,using it becomes second nature

5.0 5 years ago

Pros:

The setting seem pre-tailored to my lens and helped me drastically improve the quality of my images . The folder organization within the program is neat and you can easily maneuver and drastically reduce the time you spend on non-essential tasks . It is very sensitive to the different needs of different camera types and supports all of them ( at least all of the ones I have tried ) .

Cons:

There was definitely a learning curve to overcome at the beginning . The price can also be discouraging for small businesses. But after a while you find it was well worth it .

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Media Production, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

I love it

5.0 3 years ago

Pros:

The raw processing is excellent, and there’s so much it allows me to do. It’s the core of my image management as well as basic editing.

Cons:

It would be nice to not have to go into Photoshop, but that’s a different tool. Capture One does what it does very well.

Yasiru
Yasiru
Content Creator in Sri Lanka
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Capture one : Making the photo editing great !

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: Overall experience is very good. Capture one has given me a centralized solution for managing and editing my photos very easily with great features.

Pros:

One of the best features I liked about Capture one is their sophisticated user interface. Even though it is sophisticated user interface is very user friendly too. And another one is Tethered capture where it gives users the ability to shoot photos directly to their computers.

Cons:

I wish there is a free tier where there are less features so the beginners who starting their career will be able to use this without worrying about the finance.

Prince Billy Graham
Prince Billy Graham
Software Engineer in Bangladesh
Verified LinkedIn User
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great experience

4.0 5 years ago

Pros:

There are lots of functions and the user interface is very friendly and gives the ability to modify user interface.

Cons:

The plans are a bit expensive. The documentation is not well organized.