Capture One Quick Guide

In response to many forum replies about which RAW convertor to use, how to get the best out of Capture One etc, I decided to distill a few main points down here (please keep the thread replies strictly to Capture One issues, and the rest can go on another thread! )

This is my personal quick guide to getting the best out of Capture One LE:

Browsing

• Just drag a directory onto the left hand pane of Capture One. It will create image previews of all RAW files in that directory.
  
  If you "Delete the Collection" (with the bin icon) you do not delete the images! You just remove the folder from Capture One.
  
  Capture One does not automatically store the exposure settings in the directory. You can do this by selecting one, many, or all of the RAW files and using the option to Archive Settings - I create a subdirectory "C1LE" under each of my RAW file directories to hold the C1 settings. When you delete the collection, it is those archived settings that are used to restore all the tweaks you made to the image (or indeed you can burn them on CD so that someone else can pick up your RAW file and settings and work directly on the file).
  

Developing

• 1. Select the image to develop
  
  2. Press Ctrl-R to rotate clockwise, or Ctrl-Alt-R to rotate anticlockwise.
  
  3. Click the White Balance tab
  
  • a. There's a little pull down menu between the magic wand and the red X. You can preselect a white balance from there.
    b. Alternatively, you can use the selection from the top (says "Custom..."). You can save white balance presets for use later
    c. Have a quick go at tweaking the Tint to get it warmer/cooler.
  
  
  4. Having done that, move onto the Exposure tab
  
  • a. Choose the film type (default is Film Standard).
    [list:98191a5ac4]i. For a shot with huge contrast (like bright sun and shadows), I find that "Film Extra Shadow" is helpful. It's also produces really lovely skin for portraits. It effectively flattens the image a bit, but don't worry.
    
    ii. For some real zing, use the "Film High Contrast" - you can get the Fuji Velvia feel with this one.
  
  
  b. Now adjust the exposure.
  
  • i. Try the magic wand to see how close it gets (it's pretty excellent actually)
    ii. Now adjust the EC to adjust exposure compensation so that nothing's blown out.
    iii. Tweak the CC (Contrast) and CS (Saturation) as desired.
    iv. Now refine using the Levels and/or curves. Be very gentle on the curves. (But note: you can save curves for later use!)
    v. When using the curves - mousing over the image and pressing Ctrl-mouseclick will put a control point on the curve. That's neat for getting handles in the right tonal points of the image
    vi. If you want to get serious, untick "Preserve Color Balance" and you have levels for each channel
    

5. Now move onto the Focus tab

• 
  a. Experiment with this, but I find that Soft Look, 100% is generally excellent for my DSLR (Pentax *ist-D). UPDATE: now I prefer to disable sharpening and do a better job in Photoshop
  

6. Now move onto the Process tab

• 
  a. Personally, I find the JPEG High Quality more than adequate for most images
  b. Set the color management
  
  • 
    i. Convert to Destination is the default
    ii. You can embed the camera profile (useful for the "Linear Response" film type. But that's getting geeky)
    iii. Convert to Generic Greyscale will embed an ICC profile for grey.
    iv. The color management settings are found in "Workflow / Show Color Management Settings"
    [list:98191a5ac4]* From there you can choose your camera model,
    * Pick the camera profile (for the 10D you have choices for the white balance too, but Generic will get you started)
    * Select the output destination. Depending on what you want to do with the image, select AdobeRGB if you are going to print it, publish it, or do any editing in PS. The other choice I have used is ProPhoto RGB (very wide gamut - best used with 16-bit TIFF output). If you are using Photoshop (not Elements), then use one of those, but remember to use "Image / Mode / Convert to Profile / sRGB" before resizing and exporting for the web in PS (otherwise the images will look very flat and dull on the web).
  
  c. You can name the file under "Image title"
  d. Now click the red + icon to queue up the file
  e. You can carry on editing while images are being converted - but remember to untick "Automatically open processed images" if you are doing that.
  

[/list:u:98191a5ac4][/list:u:98191a5ac4]
The stored images are saved in the "Images" subdirectory under the C1LE installation directory. Just move them out of there when you are done. (C1 Pro has options for where you want the files put).

Other noteworthy options are contained in File / Preferences:

• * Process settings
  
  • 
    o You can put your name and copyright to be embedded in the output
    o Choose noice suppression and banding suppression (see if you can get away with Low on both. For the *ist-D I use banding on zero, and noise suppression on the first setting. When I use ISO1600 & ISO3200 I up the noise suppression.)
    
  
  * Miscellaneous settings
  
  • 
    o You can set your default sharpening method here and default colour saturation
    
  
  * The image preview cache can get pretty full up, so under "Preview Cache" you can choose when it's flushed.
  

Hope that helps!!!
Matt

Matt,
Hi, great starter for ten but I cannot get off the starting blocks ! I use both Photoshop CS and CaptureOne Pro v3.6 and started shooting RAW on my *ist DS last weekend. Neither application recognises .PEF files. The only workaround I have found is to use the supplied Pentax Laboratory software and save the file in a .TIF format, ...not very satisfactory.
Is there a plugin for either or both that somebody could point me to please ?

Thanks, Colin

Hi,
I've answered my own question in part. Adobe's solution is at:

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/thankyou.jsp?ftpID=3067&fileID=2832

It lists ist D & DS (not that I know of any difference in their .PEF files)

How about Capture One ? I prefer the ease of workflow with this App.

Regards, Colin

Bother said Zebeddee !

I've just read the ReadMe and the above fix is only compatible with CS2.

Perhaps you need to update your Capture One software. I'm using the LE trial version 3.7.1 and it has support for both D and DS (but not DL).

There is definitely a difference between D and DS RAW files, but there may be none between DS and DL.

G

Hi George,
I just finished RTFM with my C1 Pro V3.6 and it definitely says in Ch 13.5 that it supports ist D.

The DS doesn't get a mention but this may be due to the delta in software and camera release dates (nor does DL get mentioned but that is expected give its relatively recent release).

Do you know what the differences in the D & DS .PEF files are ?

Regards, Colin

Colin,

3.6 supported the *ist-D
3.7.1 supports the *ist-D and the *ist-DS

The *ist-D and *ist-DS PEF files are different, even if only in the model name that's embedded (I don't know for sure!). AFAIK the RAW convertors will check the model name buried in the RAW file, so even if the file format is identical they'll refuse to read it if they don't recognise the model (just in case the format is different. Take Nikon and Canon for example, they have unified RAW extension names, but often very different formats between models.)

You need to upgrade - just download the latest version from PhaseOne.

Matt

Thanks Matt,
I uploaded P1 C1P V3.7 last night; it installed OK on my laptop. I'm unable to try it yet because I'm working away this week (no PEF's to edit).

I RTFM last night and it only lists the *ist D under Pentax. I'm guessing the DS is simply an omission from the list.

Do you know what the DS compatibility is with Adobe's CS ?

Regards, Colin

Colin,
Phase One lists it here:
http://www.phaseone.com/Content/Software/LESoftware/Capture%20One%20LE%20Features%20and%20Functions.aspx

I am not sure about Adobe CS. Probably only in CS2
(Not that I use ACR anyway. Much prefer C1.)

Matt

Colin,

Photoshop CS works fine with Ds PEF files as long as you have the latest RAW plug in which is version 2.4. This plug in is available for free download from the Adobe web site. I assume that CS2 may also need to be updated to version 2.4 also.

I have tried C1 LE and Pro but I am not prepared to buy either when I have Photoshop. I cannot find any quality differences in the results between them and as Photoshop is an essential, must have tool I will stick with it for RAW as well. Once you have got to grips with it, it can work very fast with multiple shots but I tend to do one at a time.

Regards,
Dave.

Dave,
Thanks for this. I read last night on Adobe's site that Camera RAW V2.4 list of supported makes was *ist D only.
I will download and try.
Regards, Colin

Some additional points on C1LE:

It's amazing how you just stumble across new things... maybe it's I don't always read the manual (These are in 3.7.3rc1, and could well be in previous versions!)

* Click the menu "View" and "Tool Settings". Now choose the tab "Warning Color". Tick the "Shadow" checkbox, and set the value to 1. Now you get both highlight and shadow warnings! (I thought this was only in Pro)

* Comparing two captures side-by-side is useful for choosing the best shots.

* Right clicking on the image brings up a magnifying glass that also shows the RGB values. (Only if you are viewing at less than 100% anyway)

* Selecting a set of images in the left pane, then right clicking the mouse and selecting "Quick Proof" allows the generation of smaller JPG or TIFFs with an optional html index. This is, by default, put in a subdirectory called "QuickProof".

* Ctrl-0 (zero) will fit to the window (much like PS's command)

Other things worth checking out are "Move To folders".
There may well be other things that Capture One decide to include in LE... I'll add them to here when I find them

Matt

when will C1 support DNG?
I would like to save 50% diskspace by converting the PEF files to DNG.

Sidenote: the Adobe DNG converter does not have an option to keep the original filedate. And with the naming schemes you can select a ddmmyy field but it uses the current date and not the date from the original file or EXIF info.

Very quickly, as I've got to go and pick wifey up from station (railway, not police ) - just had a quick go with C1 LE Trial, and WOAHH! How much better than Pentax Lab????!!!

Will post a couple of comparison shots in near future to demonstrate. I've had a five minute go and am convinced - 1000% better!

Will now read up about how to use it

Dan

Still just playing with C1 LE Trial at the moment, but thought I'd post one example, camparing Pentax Lab to C1. I've been blown away by the improvement - why can't Pentax do as well as C1?

Anyway, for anyone using RAW files, and Pentax Lab, here's a comparison:



Pentax Lab, Sharpened in Photoshop Elements 2 (Unsharp Mask, 120%)



Capture One LE, sharpened in C1 (120%)

These are crops, shown at 100%. The detail shown is way ahead in the C1 image - far fewer artifacts created, and diagonal lines show hardly any 'jaggies'. I've noticed this in all the shots I've compared so far, so will be buying a proper version of C1LE before my 15 day trial runs out!

I'll continue sharpening in C1 for the time being as I don't have full Photoshop so can't use Matt's Sharpen'o'Matic. Having said that, I haven't tried USM on a C1 originated image, so I'll have to do that.

Dan