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Explore Capture One 21 with Paul Reiffer

NOTE: This article discusses an older version of Capture One Pro. To learn more about our latest version, click here.

Photographer Paul Reiffer walks us through 4 key updates in the newest Capture One 21 release, and how they’ve elevated his workflow.

It’s time to say hello to the very newest version of Capture One photo editing software –Capture One 21.

2020 will be an unforgettable year for many reasons – as photographers, many of us have finally found the time to go through old images, and looked to editing them once again with fresh eyes and the latest tools.

So given the extra advances that already hit our screens in in version 20.1 earlier this year, it’s great to see the team at Capture One continuing to improve the photo editing system that gives me the best possible output from my efforts to capture the world.

With version 21, the team have presented four main updates:

  • Dehaze
  • Speed Edit
  • ProStandard ICC Profiles
  • Catalog & Import improvements

In this post, we’re going to explore each of these, and how they will transform your photo editing workflow going forward.

Dehaze

Haze comes in many forms, from pollution, to marine fog, to city glare and many more, and for that reason we often need to use different tools to deal with each haze situation.

So, I’ll admit I was skeptical about the capabilities of a new one-slider “dehaze” feature.  However, I’ve found the Dehaze tool can be a really useful addition to our toolbox of editing functions.

  • What the Dehaze tool is not: A one-click magic wand that delivers perfect results from an image shot in less–than–perfect conditions.
  • What the Dehaze tool is: A fast and efficient way of reducing different types of haze by a reasonable amount, allowing you to make fine adjustments with other tools for tuning and refinement.

One really exciting aspect of the new Dehaze tool is the “Shadow Tone” picker.

Sure, you can use the “Auto” setup and slide the numbers along to see the difference, but if you look closely in any complex scene, you’ll notice that while it’s cutting out the unwanted haze, it might also be cutting out some of the details too.
However, by using the Shadow Tone picker we can tell Capture One to focus its efforts on reducing a particular tone of haze, delivering far superior results.

It’s quick to get the hang of – just select an area in the shadows which has been affected by the haze you’re trying to remove, and you’ll see results which are better tuned to your specific image, especially if there is quite a variance in the brightness of different areas:

Now of course, if we want to get the very best out of that shot, we might also consider adding some Clarity and HDR recovery to really help it “pop”, but with a few simple clicks, we’ve improved the image significantly, without touching Curves or Levels even once.
It’s that Shadow Tone Picker that really comes into its own when dealing with the different scenarios that we shoot over time.

In a city, you might find the resulting image is a little darker than you expected – mostly because the haze was also brightening up the scene. In the mountains, you may find a slight colour-cast creeping in if left to decide for you in “auto” mode:
But in each and every case, if you’re not happy with the auto result, a quick click onto the shadow area in your shot will bring you right back to a clearer image as a starting point, having used only the Dehaze tool to get going.
And of course, a final touch of clarity will also help boost any areas you feel could use a little more contrast too:
Now that’s all good for removing haze – but what if we want to add even more to a scene?

Well, those with a keen eye will have noticed that this is one of the midpoint slider tools in Capture One, meaning it can go to positive and negative values.

Add a new layer, paint a mask, set that layer to a negative Dehaze amount and the results can be quite impressive indeed. (Yes, we’ve just “painted in” extra fog…!)

Let’s just all go a little easy on the effects though, right? After all, the goal is always to get us back to what we actually saw!

Speed Edit

Speed Edit truly is a game-changer for photographers who edit large volumes of images, but I’ve also found it really useful for my own workflow, which involves selecting just a few images from any one shoot and editing 1 or 2.

The longer I’ve have Speed Edit available, the more and more I find myself using it. Not only is Speed Edit handy for editing multiple images in something like a time-lapse series, but I’ve found myself using it to allow me to make minor adjustments without having to take my eyes off the image or screen itself.

The tool allows you to hold down pre-defined keys, which trigger different sliders. You then adjust those specific sliders by scrolling with your mouse, trackpad or cursor keys. That means you no longer need to hover your cursor over the interface to adjust a slider.

For example: Hold down Q and scroll to adjust exposure, W for contrast, E for Brightness, R for saturation and so on.

If you have multiple images selected, (and have “Edit Selected” enabled), the adjustment or action will apply on every shot you’ve selected – meaning you can now adjust multiple photos at once!

You can also set up your own slider shortcuts in a custom keyboard setup of your choice.
It can take a little time to get used to the keys (which can all be changed around if you wish), but they do make sense as-is, after a little practice!

So, what about the features that are less talked about, but just as important to us photographers when it comes to image quality and our workflow?

ProStandard ICC Profiles

Capture One 21 has also introduced a fresh set of re-engineered ICC profiles for the most popular camera models out there. More will be added in the months ahead, but at launch they’ve already managed to cover a huge amount of camera systems.

What does that mean to me, as a photographer?

Well, to be honest, a lot less “correcting” and a lot of time saved!

The standard ICC profiles are great (and a lot of fun can be had applying a profile from a completely different camera to the one you used to take the shot you’re editing) but having had time to play with the new ProStandard profiles for my kit, the improvement in color and tone rendition is very significant.
Essentially, the Capture One team have gone back to the drawing board and created richer, more accurate, profiles for our cameras. This means the software delivers better “out of the box” results when you import the image.

These can be set as default on import (I’ve already done this!) – and it’s quite incredible how much time I’m finding I save by not having to fix the “harsh yellows” or “flat blues” that I’d sometimes see on-screen.

And finally, while we’re talking about saving time…

Catalog & Import Improvements

I’m not a wedding photographer, nor do I shoot products in their hundreds or thousands, but I still need to be able to import and find images in my Catalogs very quickly.

Capture One 21 has added some pretty impressive speed improvements to this release, not least of which are during import.

Let’s start at the new dialog box, with standardized messaging as to whether you’re simply adding an existing file to the Catalog, or if you want to physically copy it into the Catalog itself.
Selecting and de-selecting has also got a lot easier with the spacebar and P/X keys, rather than having to hand-pick each image with the mouse.

But it’s what happens when you hit the orange “import” button that makes all the difference – the import process has been reduced by 20, 25, 30% from my testing with different file types, meaning I can get to the important stuff – editing – a lot quicker than before.

Beyond the import process, using the Catalogs themselves – such as finding images, filtering, loading previews – are all faster in Capture One 21 than Capture One 20.

And finally, for those who move things around outside the Catalog (it’s OK, we all do it sometimes!) – the “Locate…” function has also been made a lot quicker at sorting out and re-indexing files once you tell it where to look.

Smaller updates that make a bid difference

There are also some other smaller updates that will make a difference to any photographer’s workflow:

The brush adjustments have been made easier through key combinations, we can now import HEIF files, the Tool Tips now have video guides, and the White Balance sliders now have coloured gradients to help you visualize the changes being made.

A winning upgrade

All in all, I find that Capture One 21 delivers a mix of some new functions which I’m finding so much more useful than I even originally expected, along with the key under-the-hood improvements in speed, workflow and image quality which are the things I really look forward to with each release. It’s always great to get new tools – but at the end of the day, I use Capture One to help me get the very best out of my images, as efficiently and naturally as possible.

Thankfully, with version 21, the team at Capture One have managed to do it once again.

If you don’t already have Capture One, download a 30 day trial and try it out.

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New to Capture One 21?
Hit the ground running!

If you’ve just started using Capture One or in the midst of your trial, join this live and interactive session to help you nail those important first steps.

We will cover the simple things you need to know, to then enable your own discovery and enjoyment of all the photo editing tools Capture One has to offer.

Learn how to:

  • Import your first photos into Capture One
  • Get orientated with the interface
  • Learn some simple, but powerful editing techniques

Download a 30-day trial of Capture One.

Sign up for the webinar

Capture One Launches Capture One 21

 

COPENHAGEN, Dec 8th, 2020: Capture One, the premier name in photo editing software, celebrates the release of the newest version, Capture One 21.

Linking our heritage to our future, this new version of Capture One reimagines the relationship between form and function to create a seamless bond between creator and creation. Combining its best-loved elements like personalized Workspaces and powerful Color Editor with new and exciting features like Speed Edit for immersive editing and Dehaze, to improve atmospheric conditions, Capture One 21 brings a new type of user experience; one that helps creators push the boundaries of their creativity by removing distraction and making it easy to exploit one’s creative potential.

Carrying on the tradition of development driven by user feedback, Capture One 21 is rooted in developing solutions to current challenges and anticipating tomorrow’s needs. With new ProStandard Color Profiles Capture One 21 introduces color technology that preserves authentic colors to overcome the challenge of unwanted hue changes when applying adjustments, and new HEIC support means Capture One is ready to work with cameras of today and tomorrow. It is also now easier than ever to learn Capture One with enhanced tooltips and easy access to tutorials right from within the software. Complimenting this suite of new features are improvements to current ones, bringing faster asset management and an improved importer to make organization effortless and quick.

Furthering its commitment to providing unparalleled raw processing and tethering with more than 500 different camera models, Capture One is delighted to launch a new collaboration with Leica Camera AG to bring industry leading tethering support to a growing catalog of Leica cameras, starting off with the Leica SL2 and Leica S3.

“Capture One 21 bridges our heritage to the future, carrying forward the achievements of our team and the creative community we are inspired by,” says Jan Hyldebrandt-Larsen, VP Product Management, CPO at Capture One. “We understand that art and tastes don’t stop evolving, so we provide performance that won’t stop advancing. We are very excited about Capture One 21 and look forward to seeing what photographers create with it, and to embrace new generations of creatives.”

New features and tools in Capture One 21

Speed Edit

Revolutionize how fast you edit photos. Speed Edit lets you work seamlessly without touching a slider on the interface – simply hold down selected hotkeys and scroll, drag or use the arrow keys to make rapid edits. You can even adjust multiple photos at once for the fastest ever batch edit.

Dehaze

Eliminate haze and the most undesirable atmospheric weather conditions with the ease of moving one slider. The groundbreaking new Dehaze tool uses deep analytic algorithms to assess and automatically adjust contrast, saturation and a matrix of other parameters to remove haze and reveal the image you want.

Faster Asset Management

Get seamless asset management.With increased power and speed, it’s now faster than ever to import, search and browse photos in Catalogs and Sessions.

Improved Importer

With better selection, high-resolution thumbnails, and faster importing, it’s smoother, easier, and quicker to select images directly in the importer – and cull the ones you don’t want. Plus, import images from different folders all at once.

Enhanced Tooltips

The onboarding experience and familiarization with Capture One is now smoothest it has ever been, thanks to the new enhanced tooltips. Navigate the Capture One interface with ease – simply hover over a tool for a quick explanation of how it works and links for more learning. Enable or disable them from Preferences as you like.

Learn

It’s never been easier to get started and master Capture One. Together with the enhanced tooltips, the new “Learn” button allows users to quickly access a curated selection of tutorials designed to help you learn step-by-step, right from within the software, and immediately put new skills into practice.

HEIC Support

With support for HEIC files (8-bit), you can now edit photos from your Apple devices and more in Capture One.

ProStandard Profiles

Stay true to real life with the most authentic colors yet, using the new color science/technology in the new ProStandard Profiles. These new camera profiles overcome the challenge of unwanted color shifts while making adjustments, protecting hues from changes caused by contrast. This is a true game changer for portrait and product photography – and any image that relies on authentic color.

Available for select camera models that can be found at support.captureone.com

Easy Brush Adjusting

It’s now possible to easily change the size, hardness, opacity, and flow of any brush by using modifier keys and a mouse / trackpad / pen, removing the need to right-click.

Capture One & Leica

Unlike other raw processors, Capture One’s camera profiles are uniquely developed for each specific camera model, a process that requires the use of the camera in and out of a controlled lab in Copenhagen, where a team of specialists engage each new model in various scenarios. They then evaluate all the performance parameters such as color, sharpness, and noise across hundreds of images and uses that data to deliver a truly tailored profile, which ultimately provides the best post-processing experience. Capture One 21 brings this level of support to a growing list of Leica cameras, and for the first time brings tethering capabilities to those models.

Read all about Capture One 21 at: www.captureone.com

New camera and lens support

Capture One provides users with the most accurate and powerful image editing available, and the wide-ranging support of cameras and lenses is a hallmark of the software. For enthusiasts and professionals alike, Capture One continually evolves to handle the newest cameras and lenses.

Capture One carefully evaluates and interprets each camera’s RAW formats, allowing Capture One to present images with the utmost fidelity, often bringing out nuances that other programs can’t even perceive.

Currently offering RAW support for more than 500 cameras, Capture One also provides profiling and image correction support for more than 500 lenses. As with the RAW file interpretation, Capture One carefully measures the optical characteristics of each supported lens and builds correction algorithms that compensate for the various optical imperfections of various designs. As a result, Capture One can correct for numerous common optical issues such as vignette, and chromatic aberration as needed for each of the supported lenses, providing you the best version of your image possible. And they are always adding support for the newest camera bodies and lenses.

Availability

Capture One 21 release date is December 8th, 2020.

Pricing

Capture One 21 is available as a perpetual license or subscription:

Capture One Pro 21:

  • Perpetual License: $299
  • Upgrades from select previous generations starting at $159
  • Subscription starting at $20/month

Capture One 21 for Nikon, Capture One 21 (for Sony) and Capture One 21 for Fujifilm

  • Perpetual License: $129
  • Upgrades from select previous generations starting at $109
  • Subscription starting at $9.99/month

For a complete list of all products and licensing options, visit: www.captureone.com/store

For a 30-day fully featured free trial of Capture One 21, visit www.captureone.com/download

Contact

To request an NFR license for product review along with a Reviewer’s Guide, please contact

Capture One PR Weronika Marika Wojcik at wmw@captureone.com.

About Capture One

Capture One creates award-winning photo editing software for every kind of photographer.

With an intuitive interface and powerful tools for editing and organizing, Capture One software delivers a seamless editing experience, fast workflows and total creative control. And with unmatched color handling for all major camera brands and industry-leading tethered support, it’s preferred by professionals and studios worldwide. Driven by innovation, users rely on Capture One to deliver cutting-edge features to keep their photography one step ahead.

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark with a team of global partners, Capture One empowers image creators globally with world-class knowledge, technical expertise and the ultimate creative tools.

Learn more here:

Capture One at: www.captureone.com
Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CaptureOnePro
Instagram at: www.instagram.com/CaptureOnePro
YouTube at: www.youtube.com/CaptureOneProDK
LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/company/capture-one

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