Capture One 21 update. Worth it?

I know this is difficult to answer based on everyone uses the program differently. I have not upgraded and now get an email they will raise prices on Jan 11 to $199. Is there really that much difference in 20 and 21? Only benefit I see to me is dehaze. Was thinking maybe switching to subscription to save $$$ but guess that is going up too but I don’t know how much. Am retired and got to watch my $$$ now and would rather spend on gear . All ii shoot now is wildlife, birds and landscapes for fun. Any suggestions of other software to give a try as alternative? I don’t want to go back to Lightroom, but that’s just me.

I received that email as well and in same boat as to upgrade or not. I agree and have read that there aren't many earth shattering changes to make it worth the while but as for me, I have upgraded my old iphone to a 12 pro max and now would like to play with the hiec format which I believe is only available in version 21. Also afraid they will fully support the new apple pro raw format during the year and only on version 21. For me, I may upgrade the last minute only because of the iphone support, otherwise I probably would hold off.

p.s. if you are willing to try other software, why wouldn't you just do the upgrade to v21?

Considering others primarily due to cost. May just stick with 20 for now and wait till next release.

got 21 via subscription. Would not have paid for it as standalone. Way too little contents IMHO.

I didn't upgrade to CO 21 due to the lack of new useful features. With the price increase on upgrades, I'm out and back to the Adobe Photography plan with LR Classic and PS which is a more complete package and now less expensive.

Not a big LR fan but that’s just me. That view could change. Was looking at subscription with C1. At $126 not bad. Looks like 159 is what I paid for last two updates so not surprised with increase.

I see this C1 price increase fueling a big increase in Adobe subscriptions.

sjnovakovich wrote in post #19178611
I see this C1 price increase fueling a big increase in Adobe subscriptions.

I would bet that most people who use C1 already subscribe to some Adobe plan.

kirk

Ok just checked capture one new pricing. You own it up to 199.00. Subscription they dropped price 70 cents to $125.30. What?????

Capture One worth it? No.

Years ago when the RAW development sector had fewer competitors, Capture One's high-price business model was viable.
It no longer is.
Nowadays there are many more developers / editors that do a competent job, offer more features and functions than Capture One does, and at a lower price.

Capture One needs to re-think and adjust their business model or Capture One's market share will dwindle away until there is no more Capture One.

I upgraded for the Speed Edit feature. It's pretty cool.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #19180323
I upgraded for the Speed Edit feature. It's pretty cool.

I agree - and other raw converters will copy it in upcoming releases. Soon, I hope, you will just be able to press a keyboard shortcut and enter a number/up-down arrow instead of sliding a slider. The only raw converter I am familiar with that has this interface is Raw Photo Processor. It is so efficient you wonder why it is not the de facto standard.

Capture One is probably priced high for someone looking to get into photography and have fun with it. Once you buy into the initial purchase, upgrades are reasonably priced. It is superior to most raw converters out there for a number of reasons, including the interface, the toolset and the output quality. The fact that they offer a perpetual license and a subscription model alone should please most users who are thinking about trying it.

For people who do not want to pay for it, there are plenty of other options, which is a good thing too.

kirk

I keep my software up to date, regardless of features. It is a security concept to stay one step ahead of the bad guys who've had time to figure out the weaknesses of the existing software. Plus, I've noticed output engine improvements in just about every release.

(A few went backwards, but for the most part each has been an incremental improvement.)

Why not download the demo and see if you think the new features are worth the upgrade?

You can upgrade every 2 years if you don't think this version is worth the money.. I don't think I'll be purchasing 21 anytime soon (unless of course someone asks me to do some editing for them and they're using a camera not supported in 20)