RAW Converter Comparisons - Capture One, DPP, LR

I've used DPP, am presently using LR2 with PSE 6.0, and just started using the trial version of Capture One 4.1.

Does anyone on this forum use Capture One and is also familiar with LR2?

I'd be interested in hearing comparisons, primarily between Capture One and LR, but also Capture One compared to DPP.

Capture One is an interesting converter that has a great deal of power.

From with I've determined with very limited use is that its only weakness may be the lack of the Clarity slider that LR utilizes (which operates on mid-tone contrast).

I use DPP, sometimes use LR2, and PSE 6 as well. I tried Capture one 4.1 when it came out b/c I heard good things about it but personally, didn't find it to offer anything over DPP, so I got rid of it after a few trials. I remember the colors not being spot on as in DPP.

If DPP had a better UI I would stay with them in a heartbeat. The colors that I can get out of DPP is better (imo) than any of the others.

I have been a long time user of Capture 1 and am waiting for the pro version, if it ever gets released. The current available version from Phase One is their so called light version. This company does rub me the wrong way in that they are always late to the market with their products but they do put out a good product when it finally happens. They had promised the pro version by this summer but no news so far. They have even taken down their user forum for maintenance but I have a feeling that they did this because they were taking so much heat on the late delivery of this. The new interface of version 4 is nice and easy to use and I expect the pro version to be similar in nature. One thing to remember about this product is that it doesn't come cheap.

My very first third party RAW converter was Breezebrowser which does an excellent job but its UI is slow and clunky, imo. Given the amount that I shoot I needed something that was faster to use. I will still give it a go every now and then. It offers some other functions that are pretty good but not related to RAW conversions.

I have been using Lightroom as I got free copies by virtue of having multiple licenses of Raw Shooter Premium. Nothing wrong with it but I am having issues now that I have some 80,000 images in a library all key worded. It is just too slow even on a power machine. I am now having to break some of my work into multiple catalogs which really defeats the purpose when you want to search to find something. As far as a RAW converter, it is fine. You can always stay with Photoshop and ACR which you don't have to pay for and it is the same conversion engine as Lightroom. In Lightroom they have it all wrapped up nicely in a pretty UI.

There is no right or wrong answer as far as finding a RAW converter. Take the time to test the ones you want. Settle on one that works for you within your workflow. I also have tried DXO Optics and it did a good job as well but just settled on C1. What works for me within my workflow may not fit your needs or vice versa. Make sure that you are doing the same tests in the same way on a profiled monitor.

I too agree that if DPP had a better UI, the choice would be easier. It's also missing some very useful tools that LR2 has (and I suspect that LR is going to surprise us some more in the future - will DPP fall further behind?). DPP is a great converter - as far as it goes - but other software is becoming more useful in other ways that are part of the PP process.

The reason I looked at Capture One was that on the Netscapes forum, there was a comparison between Capture One, Lightoom and DPP. Only LR exhibited "stair-stepping" on straight lines that weren't parallel to the major axes of the image (overhead power lines were especially susceptible).

http://www.naturescape​s.net …iewtopic.php?f=​2&t=138235

The price and power of Capture One ($129 US) is attractive.

That $129 would be C1LE?

I've gotten the previous version free with a Sandisk Ultra CF card

I've not gotten 4.1 to work: