Lightroom VS Capture One in 2022

We'll look at dynamic range, worminess in Fuji files, AI tools and more in this hands on look of what is better, LR, or C1 for your photo editing workflow.

0:00 Introduction
0:23 Conclusion First
3:45 Main Comparison
10:26 Color Tools compared
14:18 Ai and Masks
20:22 Best for Fuji Files
25:28 Closing Thoughts

So Should you use LR or Capture 1 in 2022?

I'll give you some thoughts on what works best for you and compare processing details as well and see which has the most power.

Is capture one better for Fuji?

Fuji files because C1 is always said to be better for Fuji. Is it really? We'll look and see if C1 still handles details better and what advanced LR has so you can make the best choice for your workflow in 2022.

The results and both are good but they have distinct differences that may sway you to use one of the other. There's nothing wrong with switching back and forth, but I like to choose a main primary editor each year and that's how I manage most of my work for that season.

[StevenCress]

Capture One always has sales. I got 50% off when I bought Capture One 21 Sony ($100 at the time), and, most recently, got 40% off Capture One 22 Pro through B&H. 40% off comes to $179. They got rid of brand specific versions, so the price has increased somewhat. Once you register your email with them, they constantly bombard you with sales. There’s little reason to pay full price.

[rsimko]

As of 06/12/2022 Capture One becomes even more expensive and all of a sudden Adobe Subscription model for photographers sound like paradise.

[jeffkogler]

I have just come across your videos while having a browse for photo editing/organising software generally. I was just about to fast forward to the conclusions when the conclusion review started. I love that, especially for longer videos. Thank you.

[takuan]

Just looking at a the interface of Capture One makes my eyes water and I agree that both systems are great tools for most photographers. As a Lightroom user for so many years I can't see the point of changing my workflow and learn a new software for the odd minute advantage that Capture One may offer, except for Fuji Trans X users. Great video. Thank You.

[lauriewahlig]

Great video and exactly what I’ve been pondering with my Sony camera!! Thanks for your time!!!!

[marilynbettridge]

A huge thank you for this in depth, easy to follow video. Timing is perfect. I just updated LRC and was wondering about Capture One. A great comparison presentation!

[sergedaleiden]

Very objective and non-emotional comparison. Well done! I use both, sometimes parallel, sometimes for special purposes. Both are the reference in raw processing and it finally comes down to personal preference. One thought on the cost though. Considering that in the cloud subscription of the Adobe Photo pack you have PS also included, you could say that Lightroom costs only $6 a month and you get the industry standard (PS) also for $6 a month on top. So, not a bad deal compared to C1. Besides, even if you prefer to only use C1, sometimes you need to make a roundtrip to PS to make some adjustments, i.e. distraction removals or background changes. Unless you prefer to use Affinity as an alternative. Just a thought. Keep your vids coming.

[DB-wxzs]

When I import a Raw photo into Capture One the image exposure appears 1-2 stops brighter than it’s supposed to be. I know this because when I import the same Raw photos into Lightroom or Photolab the brightness doesn’t change. Only in Capture One the exposure is automatically brighter.

[sarimner]

Great video! the only thing i did miss from this comparison video was a comparison after Export. 👌

[DO-xocz]

Loved how you provided a conclusion up front. Also as someone that is new to Fuji I was wondering if I needed to use Capture One. I've just been using Apple Photos, but I am interested in Lightroom. Great Video. I have subscribed to your channel.

[sharonleibel]

It was more or leas easy for me to move from LR to Capture One 3 years ago.
But let’s assume LR is good enough for me now for the price: There are the practical aspects. I am not starting from scratch in the real world. i have tens of thousands of photos. How do I revert my library and edits for all my photos? If I need to convert all my NEF/DNG files to tiff, or to keep jpegs with the edits, it doesn’t worth losing al edits and catalog structure.

[KennethDillard]

After going back and forth for some time, I think I will be using them like this: for my "bread-and-butter" work like weddings, portraits, etc. I will use Lightroom. For personal projects like landscapes, cityscapes, etc, I plan to use C1. I do think that LR still has one huge issue Adobe can't seem to shake: the memory hog it is. Otherwise, they are pretty close.

[ThatGuyInVegas]

You're comparing C1 to Lr while holding one arm behind C1's back; C1 is like a hybrid of Lr and Photoshop. You didn't mention C1's Magic Brush for masking; it works very well, selections are additive. Much like PhotoShop, C1 has layers (filled/empty/healing), each capable of holding a mask. Style brushes for color, light, contrast, and enhancements brushes. The healing brush in C1 does a much better job than Lr. When it comes to exporting files in C1, it's worlds apart from Lr! Setup correctly; you can export any number of images selected into every predefined size and file format with a single click! I left Lr for C1 because you have so much more control over the image within the app; I rarely need to use Photoshop because of the tools inside C1. All that said, I say use what inspires you.

[RyanTurner]

I’ve been using C1 for 4 years, but am concerned about what happens if you want to stop the subscription. They don’t have an exit strategy. With Lightroom you at least have access to library and print. Everything but develop. So I don’t lose all my images. With C1 you have to subscribe forever. I am probably gonna have to buy a perpetual license for C1 so I can access all my images and then just keep C1 22 for my old images and use Lightroom form here on out. Has anyone dealt with this or have any better solutions.

[lauriewahlig]

PS I would love to see you compare LR Ai to the magic brush. C1 people keep telling me the magic brush is “better” than LR’s AI masking but for portraits, I don’t think that is so. I really love things in C1 like using the auto levels for my photos but that auto masking is something else!

[hVFKZuQPeCcu]

I use both LR and C1. I subscribed to C1 because I bought a Fuji X-T4 last year. I really like both programs but I think recently, LR has crept ahead with its recent AI capabilities. I did take very seriously the (possible) hype LR couldn't render Fuji files very well, so will do my own comparison test. Bottom line, both programs can deliver great results. Half a dozen of one, half a dozen of the other. LR, even with its AI advancements doesn't have some features C1 does (duh!). I get the sense the more conservative photography community is a bit hesitant of AI technologies. Sorry, I think it is the way of the future.

[marclabro]

very nice presentation. I have purchased C1 at a special discount price few months ago as well as lot of styles but I am still using lightroom especially with new masking tools. 80K images cataloging seemed tedious in C1 compared to my LR catalog. There are "sessions" in C1 I have not yet understood how to make them non destructive/re-editable. Didn't sharpen masking slider and local noise reduction help in lightroom classic ? I would be very curious to see the result launching topaz denoise AI and sharpen AI from lightroom...

[swissheartydogs]

Capture One 22 is a no brainer, especially for Fuji RAW: Powerful & intuitive with better workflow, sessions, layers, levels, best IQ, etc.
Synergy with DXO Photolab 5 (now for Fuji cameras & lenses 💪🏿) for Deep Prime AI denoise when night street photo or concert (ie no tripod means high iso means noise).
Synergy with Affinity iPad when panorama stitching on the go (20 RAW means 1GB final result: Lr iPad cannot), waiting for forthcoming full C1 for M1 iPad Pro (Lr iPad is a joke): The best will be (Spring 22) synergy between C1 iPad on the go & C1 desktop when back home… both full versions.
Lr iPad, Ps iPad, Lr & LrC desktop, Ps desktop… quite complex & not intuitive, isn’t it?

[oliverracz]

I think the file management is more intuitive and filtering is faster in Lightroom, but the image editing part is overall better in Capture One, even with Lightroom’s AI tools. Lightroom adjusts most parameters through a much wider range, and it is very easy to go totally crazy with the adjustments. Capture One offers much finer control with most sliders, and also multiple tools with subtle differences, e.g. exposure, brightness, and mid tone slider on the levels tool.

[scottcampbell]

I nearly switched to c1 from photoshop but after doing some research I have found that c1 doesn't support many lenses for auto lens correction 😭