Raw file processors comparision

Anyone compares CaptureOne Pro to RawShooter Premium? I was at my friend's
studio trying RawShooter trial and found that it is very good and done many
things that CaptureOne Pro can do. In certain area, it is better and best of
all, very much cheaper. Any advice?

kctan writes ...

Anyone compares CaptureOne Pro to RawShooter Premium?

My advice would be to download both freebie trial versions and compare
them side-by-side on the same images, that's what I do when comparing
competing products like these. I compare for workflow (for me, mainly
how quickly I can sort thru several hundred images), how easy it is to
get good, accurate color, how sharp the detailed areas are (like fur or
feathers on an animal or hair on a human) and how smooth the out of
focus backgrounds are. I think both of these programs beat Photoshop
in each of these categories, btw.

In certain area, it (RSP) is better and best of
all, very much cheaper.

Do you need the relatively few extra features of C1 Pro vs LE? LE is
only $99 or so and does most of the things Pro does and is more
comparable to RSP.

At any rate, I used to use Capture One SE (which was between Pro and LE
in functionality and price) but when it was discontinued they gave me
three free upgrades to LE (or one to Pro) so I'm using LE now. The
programmer who wrote most of the Capture One conversion software left
Phase One and started Pixmantec and wrote the RawShooter programs, so
in some ways they are similar.

When I tried RSE (the free version that came out first) I really liked
it initially because the images were vibrant and sharper than C1
conversions, but after futher study it appears the default settings for
sharpness and color balance are jacked up considerably over the C1
defaults and you can make them look pretty much identical with some
effort. The RSE files at default seemed a bit oversharpened for my
Canon 1D M II files, for example, so I backed off the defaults and now
they look like C1 conversions.

A couple of things I prefer about RSE are the smaller preview file size
(which is handy when working on the road with a laptop, they are about
1/3 the size), faster preview generation and ease of zooming in/out (C1
will show a clean preview at 25% or 100% but not at intermediate zoom
ratios).

I've tried a couple of experiments where I took a RAW file and
converted and worked it up in Photoshop and printed 16x20" versions
with C1 LE, RSE and CS RAW and compared the three prints (I did this
for several images) and about half the time I liked the LE print best,
half the RSE print best. None of the CS RAW prints looked best to me
or to the people I asked to do a blind taste test. So I'd suggest you
run the same kind of tests on your files ... I used RSE instead of RSP
but I'm not sure how much difference that would make.

Since I have a couple more Capture One LE upgrades coming for free I'll
continue to use LE but if I had to buy a new program I'd look carefully
at LE vs RSP and I'm not sure which I'd pick. That's why I suggest
running your own tests ... you can get 45 days free trial with C1 (30
days with Pro, 15 with LE unless they changed this).

Bill

Thank you Bill. The CaptureOne Pro came with my PhaseOne Digital Back and
was told that it costs more than a thousand dollar. When I tried RawShooter
developing my Canon 10D Raw, I was surprised by its power. Had compared with
C1 Pro and found no diff on the screen but will proceed to print later on.
Anyway I'm beginning to love RawShooter and hope it can support PhaseOne
Raw.

"Bill Hilton" wrote in message
oups.com...
kctan writes ...

Anyone compares CaptureOne Pro to RawShooter Premium?

My advice would be to download both freebie trial versions and compare
them side-by-side on the same images, that's what I do when comparing
competing products like these. I compare for workflow (for me, mainly
how quickly I can sort thru several hundred images), how easy it is to
get good, accurate color, how sharp the detailed areas are (like fur or
feathers on an animal or hair on a human) and how smooth the out of
focus backgrounds are. I think both of these programs beat Photoshop
in each of these categories, btw.

In certain area, it (RSP) is better and best of
all, very much cheaper.

Do you need the relatively few extra features of C1 Pro vs LE? LE is
only $99 or so and does most of the things Pro does and is more
comparable to RSP.

At any rate, I used to use Capture One SE (which was between Pro and LE
in functionality and price) but when it was discontinued they gave me
three free upgrades to LE (or one to Pro) so I'm using LE now. The
programmer who wrote most of the Capture One conversion software left
Phase One and started Pixmantec and wrote the RawShooter programs, so
in some ways they are similar.

When I tried RSE (the free version that came out first) I really liked
it initially because the images were vibrant and sharper than C1
conversions, but after futher study it appears the default settings for
sharpness and color balance are jacked up considerably over the C1
defaults and you can make them look pretty much identical with some
effort. The RSE files at default seemed a bit oversharpened for my
Canon 1D M II files, for example, so I backed off the defaults and now
they look like C1 conversions.

A couple of things I prefer about RSE are the smaller preview file size
(which is handy when working on the road with a laptop, they are about
1/3 the size), faster preview generation and ease of zooming in/out (C1
will show a clean preview at 25% or 100% but not at intermediate zoom
ratios).

I've tried a couple of experiments where I took a RAW file and
converted and worked it up in Photoshop and printed 16x20" versions
with C1 LE, RSE and CS RAW and compared the three prints (I did this
for several images) and about half the time I liked the LE print best,
half the RSE print best. None of the CS RAW prints looked best to me
or to the people I asked to do a blind taste test. So I'd suggest you
run the same kind of tests on your files ... I used RSE instead of RSP
but I'm not sure how much difference that would make.

Since I have a couple more Capture One LE upgrades coming for free I'll
continue to use LE but if I had to buy a new program I'd look carefully
at LE vs RSP and I'm not sure which I'd pick. That's why I suggest
running your own tests ... you can get 45 days free trial with C1 (30
days with Pro, 15 with LE unless they changed this).

Bill

kctan writes ...

Thank you Bill. The CaptureOne Pro came with my PhaseOne Digital Back

Ah, you have a Phase One digital back ... I'm jealous

... and was told that it costs more than a thousand dollar.

I think you need Pro for the digital backs and it's about $500, the LE
version (which probably won't work with the back) is $99 and I think
RSP with the color engine is $129, but I'd be surprised if it will work
with a Phase One back.

I'm beginning to love RawShooter and hope it can support PhaseOne
Raw.

I'd be surprised if it did but I get surprised about once a week ... I
think RSP won't work tethered with your back if it will even support
the raw files, and also one of the advantages of Capture One is that
you can apply different custom ICC profiles (and at least with RSE you
can't) and most likely you have several custom profiles shipped with
the Phase One back.

Bill

Yes, C1 Pro came with input profiles (cameras' profiles) and more elaborated
color management system than many RAW processors. No big deal to me but just
makes work easier and more precise somewhat. I prefer to tweak in Photoshop
(imo having better CMM) to my liking on my calibrated monitor visually.
Digital back is for my product shooting only but I prefer to work with a
high-end DSLR. Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II is my next dream :-)

"Bill Hilton" wrote in message
oups.com...
kctan writes ...

Thank you Bill. The CaptureOne Pro came with my PhaseOne Digital Back

Ah, you have a Phase One digital back ... I'm jealous

... and was told that it costs more than a thousand dollar.

I think you need Pro for the digital backs and it's about $500, the LE
version (which probably won't work with the back) is $99 and I think
RSP with the color engine is $129, but I'd be surprised if it will work
with a Phase One back.

I'm beginning to love RawShooter and hope it can support PhaseOne
Raw.

I'd be surprised if it did but I get surprised about once a week ... I
think RSP won't work tethered with your back if it will even support
the raw files, and also one of the advantages of Capture One is that
you can apply different custom ICC profiles (and at least with RSE you
can't) and most likely you have several custom profiles shipped with
the Phase One back.

Bill