Menu
Capture One Pro 9. Industry leading detail, color and image rendering. NEW Processing Engine. NEW Adjustment tools. Outstanding RAW Converter and Asset Manager. Market leading Tethered Capture and Instant Review. Customizable, timesaving workflow. Photo: mick parkHomepage: One Pro 9: ht.
- Capture One 10 Download
- Capture One Tutorial
- Capture One Pro 9 System Requirements
- Capture One Pro Download
I had the privilege of being asked by David Grover, Support and Business Development Manager at Phase One, to experiment the new color grading tools inside Capture One 9. I knew the existence of this RAW processing software, but never had the time to explore it until a couple of weeks ago. David wanted to know what an experienced video colorist thought of their new color grading tools, so I dove into Capture One Pro 9 with that in mind.
Coming from Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, it took me a bit of time to understand CO9’s file management and overall way of doing things. The learning curve was a bit longer than I thought, but it was worth it… Once you get the gist of things, the tools are pretty easy to comprehend.
Capture One Pro 9 is a rich and feature heavy retouching software. There are a lot of things I would like to talk about, but instead of doing a very lengthy blog post, I will break it down into different parts. This first part is dedicated to Capture One Pro 9 latest addition, the Color Balance Tool. I’ll start by quickly explaining how the tool works, continue by showing some grading examples and finish off with sepia looks.
Color Balance Tool
The Color Balance Tool introduces into Capture One the concept of color grading all colorist are familiar with; the three way color wheels. As a Lightroom user, I used to combine the temp & tint sliders, the RGB tonal curve and the split toning tool to push the colors in the desired direction. I got used to retouch my pictures that way and although I always ended up satisfied with the result, it felt a bit unnatural compared to how I grade videos.
How it Works
I assume if you are reading this on my blog, you must already be accustomed to how color grading roughly works, but here’s briefly how the Color Balance Tool functions inside Capture One 9.
Let’s start with the Master Wheel:
You’ve guessed it! Drag the point in the middle to change the color of the image. The further you go, the more saturated the image will get. Since we are in the Master Wheel, the changes will be applied to the entire image. I like to think of this wheel like a “color brightness”. The changes you’ll do using this wheel will push the colors around and also affect the overall brightness of your picture. If you want to be more precise, you can use the left slider to adjust only the saturation of your selected color. If you wish to adjust only the hue, simply drag the tiny handle directly on the color wheel (located on the right on the above screenshot, but it will move depending on the color you chose). The right slider is solely for the brightness, but it is greyed out in the Master section. There is of course a Brightness and Exposure slider located in the exposure tab of Capture One 9 if you wish to adjust it.
You might ask yourself why use the Master Wheel when we have the 3-Way at our disposal that offer much more control. Well… I personally always use it before starting any specific color work. This wheel is great to establish your base look. I find it more organic to push the colors in a general direction with the Master Wheel and then mix things up with the 3-Way Wheels. But that’s just me!
Speaking of 3-Ways, here’s out it looks:
The same principles explained above apply here, except that you now have individual controls for the shadows, midtones and highlights. And you are now able to adjust the brightness with each wheels. Whether you are looking for an extreme bold look, or just a subtle color adjustment, this is where the magic happens. Fool around with the controls if you want to experiment weird looks or apply your color theoryknowledge!
Alright, now that we’ve go the basics covered, let’s take a look at some examples of how the Color Balance Tool can have a great impact on your pictures.
Before I start playing around with the Color Balance Tool, I always try to get the best dynamic range possible and also sharpen the picture. This article is focusing the color tools of Capture One 9, but I think it is essential to start grading your pictures with a decent base look. This is process is similar to what I do when I grade videos such as commercials and music videos. You can of course come back later on and tweak the exposure a bit if you wish.
It’s not a dramatic change compared to the original, but as you can see below, I have more details in the highlights and shadows, the image is sharper and a little bit warmer. I’ve included the main parameters (click on the image) I used to create my base look. This will obviously vary depending on your original image and on your taste. Hopefully, it will you a hint as to how I generally start my looks!
Now that we have a decent base look, it’s time to push these wheels around! In the following examples, I will compare the base look (not the original picture) and the graded image. That way, you guys will be able to see what the Color Balance Tool brings to your image more easily. Just drag the slider to compare the two images.
Grade 01: Reddish color cast
Grade 02: Blueish shadows and warm highlights
Grade 03: Old School Cyan
Grade 04: Old School Purple
As you can see, the possibilities are infinite. From a colorist standpoint, these tools are crucial to experiment and push my looks to the next level. I usually don’t go too far and stick to something somewhat realistic like example number 2, but I might consider exploring bolder looks for my next photography projects.
Split Toning
Just like Lightroom, Capture One 9 has a split toning tool to craft nice sepia looks. It works great, but I was curious to use the Color Balance Tool instead. In order to make it work, I completely removed the saturation from the image before pushing the color wheels. If you use the Black & White tool, it won’t work.
I found it much more intuitive and precise to use the Color Balance Tool rather than the regular Split Toning Tool. Here are a few before and after sliders:
I did these last examples rather extreme to demonstrate what you can do with this technique, but you can also it in a more subtle way. Most of the time, I rarely do a pure black and white image. I like to add just a notch of color in the highlights, like the example below. It almost seems like a regular B&W image, but with an extra warm touch. The Color Balance Tool is great at doing that!
Conclusion
The Color Balance Tool is definitely a must when it comes to color grading. Capture One 9’s managed to implement this tool inside a photo software brilliantly… the controls feel organic and I have to say that I really like the “handles” they added to precisely control the hue and saturation. Give it a try!
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for part two featuring another great color grading feature inside Capture One 9, the Color Editor Tool!
Oh. and to conclude, here are a few other pictures I shot on my 5D and processed in Capture One Pro 9:
Best regards,
Charles-Etienne Pascal
Check out my website: I SEE HUE
Charles-Etienne Pascal
I’m a freelance colorist based in Montreal, Canada. I have a filmmaking and photography background that inspires me everyday in the grading suite. Following my instinct and that of my clients, I craft a unique look that respects the original footage, while taking it to the next level. As a colorist, I believe that my role is to translate feelings into color, whether for a commercial, dance film, or music video. Check out my blog: blog.iseehue.com
This Capture One Pro 9.2 review shows that the focus is on workflow improvements like image selection and keyboard shortcuts. It improves on GPU hardware acceleration and performance on 4K/5K displays. Processed TIFFs and JPEGs now show correct colors when imported. As usual, this release supports the latest cameras and lenses.
![Capture one pro 9 download Capture one pro 9 download](/uploads/1/1/8/2/118218943/973135308.jpg)
Capture One Pro 9.2 Review
What already started with Capture One Pro 9.1 (see review) has now been expanded further. To understand the different features, it is important to make a distinction between generic selections and context-sensitive selections.
Generic selection
These can be applied in every situation, independent from the context like the selected collection or rating. You find those new features in the Edit main menu. I make a list first and explain their purpose next.
New options are:
- Edit menu > Select …
- Primary Variant Only / Deselect Primary Variant
- Previous Set / Next Set
- By > Filename List (added option)
- Collection with 4 options:
- Previous Collection
- Next Collection
- Step Out / Collapse
- Step In / Expand
![One One](/uploads/1/1/8/2/118218943/357894226.jpg)
And now an explanation of what it does and how you benefit.
Select Primary Variant Only / Deselect Primary Variant
Imagine that you have several variants selected. One is the Primary Variant, the remaining images are ‘the other selected’ variants. This concept affects actions like copying adjustments, deleting or processing.
In the example above all variants are selected, and one is the Primary Variant. To quickly separate the Primary from the other selected variants you now have two options to end up with the Primary only or the opposite all but the Primary. I show you below in a kind of before-after comparison.
Select Previous Set / Select Next Set
Again two new commands in the Edit menu. Imagine you have four images selected and review them in Multi-View mode. This is a Set.
Now, with the new commands, you go the previous or next set, moving the same amount of images at a time. Note that you can move forth and backward within a set with the usual commands.
Select By > Filename List
The Select By command was new in version 9.1 for Rating and Color Tag. Now with version 9.2, you can make a selection by Filename List. Imagine that a customer orders a number of images like “11, 156, 14, 5” in an email.
You copy and paste that list in the Select By Filename List dialog, select a delimiter and press OK. Capture One Pro selects the images for processing or any other task. Note that you do not have to list the exact file name but you have to select the correct collection which contains the images first.
Select Collection
Capture One 10 Download
Where the previously discussed commands allow you to select images in a collection in different ways, there are also new commands to select a collection. Note that you do not need to go to the Library tool anymore when browsing collections.
There are four commands under the Edit menu > Select Collection. First, you can go to a Previous or Next Collection. In a list of collections like Recent Imports or your Albums in the User Collections section of a catalog, you can quickly browse through the list. It is obvious that shortcuts are essential here.
The two other commands are a combination of Step Out versus Step In and Collapse versus Expand. These commands make sense in a hierarchy of collections like in the screenshot below.
The Step Out / Step In commands allow you to switch between levels (top-level versus sublevel) in a hierarchy, but the hierarchical list of collections remains expanded. With the Collapse / Expand commands you can take care of whether you like a hierarchy of collections expanded or not.
Note that the default shortcuts have a logic, using key A and D (horizontal). and W and S (vertical) on a Querty keyboard. Obviously you have to try this out yourself before it starts making sense.
Context-Sensitive Selection
The working of these commands is dependent on the context like Rating and Color Tag. As a result, you find these selection options by right-clicking on a thumbnail. This way the status of the image can be taken into account.
New options are
- thumbnail (right-click) > Select By Same > Variant Position (added option)
- thumbnail (right-click) > Create Albums From > Selection (added option)
And now an explanation of what it does and how you benefit.
Select By Same > Variant Position
The Select By Same command allows you to quickly select other variants in the same collection based on common property. Already available were Rating, Color Tag, and Sequence ID (Phase One XF system only). New is the ability to select by the same Variant Position.
Imagine you have selected a few images and used the Clone Variant command to create for each variant a second variant. Next, you immediately enabled Black & White. Now all second variants are B&W images. Last, you start editing them individually but do not change the variant position.
To process them in one go, you like to select all B&W variants again. You select one B&W variant. Next, use the Select By Same > Variant Position command to select all B&W variants in that collection because they are all in the same variant position. Last, you set a specific output folder for them to collect all B&W images separately from the rest (optional step).
Create Albums From > Selection
We already had the ability to create an album selected images based on their Rating, Color Tag, or Sequence ID. What actually was missing was the most obvious option: an Album with images I selected.
And that is exactly what this new command does do for you. Select your images, give the command (right-click one image) and choose to Create Albums From > Selection. Next, you are asked to give a name to the new Album. Optional you can make the new Album the selected collection.
Keyboard Shortcuts Improvements
Are you a keyboard aficionado? Then this update is for you! Up to Capture One Pro 9.0, you could only create and change keyboard shortcuts for menu items, with a few exceptions.
Capture One Tutorial
Capture One Pro 9.1 added tools like Exposure,White Balance and so on. This allows you to control the different sliders with the keyboard and change existing shortcuts. You can find these shortcuts under the Other section in the Edit Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
Version 9.2 expands on this by adding the Cursor Tools section. As the name says you can find the cursor tools listed and their default keyboard key. You can now change them and fill in the gaps for cursor tools without default shortcuts.
On Mac, you can find Keyboard Shortcuts in the Capture One 9 menu, on Windows in the Edit menu.
Tip
Create a new duplicate set if you like to use the new features, even if you already have a custom set. This ensures that the new items are included in your custom set.
Tip
Browse through cursor tools with the same shortcut with the Shift-key pressed.
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility is a great solution for creating a flexible working environment. Work anywhere on any device while always protecting your interests and assets from Internet-based. Download this app from Microsoft Store for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 Team (Surface Hub), HoloLens, Xbox One. See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for AnyConnect. Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client empowers remote workers with frictionless, highly secure access to the enterprise network from any device, at any time, in any location while protecting the organization. Where can you run Cisco AnyConnect? Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is available for multiple operating systems and versions. For instance, you can use the tool on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Mac OS, and Linux. Even when you’re away from your personal PC, you can continue using AnyConnect on different devices. Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client v4.x AnyConnect macOS 11 Big Sur Advisory 12-Oct-2020 AnyConnect HostScan Migration 4.3.x to 4.6.x and Later 29-Aug-2019. Cisco anyconnect 4 9 x64 free download.
Create Mask Layer In Batch
Again an improvement in an improvement. Capture One Pro 9.0 allows you to create a mask layer for local adjustments based on a color sample in the Color Editor. This now works in batch. You can find the command in the action menu of the tool (three dots top right):
This means that in a series of selected images a mask is created on all variants individually – each variant a different mask – but based on the selected color of the Primary Variant. This works best in a series of images like product shots, portraits (skin tone) or landscape.
In the example below I sampled the purple flower in the Primary Variant (top left). Next, selected another three images. In the next step, I created a Masked Layer from Selection as explained below. Now all four images have a layer mask that is based on the color sample of the Primary Variant. When I display (after image) the red color mask you notice all masks are unique in shape.
Please note that as mentioned the mask is created based on the selected color sample of the Primary Variant. In case you are not familiar with the concept of Variants you are advised to read Capture One Variants.
TIFF Rendering
The popular ’roundtrip’ feature – officially named Edit With… – allows you to process a raw file, open it in an image editor like Photoshop and add the processed file automatically to the session or catalog.
A problem was that the color of the processed TIFF or JPEG file in Capture One Pro did sometimes not match the preview of the raw file. This was caused by improper handling of the color space of the processed file.
This has been corrected, which makes the roundtrip feature even more attempting.
GPU and High-Density Display Support
In a system with multiple GPU acceleration is optimized in the sense that the slower GPU will not slow down the faster GPU. Capture One Pro 9.2 now uses each at their own strength.
In addition display performance of the iMac with a 4K or 5K displays is also slightly improved.
Round Trip With Helicon Focus
Capture One Pro 9 System Requirements
Helicon Focus, free with a Phase One XF system, is a focus stacking software program. It allows you to merge images made with a range of different focus settings. This produces images with a huge depth of field.
You can, of course, use it with any camera system.
You can, of course, use it with any camera system.
The improved round trip with Helicon Focus means that when you export a series of images into Helicon Focus you get a single file into your session or catalog without hassle.
Note that you need Helicon Focus 6.7.1 or later in combination with Capture One Pro 9.2 for this to work as mentioned.
Capture One Pro Download
More Cameras And Lenses
The Capture One Pro 9.2 update is also a maintenance update with over 400 bug fixes. New camera file formats are supported. Added to the collection are camera Pentax K-1, Nikon D500 and Canon EOS M10, G5x, G7x Mk II, and G9x.
Ten new lenses are added to the lens correction database with lenses from Canon, Sony, and Panasonic.
You can find the details in the release notes from the Phase One download page.
Overview By Phase One On YouTube
Phase One has made a brief overview of a movie on YouTube. You can view it directly from the link below.
Free Update, New Trial Period
Preceding this release are Capture One Pro 9.1 and the initial release Capture One Pro 9. The links point you to the respective reviews.
The 9.2 update is free of charge if you already have a license for Capture One Pro 9. There is a 30-day trial period. If you have run a trial of Capture One Pro 9 before then this update reset the trial period.
Thank you
For reading. Please feel free to leave a comment. Like us on Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about new blogs.
Want to try Capture One? Or would you like to buy it?
Best Regards,
Image Alchemist