If you own a Fujifilm camera and you shoot raw, Photokina 2018 brought a very important announcement: Phase One’s Capture One Pro will now support Fujifilm’s GFX medium format cameras.
That might not sound like big news, especially in the shadow of the GFX 50R announcement, but it’s a breakthrough for pro photographers and for Fujifilm’s attempts to win them over to the GFX series.
That’s because Capture One Pro is a key software tool for a large number of pro photographers, especially those who shoot ‘tethered’ in a studio. It’s what Capture One Pro and its ‘sessions’-based workflow was made for.
It’s also a high-end Lightroom alternative with cataloguing tools, non-destructive editing, adjustment layers and masks, with in-depth colour, tone and perspective adjustments.
It produces excellent raw conversions with a wide range of cameras, but it does a particularly good job with Fujifilm’s tricky X-Trans raw files, where Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom, most photographers’ go-to tools, struggle to realise the full potential of the sensor.
Until now, Capture One Pro has not supported Fujifilm’s medium format GFX 50S. It sounds a small point, but it’s been a big hurdle for Fujifilm and its medium format aspirations. With this announcement, though, Fujifilm will be hoping it has unlocked this important market.
There is more, however. There is a new Capture One Fujifilm version costing €159 (about $184 / £142) for an annual subscription where the regular multi-brand Capture One Pro is €180 (about $209 / 162).
Free for all
Better still, there is a free Capture One Express Fujifilm version with fewer tools that is available to anyone, not just GFX owners. So if you don’t like Fujifilm’s own raw conversion software (based on a branded version of the generic Silkypix raw converter), you can now download and use Capture One Express Fujifilm. It’s not just for Fujifilm’s GFX models, but all its cameras.
Both versions offer raw support for all Fujifilm cameras and custom-developed Fujifilm film simulation modes, but you need the full version for tethered shooting, local adjustments and advanced color controls.
It's the same principle as the Capture One Pro/Express Sony products already available, and it's a terrific idea. We think this could catch on with other brands.
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