Released on May 20, 2025, Capture One 16.6.0 is a feature release containing new features and improvements, such as Retouch Faces, New Session Folder Hierarchy, Session Builder (for Pro and Studio), 60-day Live Sessions (for Studio), changes to default lens profiles for select Canon cameras, performance improvements for macOS users and Capture One Live users, as well as bug fixes.
Capture One 16.6.0 is backward compatible with Sessions and Catalogs documents created in any subversion of the 16.6 release. However, documents from Capture One 16.5 or earlier must be upgraded for compatibility. For details, see Upgrading a Session, Upgrading a Catalog, and How do I restore a Session or a Catalog in the previous version from the backup?
Table of contents
- New features and functionality
- User experience and performance improvements
- Bug fixes
- System requirements
- Recommendations and limitations
New features and functionality
Retouch Faces
The new AI-powered Retouch Faces Tool makes it easy to get natural high-end results in less time. It detects faces automatically, so you can start editing right away using a few simple sliders.
You’ll find the tool in the new Retouch Tool Tab. Apply adjustments to all faces in the image at once, or fine-tune each face individually.
The sliders give you full control: Impact sets the overall strength, Blemishes tones down distractions, Dark Circles lifts under-eye shadows, Even Skin smooths contrast without losing highlights, and Contouring adds depth with subtle shadows. All of them are built to retain natural texture and detail.
When retouching during tethering with Next Capture Adjustments, or when copying adjustments on multiple faces, we’ll apply edits in the same face order as the source. If the face order changes, Capture One won’t recognize them.
When saving Styles or Presets, only global adjustments to all faces are included. Individual face edits aren’t supported.
Faces must be at least 200 px on the short edge, and there's a maximum of 32 faces per image.
For details, see Retouch Faces.
New Session folder hierarchy
Library Tool updates
The Library Tool now supports the new folder hierarchy for Sessions, including updated folder actions. Favorites, Albums, and System Folders remain unchanged.
The Session Folders section (Capture, Selects, Output, and Trash) has been renamed Shortcuts.
You’ll now see the full folder hierarchy under the new Session Folders section, making it easier to manage nested structures. Any folder can be set as Capture, Selects, Output, or Trash by right-clicking and choosing the option.
Clicking the + plus button next to Session Folders now gives you two choices: Add folder inside or Add multiple folders inside. The second option opens the Session Builder interface for faster creation of complex structures.
For details, see Library Tool.
Capture One Live and Live for Studio updates
Both Capture One Live and Live for Studio support the new hierarchy. In the expanded sidebar, folders are indented. When collapsed, they appear as a flat list. Parent folders show only images directly inside, not from nested folders.
You can also see this structure in the Capture One Live sharing interface on desktop. Select any folder in the tree to share it. If you share a parent folder, all nested folders will be included.
Shared folders appear as a list, containing both parent and nested folders
For details, see Capture One Live overview and About Live for Studio.
Session Builder
Quickly create multiple folders and subfolders within the Capture folder when starting or updating a Session. No need to set them up manually in Finder or Explorer.
When creating a new Session, check Add capture folders to define your folder structure.
You can create folders manually or, if you’re a Studio user, generate it automatically using Tokens.
Save time by storing your setup as a Preset, which works for both methods and is accessible via the burger menu.
Manual method
When creating a new Session, check Add capture folders and set Method to Manual. Enter parent and nested folder names in the Folder names text field. Use Delimiters (new line, comma, semicolon, or space) to separate each folder level. Repeating a parent folder name groups subfolders under the same parent. This method supports up to 1,500 folders in total.
Automated method (Studio)
When creating a new Session, check Add capture folders and set Method to Automated to use Tokens. Add them to the Folder name field through the three-dot menu or by typing token names directly. As Tokens are added or changed, a live Sample preview shows the resulting structure. You can specify the Folder count and the starting number with Counter starts at.
Use + Add subfolders to add a second layer of folders to each parent folder, with the same options (tokens, count, and count start). Only two folder levels are supported in automated mode. If you switch to the manual method before creating the Session, the output will be pre-filled into the manual field for editing.
For details, see The Complete Guide to Sessions in Capture One.
User experience and performance improvements
Improved Viewer performance on macOS
We’ve improved Viewer responsiveness when using high-DPI displays, such as Retina screens or external 4K+ monitors. Slider adjustments now feel smoother and more immediate.
We’ve also reduced or removed stuttering when working with proxy images. Proxies are shown until you zoom past their resolution. These improvements apply to all Preview Image Sizes, though you’ll notice the biggest difference when using higher values.
Improved Capture One Live performance
Sharing large sets of collections, folder, and images via Capture One Live is now faster and more stable. This is especially valuable in collaborative workflows where speed and reliability are critical.
Default lens profiles for select Canon cameras
For Canon R5II, R1, and R50V lenses, we now:
- default to the manufacturer’s lens correction profile;
- apply standard distortion correction (unchanged);
- set light falloff correction to 100 (new).
While we’ve historically built our own in-house profiles for better lens correction, we’re now working closely with Canon to ensure the embedded profiles deliver the best results for everyone.
For details, see Lens profile support in Capture One.
60-day Live Sessions (Studio)
Capture One Live Sessions now run for up to 60 days for Studio subscribers, double the previous 30-day limit. This extended duration supports longer projects and more flexible collaboration without restarting sessions.
For details, see Capture One Live overview.
Bug fixes
- Fixed a crash that occurred when merging folders with identical names.
- Fixed a bug where photos were skipped on import when duplicates were found.
System requirements
Minimum system requirements
- macOS 13 or newer (tested on macOS 13.7.6, 14.7.6 and 15.5)
- Windows 10 64-bit 22H2, Windows 11 22H2 or newer (tested on Windows 10 64-bit 22H2 and Windows 11 24H2)
- Intel Core i3 (1st generation) or AMD Jaguar Family CPU
- 8 GB of RAM
- 10 GB of free disk space
- Calibrated monitor with 1280×800, 24-bit resolution
- Internet is required for Capture One Live and other cloud services
Note: SSE4.2 CPU instruction set is required. Read more about this on Intel's website.
4K monitors
For optimal performance on 4K monitors, we recommend doubling the initial specifications due to the increased computational demands. Additionally, investing in a high-performance GPU with ample VRAM is highly recommended for these configurations to handle the intensive graphics processing.
For details see Capture One System Requirements and OS Support.
Recommendations and limitations
Note: The information provided here is subject to change and unintentional errors may occur. For any queries or further clarification, please contact support at https://support.captureone.com/
General guidelines
- Browsing folders containing unsupported image files may affect application performance.
- Previews from earlier versions of Capture One may be updated, which can affect the application performance the first time images are viewed in this version.
- Using a non-US laptop keyboard might require changing some of the standard keyboard shortcuts.
- Editing images in external applications other than Adobe Photoshop might result in unexpected behavior.
- Operating under virtualization software (e.g., Parallels, Hackintosh, etc.) may cause instability. These OS configurations are not recommended.
- Some cameras provide multishot functionality by way of multiple exposures or pixel shifting. In most cases, this functionality will not be available in Capture One. However, a single RAW file from the “stack” may be viewable and editable in Capture One (as if it was a shot in single Capture mode).
- Special or auxiliary modes (like pixel shift) are only supported if noted. If the information provided is incomplete or you need specific information pertaining to support in Capture One, kindly reach out to Capture One Support at captureone.com/support.
File support
- HEIC/HEIF support: Capture One supports HEIC/HEIF 8-bit files to the extent that the operating system supports the files. If you are on a Windows computer, you might need to download the two extensions “HEVC Video Extensions” and “HEIF Image Extensions” from Microsoft to enable support in Capture One.
- Capture One DNG colors: DNG files from camera models with native support in Capture One will per default have their native Capture One colors applied. DNG files from camera models that are not natively supported in Capture One will have generic DNG Standard colors applied. Adjustments and settings from other applications embedded in DNG files are not supported.
- Other file support: TIF/JPG/PSD/PNG files that are not in RGB color space cannot be adjusted within Capture One and will be read-only. Layered Tiff and PSD files can be supported for viewing purposes only. Reprocessing the image will result in a new flattened image.
- File size limitations: The smallest supported file for viewing has a minimum side of 16 pixels. The smallest supported file for editing has a minimum side of 512 pixels. The largest supported file is 715 megapixels or 65,000 pixels on the longest edge.
Known issues
- You can find a list of known bugs in a dedicated community forum topic titled Known Bugs. Note that this list may not be up to date on the day of a new Capture One version release.