The Focus tool

Capture One has a Focus tool with a separate viewer and a dedicated cursor called the Pick Focus Point (sometimes known as the Focus Pick) specifically designed for checking the focus accuracy. This cursor can also be accessed from the zoom cursor group. The Focus viewer is located directly beneath the Navigator tool in the Details Tool Tab by default. It can be detached from the toolbar (along with the Sharpening tool when needed) and left to float freely or re-located anywhere in the toolbar.

The Focus viewer can also be used to assess the effects of sharpening when applying various settings. At the 100 % magnification, the image in the Focus viewer is rendered in the final output quality along with any sharpening applied.

1. Navigate to the Focus tool, located in the Details tool tab.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the Pick Focus Point cursor tool (magnifying glass) icon beneath the Focus tool’s viewer or from the cursor toolbar or press the F key. The previously selected cursor tool will be replaced by the Pick Focus Point cursor tool.
   
   
   
   
3. Click on the area of interest in the image displayed in the main Viewer. The Focus tool displays the image at 100% initially.
   
   
4. Drag the slider beneath the Focus viewer to alter the magnification if necessary. Once altered, the new value will be remembered and used thereafter.
   
   
5. To reset the tool’s viewer to 100%, click on the head and shoulders icon to the right of the magnification slider or drag the slider to the center.
   
   
   
   
6. To fine-tune the position, click and drag the image in the Focus tool’s viewer.
   
   
7. To move to another area in the image, right-click to display a secondary Navigator window in the Details tool tab, and drag the white rectangular frame.
   
   
   
   
8. To display a larger Focus viewer in the dock, select Auto Size from the Action menu (…). The Focus tool should be in the pinned area to have access to this function.
   
   
   
   
9. The Focus viewer can be pulled from the toolbar to float anywhere in the workspace. Resize the Focus viewer by dragging a corner in or out.

When you want to simultaneously check multiple areas of an image, you can make Capture One display more than one Focus tool viewer and direct each to a different area of interest. Although the Focus tool is located in the Details tool tab, you are not restricted from adding duplicates of the tool to that tool tab. You can add them to any.

1. Ctrl-click/Right-click (Mac/Windows) anywhere in the toolbar or selected tool tab and select Add Tool -> Focus from the menu.
   
   
   
   
2. Repeat Step 1 to add more Focus tools.
   
   
3. To re-position the Focus tool in the toolbar, click-and-drag from the top of the Focus tool to the desired location. When re-docking, the tool above displays a light-graphic to indicate successful coupling.
   
   
4. Click-and-drag to pan the image in the Focus tool viewer to the next area of interest or click-on the Pick Focus Point (magnifying class cursor) and select the area directly from the main Viewer. Using the Select (V) cursor instead will direct each Focus tool’s viewer to the same point.   

NOTE: There is no Focus tool in Capture One Express.

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