How to import images from external media into a Session?

Capture One’s importer dialog allows you to import all the images from a memory card, connected camera, flash disk or portable external drive, or you can import selected images instead. 

NOTE: You can only import images from a connected camera’s memory card if the camera is in Mass storage protocol.

Although you can choose to store source images on a dedicated external drive when working in a Session, it is better to store them on your local disk first and then move them off when you have finished with all of the adjustments and edits.

1. Open the importer by choosing one of the following options:
   • In the main menu, choose File -> Import Images...
   • Click on the Import icon in the Toolbar.
   • Drag a volume or folder of images into the Capture One image browser.
   • Connect your card reader to your computer.
     
     
2. The Import Images dialog (i.e., the importer) opens. When a card reader is connected or when a folder is dragged into the Capture One image browser, the contents of that folder are displayed as thumbnails in the importer’s browser.
   
   
3. If the importer’s browser does not display your images, go to the Import From tool, click on the Source fly-out menu, select Choose Folder..., and navigate to the relevant folder you want to import. Make sure that the Include Subfolders checkbox is selected in the Import From tool. This option is useful for locating all the images on a memory card.
   
   
4. Enable Exclude Duplicates to prevent duplication of images already imported into your current Session.
   
   
5. When you want to select specific images to import, adopt the usual Shift-click to select contiguous images or Cmd+click (macOS) / Ctrl+click (Windows) to select individual images. When you want to reset the image selection, click on the background between thumbnails.
   
   
6. From the Destination fly-out menu, select the Capture Folder. This option is the standard folder to import files when using Sessions. It maintains the standard Sessions structure of Capture, Selects, Output, and Trash subfolders.
   
   
7. In the optional Sub Folder field, add a subfolder or a series of hierarchical subfolders. Select this only if you want to organize the imported images into subfolders within the parent Capture Folder.
   
   
8. From the Sample Path field, verify that the path is pointing to the chosen folder for import.        
9. In the Space Left field, verify that the capacity left on the volume or drive is enough to store the new images.
   
   
10. Select options for backing up, naming, copyright, and adjustments of images.
    
    
11. Press Import All or Import X Images for selected images if no further options are required.