How to import catalogs from Lightroom?

You can use a Capture One Catalog to import previously made catalogs of images from third-party applications. A Capture One Catalog can import Lightroom Catalogs, albeit with some restrictions. Images are not moved or duplicated but referenced in their original location.

The importer is not used in this instance, however, the underlying process is practically identical. Capture One creates variants for each of the original image files which are referenced in their original location (i.e., the original images are not moved, or duplicated). You can then continue with your typical workflow using a Capture One Catalog instead.

1. Open an existing Capture One Catalog or create a new one. To create a new one, select File -> New Catalog.
2. From the main menu, go to File -> Import Catalog and then select Lightroom Catalog… from the list.
3. A Finder/Explorer system window opens. Navigate to the relevant file type - Lightroom catalog - [name].lrcat
4. A small Activities dialog window opens showing a progress bar of the import.
5. If any original source images are offline (e.g., when referenced to a disconnected external drive), a warning dialog opens prompting you to Skip All, Skip (specific files), Retry or Stop and dismiss the action.

Watch this video tutorial that explains how to import catalogs from Lightroom to Capture One.