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Capture One Loyalty Program

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216 comments

  • nathaniel courtens

    When is the "next" version 16.3 going to get released?

    I planing on using that new Auto Dust Removal (beta) tool in 16.2.2, as seen on this page https://www.captureone.com/en/explore-features/whats-new#162 , but am not sure if I will be getting this tool as part of my purchase of 16.2.2. This part confuses me: "New perpetual licenses will include updates with bug fixes until the next version, but new features released after purchase will not be included." Is a beta tool a new feature, or is that beta tool already part of the license?

    I see a 3 month jump between the last updates 16.0 - 16.1 - 16.2. And we are just about again at that 3 month mark.

    1
  • Mariusz Janosz

    They changed perpetual license policy to release new version faster (as soon as it developed) so wait few months more and some minor fixes and small new feature will be added 😂

    0
  • James Grove

    I thought I understood this, but clearly didn’t, until my renewal came in via email. I had to ask support twice for clarity on it. Sorry it’s just badly worded and ambiguous in the way it’s written. With no clear pathway or roadmap you are asking people to continue to invest? After some clarity from support you rent the software as is, with no promise on further development. The option to buy a lifetime license as it stands today with no additional updates is provided at a discount based on the years you have been a subscriber. This logic works until your subscriber base all buys perpetual licenses and funded stops, so this means that another proving model will need to be thought out. I have grown weary of the continued changes in the pricing structure almost every Winter for the last few years.

     

    EDIT: So I now understand the Loyalty Program, it just isn't very clear. Its seems as a subscriber, I have to buy myself out of being a subscriber to still be able to access and edit my photos. The amount you pay for that is based on the years you have been a subscriber. The issue is that you can't downgrade from an All in One package without cancel the subscription and starting another. But support have been very helpful and have provided a link to place me back on a camera specific subscription plan once my current All in One subscription expires. I juts hope the loyalty program still applies as I am being forced to take out a fresh subscription.

    0
  • Christoph Müller

    I have been a loyal perpetual customer for years, this is just way too complicated. The important thing for me is to own my photo database.

    Make it simple - give owners of perpetual licenses who decide for the subscription a new perpetual license for every year of an active subscription and I am switching in a heartbeat. Gives everyone an incentive to stay in the subscription plan while also providing the piece of mind to retain ownership of the catalog. 

    4
  • Weldon Thomson

    So, it appears that my best “loyalty” discount is obtained if I purchase before October 31 (within 12 months of buying C1 23), but new features are only listed as “coming soon”. Not sure when “soon” may be but, if I buy now, it appears I don’t get any benefit of the actual product until ??? So, does my new license of the new product begin with my purchase date, or when the new software is actually delivered and registered? Also kinda stinks I have to decide to buy, or not, sight unseen if I want to get the best discount.

    1
  • Greg Theulings

    This new offer doesn't seem to be fair. All people with a Capture One 23 version should be able to get the 40% discount.
    Instead only people who were already aware of the new licensing model are now able to get this discount.
    Yet many of your customers were lured in by your marketing just over 12 month ago to upgrade to V23. This is not fair!

    2
  • Weldon Thomson

    I bought 22 shortly prior, but then upgraded to 23 the end of October. So I am within the 12 months for a little over another month. Will we really get to see if the new updates, “coming soon”, in time to see what they are, how well they work, and if we need them, in order to make an informed decision?

    1
  • Weldon Thomson

    This just seems like more normal business for Capture One, wanting consumers to buy blindly, in advance, without giving all the information to properly decide.

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  • Rob Ernsting

    A complex scheme to follow, I read it several times and don't know what I get. I wait and see till the new version is available.
    It does not feel comfortable.

     

    1
  • Stefan Sipl

    That’s one of the main issues. Way too artificial. I will just wait and see.

    1
  • Raymundo Deppe

    I just want to renew my annual subscription because it just expired. Can anyone tell me how to do it? You would assume it should be very easy but for some reason they are making it so difficult.

    0
  • Stefan Sipl

    In a functioning company someone who comes up with such a disastrous plan as given here would be sacked for sure.

    0
  • Claudia Mathys

    Hi Guys

    Is there someone else who got the survey?

    Well, whith the possible answer I can always get to the target I want too! :-D :-D :-D

     

    0
  • Sean Breslin

    Claudia Mathys Yes, I received it. Some of the answer choices were ridiculous.

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  • Kaffeepause

    I received an email asking me to purchase the upgrade now. I don't bother with subscription software as it is far too expensive for me, as I have already described in detail in a previous post (read it here: https://support.captureone.com/hc/en-us/articles/8824180384285/comments/9666416939805)

    * In April 2020, I bought a perpetual license for Capture One as part of a special offer for €219.96.
    * Just 6 months later in October 2020, I purchased the upgrade for the perpetual license to Capture One 21 for €116.56.
    * One year later in October 2021, I purchased the perpetual license upgrade to Capture One 22 for €140.34, a price increase of over 20% from the previous upgrade.
    * In October 2022, I purchased the perpetual license upgrade to Capture One 23 for €140.34.
    * Now I'm supposed to pay €209 to upgrade to the next Capture One version. This is a 50% price increase over the previous upgrade price.

    If I were to buy the current upgrade, I would have paid about €606 in upgrade costs over three years. A subscription would have cost me €690 up to now, but would not own the content I created with Capture One, but would lose it completely once I stop the subscription.

    The upgrade in the last few years I bought without knowing exactly what I was getting in return. If I now look at the features that have been added and which of them are really useful to me and include in the consideration the features (e.g. support for lenses I own, see also my post linked above) that are still not in Capture One, then I come to a devastating conclusion in terms of value for money.

    So no matter which way I look at it, Capture One's price/performance ratio is downright poor. And the so-called "loyalty program" worsens the price-performance ratio even more due to the massive price increase. Once again, a very high price is to be paid, without concretely naming what counter-values in the form of features I will get. Due to the decidedly bad experiences with Capture One, I hereby say goodbye to this software.

    I will continue to use the perpetual license I own for as long as it is possible. I have since purchased other software with a perpetual license for image management and raw development and have spent the last few months learning how to use it. So the transition is not a problem for me.

    The business practices shown are not evidence that they are interested in loyal customers, but want to collect as much money as possible from customers for as little service as possible.
    This is a very disappointed customer saying goodbye.

    5
  • FirstName LastName

    Dear Capture One,

    I purchased a perpetual license for "C1 Pro 23"  on 19th October 2022 - prior the official release date in 2022.
    This was a special offer with additional discount then, as it was not said which new features will be included in the new release.

    So, currently I can see a voucher for 40% discount when I would buy a perpetual license of the next version (C1 24) by now.

    Unfortunately, the new version is not yet released and I cannot select to buy "C1 24" today.
    It only shows the option to buy the "current version" - which is obviously "C1 23".

    Now I must assume, that, if the new release will not be out by 18th of October 2023, I will only get 20% off, as then my last purchase would be between 12 and 24 month (see table in the article above).

    So buying prior the official release date last year and showing my "loyalty" to the software, I will most likely end up in loosing 20% of my loyalty discount this year.

    I don´t think this is fair and it leaves a bitter aftertaste.

    5
  • Philip Lanum

    Here are my issues.

    • Fact: I have been using CO since 2005.
    • I have always bought a Perpetual License.
    • Now I get this offer and find out.
    1. If I buy a perpetual license, I get bug fixes but no new feature upgrades.
    2. If I switch to a subscription, I get bug fix and feature upgrade.
    3. If I am on a subscription and I quit paying - I have to buy a perpetual license because the software will no longer function. I can get a discount but no bug fixes and no new features.

    Simple question:

    • Why?
    • Why can't I pay for a year's subscription once and move on. (I.E. a perpetual like license instead of exposing my credit card to potential monthly abuse.) I would get bug fixes and feature updates - just like my perpetual license.

    Your bundle package?

    • I do not own any Apple device. Why in the name of heaven would I want a bundle that only works on Apple devices, what does that gain your customers. Or do you believe that only your "real" customers use Apple products?

    Please state in simple terms what is required to get your software that has bug fixes and new features available to your customers. Is it really that hard to do? Reading your charts is like playing fisbin (Original Star Strek reference) where you make up the rules depending on the day of the week.

    4
  • BeO
    Top Commenter

    Hi Kaffeepause,

    Yes, I have to agree with what you've said.

    May I ask which other software you are using now? Maybe a small comparison what is better and what is worse for your workflow and final results?

    Cheers,
    BeO

    1
  • Kaffeepause

    Hi BeO,

    I will briefly describe what I did when I learned about the changes in Capture One's pricing model.

    Since I already own licenses of various programs (Affinity Photo, On1 Photo RAW, Luminar Neo) have tested these programs for my workflow and in addition DxO PhotoLab. After about 3 months I decided to go with PhotoLab. Since the beginning of 2023, I have used Capture One and PhotoLab in parallel side by side to get to know PhotoLab better. Capture One is still my main RAW development program, but I have developed many images in PhotoLab as well and have learned the program very well in the meantime. PhotoLab is now becoming more and more my main RAW development program.

    Since I only have a simple organization structure for my images, DxO PhotoLab's image management is sufficient for my purposes. The slightly different approach to image development I have learned over the last few months with the help of tutorials and the manual. Because I am a very inquisitive person, I am happy when I learn something new.

    For image management, I rely on the support of Excire Foto, which analyzes images with AI and assigns keywords, although I can of course assign my own keywords. I've also used Excire Foto with Capture One before, so it didn't require a particularly big change in the way I work.

    In various cases I also use Luminar Neo or Affinity Photo, e.g. for panorama stitching or HDR stitching, because the respective functions in Capture One did not satisfy me and were never developed further.

    On1 Photo RAW was also a candidate, but my old Mac was too weak in terms of graphics performance, so I couldn't use the program meaningfully. However, this summer I bought a Mac Studio M2 Ultra, on which On1 now runs absolutely smoothly and fast. I will look into it again in the next few months.

    My way of working is that I use one program as the main RAW development program and for special cases I fall back on other programs which can do certain functions better. The main image manager is Excire Photo.

    The disadvantage is that I have to use different programs for image management and RAW development, but - as already written - that was already the case in the past, so this disadvantage does not weigh heavily.

    As written at the beginning, this is a workflow that works for me, other people will see a completely different workflow as advantageous. Anyway, I always check if my workflow still makes sense or if I can change and improve it, which always results in changes.

    I hope I could give you some ideas, one or the other of which might be helpful for you.

    2
  • BeO
    Top Commenter

    Hi Kaffeepause

    Thank you for the comprehensive response, very much appreciated. Yes, it is helpful

    I have a question regarding Excire Foto, are you able to see the finished and exported jpg from DXO (or the other apps) in close proximity to the raw file, maybe the raw file somehow grouped with the jpg? Do you manage exported jpgs with Excire at all or only look at the embedded preview in the raw file?

    0
  • mountainview

    BeO If you are interested in an excellent App for managing images and libraries of various software applications (on a Mac), I can highly recommend Peakto by Cyme.io. It is astonishing what you can accomplish with this app. Especially their approach to identifying variants of imagines across applications and locations works really well. I also have Excire, but Cyme is IMHO far superior. Their feature sets are not identical though.

    0
  • BeO
    Top Commenter

    mountainview Thank you. Unfortunately, I am still on Windows :-)

    I tested PM+ and digiKam, the latter could maybe be a viable alternative as a catalog. But currently I am still fine with my C1 session/catalog workflow (v15.2). However, I can never upgrade if the new v16 bug (drag&drop from a catalog (C1 or not) to a session album won't be fixed, as my workflow is broken then.

    0
  • Nils Schirmer

    wow, greediness on a whole new level. are you adobe, now?

    1
  • I P

    Hi together,

    I'm an enthusiast nature photographer and I started with V7 long time ago. I like the excellent image quality results of C1 and the way of working. Before I switched to C1 I used the unbelievable Apple Aperture and a very short time LR.

    I was a loyal C1 customer over many years inspite of the many different issues over the years which cost me days of  lifetime ... and an existing painful slow catalog performance. I pre-payed last year for C1 2023 without knowing what features will come ... afterwards not the best decision. 

    I understand that a company has to earn money. It seems I'm not part the favourite user group for them. The new licence/price/feature model is crazy, too complex, too expensive for me and has nothing to do with loyality. I'm really disapointed. I lost my confidence and loyality.

    There are some interesting alternatives compared to C1.

    All the best and thx to Danny Grover for wonderful support and feature explaination videos!

    4
  • Robert Richardson

    Dear Capture One,

    The reason I left Adobe 6 years ago was because I refused to pay for a subscription.  I was thrilled with my move to Capture One at the time and have been a loyal user since.  I upgraded every year after my initial purchase, a bit more reluctantly these past couple years due to the significant increase in price, but I still did it because I valued the software and the support people behind it.  I'm truly disappointed in saying that I will no longer be supporting Capture One as it has become everything I disliked about Adobe when I left them 6 years ago.  I would rather go back to Adobe than be a part of your Disloyalty Scheme.  I drew my line in the sand with Adobe and now I'm doing it with you.  

    Fortunately, I've got a perpetual license of C1 23 which I can continue to use while I evaluate my options.  I plan to try DXO and will consider going back to Adobe as their subscription model provides far greater value for less $$$ than anything Capture One provides, especially since i don't shoot tethered and don't use Apple products.

    Capture One, my preference would be for you to see the light and realize this abomination of a money grab you call a Loyalty Program is just the opposite of what you wish it to be.  Do the right thing.  However, until then, you've lost a loyal user.  

    4
  • William F Brock

    Wait what, I have upgraded my perpetual with every new version, but all i see is the 20%, when should be 40%...seriously?  This is enough to p me off to go full time on lightroom.  This confusing and silly system does not reward loyalty and if anything makes me angry.

    2
  • Phrank

    There was already a big rant on your Loyality Program, but i kept silent and wanted to check what really will happen when time has come to update.

    I’ve upgraded in october 2020 for 116€ to Capture One 21. In november 2021 for 126€ to Capture One 22. And last november 2022 for 175€ to Capture One 23. Now with a Loyality Code for version 16.3 I have to pay 239€ for a perpetual license. It seems like the prices for upgrades/updates rise and rise…

    I want to "thank you” (regarding your post). Is this your loyality?

    I can get a new version while Black Friday Week for 174€ somewhere else…

    Is this your last offer?

    2
  • Lesley McEwan

    Phrank I have been following this link all year.  I bought CO 23 in March this year and I have until March 24 to get my either 40% off the perpetual license or the subscription.  I got caught up with perhaps losing out on a 40% discount....then I realised the new Apple upgrade still worked with CO 23 and I don't intend buying a new camera this year. I can do without AI masking as I am already to OK with my workflow.......so I am saving 100% and delaying any decision for another year. It seems we could be buying a new version on Black Friday every other year and forego a loyalty program altogether?

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  • Phrank

    Lesley McEwan

    Thanks for the feedback. Well, I will check if I really need these "new" features – nothing has improved what I really need. I’m happy to got camera support for my Nikon Z8 and I don't need a iPhone 15…

    Capture One i would like to see some improvements for Digital Asset Management and Meta Data fields for GEO data. Capture One Live still feels like a Beta. Let's see how loyal I feel next year;-)

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  • Christoph Müller

    Seems I missed my 179$ update window for my perpetual license by like a month, guess my loyality over the last 5 years is not apreciated. I guess I will skip this "feature" upgrade now. Please stop treating perpetual license owners like second class citizens.

     

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