Capture One Express is coming to an end
Hello everyone,
Writing a post in here just in case some of you have not been contacted by e-mail and to also share some helpful resources after this news.
See here:
Express deprecation FAQ
How to access your catalog images outside of Capture One
From the email communication sent out earlier today:
"... This means that starting January 30, 2024, Capture One Express will no longer be available.
You’ll be able to use Express until January 30, and all your images and edits will also be available until this date.
Starting January 30, you won’t be able to download or use Express from our website. Also, you can’t activate any Express license keys after January 30, even though you downloaded the license key before this date.
We’ll end all support for Express after January 30."
Understandably, if you are an Express user this will come as disappointing news. However, we have done our best to ensure that there are options available to you, should you want to stay in the Capture One eco-system – check your inbox over the coming days for an offer that's unique to you.
Kind regards,
Team Capture One
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Originally posted by John Zandbergen:
Here's a little history, Phase One A/S press release when Fujifilm and Phase One came to an agreement.
Phase One announces software collaboration with Fujifilm
COPENHAGEN, Sep. 25, 2018 – Phase One A/S, the world’s leading manufacturer of full frame medium format digital photography systems and imaging solutions today announced a strategic software agreement with Fujifilm.
Under terms of this agreement, Phase One and Fujifilm are collaborating to broaden and deepen Capture One software support of more Fujifilm cameras. With the release of Capture One 11.3 (see today’s announcement) Capture One has significantly expanded its Fujifilm camera support, with full Fujifilm RAW file and basic tethered support for select cameras. Future development will integrate Fujifilm Film Simulations with Capture One and provide enhanced tethered support for select professional Fujifilm cameras.
......
Capture One Express Fujifilm is free for all Fujifilm camera owners
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John Zandbergen I also can see it but can't approve it for some reason. I believe some links are auto-modded (but don't quote me on that). Anyhow, I've re-posted for visibility.
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hey OddS.
Thom Hogan wrote about Capture One in last week's "The Software Saga Continues": https://bythom.com/newsviews/the-software-saga-continues.html
not sure if i got that right, but the wording here seems to imply that you lose access to Fujifilm RAW Converter if you cancel the All in One trial, which is incorrect. just wanted to clarify.
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I addressed each of these already. Bob who downloaded the software 6 months or 6 years ago is going to be ticked come next whenever when he kicks off COExpress and it doesn't work. BUT MY PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!! he'll scream. Why didn't they warn me?????????????????
No reasonable person expects technical support on a free piece of software they downloaded 6 years ago. If it stops working due to OS incompatibility, etc, they will either try to find a newer version of the software, or search for a workaround.
Also speaking from personal experience, software doesn't usually just stop working one day for no reason. Maybe it's different on Mac, but on Windows it usually only happens when trying to run programs that were designed for a Windows version that is a couple of generations older, for example when trying to run Vista programs on Windows 10. In the case of Capture One Express, the lack of compatibility with new cameras would likely become a problem much sooner than the software stopping working for whatever reason.
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> Denis Huk: ...cancel the All in One trial.
I have no idea what "the All in One trial" is and I do not see it mentioned in Thom Hogan's text.
May I suggest, "to clarify things", that you ask Thom Hogan to correct his mistake, if there indeed is one. Perhaps also carefully read the information from the Capture One company to make sure Thom Hogan really did have a clear text to begin with.
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https://support.captureone.com/hc/en-us/articles/14964802469533-Fujifilm-RAW-Converter
This Fujifilm RAW Converter article clearly states it is "complimentary" with no support and provides the reduced list of features it provides. Thom Hogan is aware that his article misrepresents the offerings. It is his responsibility to correct it.
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the discussion has reached a dead end i guess. C1 has made their decisions. users will make their own decisions. no amount of argumentation will change that. i bought myself an adobe subscription for christmas and could not be happier.
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Yes indeed. I'll keep my C1 "perpetual" freezed and use it as a TIFF editor and from now use DxO as a raw converter and qDSLRdashboard for tethering.
I really don't like the way Capture One is taking.
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Sorry for Your loss, Capture one. (:
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I´m not a professional photographer, but I definitely fall in the prosumer category. One of the factors that made me invest in Fuji a couple of years ago was the FREE Capture One Express. Just do the math and see what your camera costs you including buying or subscribing to photo software. I stopped my subscription on Adobe photo plan, bought Pixelmator Pro and have been happy with Capture One Express and Pixelmator Pro ever since. As a non-professional photographer it’s limits to what I’m willing to spend on equipment and software. For me, Capture One Pro probably is the best tool for my Fuji camera, but I’m switching back to Adobe photo plan. Lightroom AND Photoshop for quite a bit less in subscription cost compared to Capture One Pro does the choice for me. In my area, Capture One Pro costs about 85% more in monthly subscription fee than the Adobe photo plan. I´m also probably not going to buy a new Fuji camera, but rather revert back to Nikon that I used before. Not having the benefit of free (good) software included with a camera does influence my choice (I’m excluding the software that Fuji and Nikon provides). There are probably quite a few different opinions out there, but me and my prosumer friends agree that Capture One now does not have a good option for the prosumer category. Of course, it depends what you are willing to spend. For me, I’m very disappointed that Capture One kills Express, but my decision to switch back to Adobe is a purely logical one.
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The feature list is not the same for Express and the Fujifilm Raw Converter. Compare the old list for Express with the current list. One notable omission is that the new edition seems to lack any version of the Color Editor. A more fundamental problem is that we have no guarantee C1 won't pull the same stunt with this that they did with Express. I would suggest that abandoned Fuji C1 Express users also take a look at Fuji's Silkypix-based Raw File Converter if they need a free solution. Abandoned Nikon Express users should be aware of Nikon's NX Studio, arguably the best free raw converter provided by a camera company. I don't think either product requires online activation, so these packages (presumably) cannot be deactivated without your permission. Sony have their own free converter, Imaging Edge, but I haven't used it. Canon's free offering is Digital Photo Professional (DPP), but of course Express did not support Canon and there has been no Canon-compatible 'lite' version of C1 for a long time.
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I see in another thread that a user who had purchased Styles for use with C1 Express has now learnt that they will no longer be able to use them. Would admin Jack W or Denis Huk like to comment on whether C1 will be offering a full refund to anyone who has paid money for products that C1 is now depriving them of? If not, I suspect this will quite rightly leave C1 open to legal action.
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I agree with so many of the comments.
I totally understand ending support for Express. I would expect that to be no more downloads, no updates, no support requests, no new cameras, etc. Completely disabling existing licenses, is ridiculous!
I'm a hobbiest shooter and can't justify a monthly subscription for as little as I use it. I'm also not going to buy a perpetual license of Capture One because who knows when they'll disable it.
If they had left my Express version working, I could see myself looking to subscribe or buy in the future. For example, I upgrade my camera, need software that supports it, and have had a good experience with Capture One. That won't happen now.
Looking for other options....
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I'm also not going to buy a perpetual license of Capture One because who knows when they'll disable it.
I see this argument floating around and I just can't make the logical jump required for this line of thinking.
Express has always been free. They're disabling it. .....well, actually they aren't. They're killing the authentication server. They're foregoing an ongoing cost required to support a free product. That makes sense to me. I also give them the benefit of doubt to think they looked at writing code to disable Express' need to phone home and decided the development cost wasn't worth the effort. Again, that makes sense to me.
My perpetual license is a completely different animal. Scores of users have paid for perpetual licenses. There is a legal contract there. I gave value for value. If Capture One wants to change the terms of that contract, they have to offer something of value. Can they decide one day to kill the perpetual entirely? Sure. Adobe did. But LR 6 still works provided I pull out old gear. They also offered me a "free" subscription for some number of months. I didn't like it and I used 6 for ages until I just had to upgrade.
This whole "they disabled this so I'll never do that because they might kill that, too" just sounds defeatist. If I'd have stopped dating because the first girl broke up with me, it would have been a long, lonely life and the logic feels pretty similar.
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I'd be shocked if the activation server for Express isn't the same one they use for Pro. Thus most of us appreciate the no longer supported move, but what is the point of disabling the activation server and keeping the ~700 meg download of the last version available for users? Many people got Express with the purchase of a Camera they still use.
I'm pretty sure I could download Capture One Pro 16 as an owner of Pro.
Glad I have Pro, but an a photography instructor this move really does hurt my long tradition of telling all Sony (and more recently Nikon and Fuji) users to give CO a try (via Express) before giving Adobe a dime and grow with that system as you see your needs quickly increasing.
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Capture One offers the 30-day full feature trial so your students can still give it a try. They also offer students a discount. As an educator you an probably make a special arrangement with Capture One for your students. It benefits Capture One to get people into their product as early as possible much like Apple incentivized schools and universities to use Apple computers so that people entering the workforce would demand Apple products in the enterprise. They succeeded!
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30 days isn't anywhere long enough to get someone who hasn't used Editing software before deep enough to make a $300 investment in the platform. Most simply would not see the value at that stage. If C1 had the old camera brand specific seat for $99, maybe.
The students I work with might have a couple hours a week to do photography. So that equals what - 4 hours tops during the trial to be "editing" vs taking shots.
And before the subscription route is mentioned, LR + PS as much as I don't like it makes a lot most sense due to both the cost and feature set - which is even given away in many educational environments - not just a "discount"
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As a photography instructor I really can't understand why you wouldn't stress the value of a photo editor - whether that be Capture One or any other quality editor. We invest in cameras and lenses and time to learn and shoot but then it all just ends........at a free editor?
That editor is where the rubber meets the road. Sure your students have finite resources but it's they who have to decide how best to spend their money. But the conversation surrounding investing in an editor feels as valid as the conversation surrounding investing in good glass vs bargain bin.
As an intro to photo editing, I'd suggest the mobile Capture One editor (provided they're on Apple). It's underpowered for a pro user (imo) but pretty straight forward for a beginner and an excellent introduction to the full software. Similarly, I would never advise a subscription to LR/PS because of the gotcha surrounding cancelling the software - without fully disclosing that they can't simply cancel at any time. Again, maybe the mobile version through an app store but certainly not a direct sub through Adobe. Also that "feature set", especially in PS, will take more than the "4 hours" to even make a dent in. So it's LR vs Capture One and, imo, any money spent on PS is just wasted on beginners.
There are other softwares, too. But good editing software is the followthrough to a golf swing. No matter how good you are up to the club hitting the ball, it all falls apart without that followthrough. And, personally, I think that's a valid conversation for an instructor/advisor/mentor to have.
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Brian Walton. Also, Capture One offers a 65% off education discount. https://www.captureone.com/en/education/capture-one-for-students
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Brian Walton One last thing: Capture One will continue to offer a free Fuji editor. Details were included in the sunsetting email. https://support.captureone.com/hc/en-us/articles/14964802469533-Fujifilm-RAW-Converter
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I recently gave a presentation around the idea that you don't need expensive gear to create great images. The deck was full of published and small gallery presentations featuring my work with images with glass that cost $100 or less per lens, and digital camera bodies that range from $150 - a max of $550. And outside of such a presentation, the gear I use is never a point of discussion when looking at the work.
I do highly value good tools and Capture One is my favorite RAW processor (even though it only has a tiny fraction of lens profiles of gear I actually use). That said, C1 is priced at the absolute top of the market, even discounted. There are plenty of tools that anyone with some skill can get great results with for a lot less money.
C1 is great as a program but but it certainly isn't worlds better for someone using a modest setup. I make it very clear in my instruction and presentation the pros and cons of different software options from Free software (DarkTable, Raw Therapee, Phocus -for mac users, Gimp). Reasonable priced options (On1, Affinity Photo, PaintShop Pro), a bit more pricey programs (Luminar, DxO, ACDsee), to those that take some investment (Adobe, Capture One). As I said before, C1 express was an "easy" sell. Asking a student to go top of price in the market when such nice other options are out there isn't an easy sell, especially when the upgrade cost is as much or more than buying into another program outright with no previous ownership.
And for the majority of photographers C1 isn't a complete editing package, it is a rare occasion where the straight output from C1 is the image I deliver as a final deliverable for consumption, even it did get most of the way there. Thus the buy in cost is compounded as it isn't a total solution.
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@...
Yes, I'm familiar with and have included them in presentations for years. (though I haven't kept up with the latest Elements version)
I personally use the entire Affinity suite as my Adobe alternative for the pixel, vector, and design layout needs.
DarkTable (and RAW therapee) would be well served to have a simplified interface and some performance improvements . The capabilities are impressive but it feels more like a burden to use. I do "push it" to show what is available for free.
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I totally agree with you. And I would even push further: Why the hell, if I was an educational institution, PAY to use a software and form an opinion basis in the form of potential customers for a private business that charges me ? What ?
Wise software makers SPONSOR educational institutions.
And again C1 is far from a complete solution. It's a nice program but just this.
My picks: Affinity + RawTherapee or Darktable or DxO ( or RawPower for Mac)
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Brian Walton I've got to be honest and say I get all kinds of mixed messages from your posts. You talk about beginners that have no time then dive into all these options that take more and more and more time. Darktable for a beginner with "4 hours" a week? Not hardly. That's just being honest. Capture One may or may not be the option here but this all started because you replied to my post addressing someone else. Tell me, how do you know so much about what it costs and how much work would be involved in letting Express live on? The fact is, you don't. None of us do. That's been my point all along.
And as to cheap gear? I started shooting in 1981 and have lenses that are so old they're yellowed from radiation. Worse, I bought some of them new! So I get you. I love images made with some of my old glass. But, again, you talked about beginners with no time. Every beginner I've ever taught (and there've been a few) wanted to make photos that look like "this". All creamy bokeh and perfect lighting. In fairness, that deserves a conversation about skill acquisition and expectations. Can you make great photos with older and cheaper gear? Sure! But, in fairness and honesty, it takes more skill to make great photos with lesser gear than with better gear. And let's get real here. With an education discount, Capture One is $63 per year for the Pro package. That's about as cheap as it gets. Adobe's cheapest education package is $20/month. Their Photography package is $10. And they hook you into all 12 payments where every payment restarts the counter. Canceling costs you 3-5 months additional payments depending on the mood of the rep you talk with. Still 2x the monthly cost of Capture One. I'm all for holding a company accountable but this is just tilting at windmills here.
Antonio F. Shalders Remember, Brian talks about students who have "4 hours" a week to devote to this. You're seriously going to suggest people with that little time try to learn to use that hodgepodge of software? Seriously? And since when have you found a software package in this industry that gives their applications away to students? Adobe has Institution pricing where the students pay nothing but the school certainly does. I don't know if Capture One offers the same but to say there's some magical package out there that's "free" is just wrong.
@... I don't even read your missives anymore. As I've said before, I don't care for the level of certainty you paint over all your posts so we'll have to agree to disagree. But you keep @ing me on these posts. If you are, in fact, talking to me, you can save your keystrokes. If you're talking to others in the thread, save the @. Just trying to same you some time there, buddy.
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For those who think about using the Fuji Raw Converter: I've tried it, it works nice but there are a few items missing that may be essential in your workflow, that I did not find mentioned in the feature list:
- No JPG editing, only raw (my luck: I only shoot raw)
- No histogram (why would you remove this?)
- No levels
- Many functions not clickable by button, but still (for how long?) available in the menu. Like the before/after button and clipping display
For me, histogram and levels are essential. For my current batch of photo's I will continue in C1, but I've already tried out RawTherapee and that is going to be my future editor.
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I never mentioned that there are magical packages for free. Pease read again.
Lots of software makers gives free tiers of their products for education, specially in engineering.
And YES ! Any student with more than two working neurons should be able use a raw converter and an image editor as complementary softwares. Capture One is very, very far from the swiss army knife they think it is, primitive sharpening and noise reduction algorithms just to start.
Raw Therapee is a beast and as a raw developer it eats C1 for breakfast.
The only company that was able to get close to this is Adobe...
But I understand your point, you're here to defend Capture, this is crystal clear to everyone here.
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For Fuji, you should give a try to DxO. I have thousands of photos made with Fuji cameras and for a long time C1 was my preferred software. Then DxO came with X-Trans support and I assure you that it's amazing.
RT is fantastic but it has a steep learning curve.
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I don't think I'm sending mixed messages at all. With free software (Dark Table or formerly C1 express) there was no time limit to get comfortable. Someone with 4 hours a month to work with said software is only limited my their own life span, not a 30 day trial of C1 Pro. Dark Table certainly has a learning curve, but when there are no limitations on how long or frequently you can use the product - it is a different proposition than "learn it in 30 days" and then pay top dollar.
As for the cost to keep it alive, of course I don't know the specifics, but with a background in IT, I can tell you that a system that doesn't have to generate new keys, isn't getting updates, support isn't promised of any kind and has a authentication server for singular activation / deactivation - then the cost is basically the maintenance of keeping the activation server. I can assure you I've managed both smaller and larger servers than what C1 would conceivably use...so yes, I think it is reasonable to suggest the cost is nominal, and likely could be easily tied into the Pro server (if they didn't have the foresight to make them the same in the first place)....which again, I'd imagine they are co-located.
As for the cost of the software for students. In a school environment Adobe seats are frequently given away, On1 you can buy outright for ~$60. Affinity Photo you can grab for even less than that.
In addition to this, educational discounts assumes things like an accredited university where the student is paying for a course. Many of us teach students for free outside of these systems that do not have such funds and also do not get paid for this service to the community either.
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Brian Walton writes:
DarkTable (and RAW therapee) would be well served to have a simplified interface and some performance improvements . The capabilities are impressive but it feels more like a burden to use. I do "push it" to show what is available for free.
There is already a fork of RT called ART (discuss.pixls.us/c/software/art) that aims to do exactly this and is worth checking out.
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Brian Jordan writes:
This whole "they disabled this so I'll never do that because they might kill that, too" just sounds defeatist. If I'd have stopped dating because the first girl broke up with me, it would have been a long, lonely life and the logic feels pretty similar.
I think you're missing that it's the same girl, the one who ditched you by email to shack up with that private equity investor she just met. Would you give her another chance, or date someone else? Relationships between software companies and customers tend to be rather one-sided, but there's no reason to stay with one that doesn't treat you with respect when there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
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Anbaric Thanks for the info on "ART" I hadn't heard of that! Will check it out.
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