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CO stability and resulting catalog strategy

Karl Buhl
As a semi-professional shooter (it's not my only source of income) I recently migrated from Lightroom, and I'm feeling my way around CO11.2 (Win). After working with it for several weeks, I have two general impressions (which admittedly may not be correct). Both are of concern:

1. Capture One does not appear to be particularly stable—as in frequent glitches, hiccups, freezes, and crashes.
(PhaseOne has already recommended that I do a clean install.)

2. Capture One catalogs appear to have a (theoretical) number of images that the catalog shouldn't exceed. Otherwise, the catalog a) slows down significantly; b) which makes #1 above more pronounced.

I'm interested in community input—specifically what people think is the safe, stable, (not-to-exceed) number of images in a single catalog.

And based on that answer, I'd like to know how the community organizes their catalogs.
For example:
A. One master catalog that contains 50,000+ images.
B. Vs. catalogs that are exclusively project focused (e.g. Session size).
C. Or something in the middle.

Are you organizing your catalogs by geography? By project shoot? By year?
I suspect it's all of the above, but I'm trying to shorten my learning-curve with CO based on everyone's practical experience.

My preference would be 'A': one master catalog to rule them all. However, I'm getting the feeling that's not practical.

Thanks for your input.
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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • Dave R
    I have been using Capture One for many years and am one of the many beta testers of new versions. I would love to use Capture One as my sole RAW software but after many attempts have finally come to the conclusion that, on Win 10 at least, the catalogue function is completely unusable for anything other than the smallest catalogue - a few thousand images at most.
    I have reverted to my previous way of working: Lightroom for catalogue and when I need Capture One's image processing strengths use Capture One in session mode and simply browse the system folders in the library to find the image I want to work on.
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  • RobiWan
    @David523
    it's very sad but everything you write is correct.

    Phase One told me - they want redesign the database but .... really???? .... when???
    Why I don't believe it? the same catalog on the same hardware but running OSX is 100 or mote times faster. So the database is not optimal but good enough but the way the software addressed the database is wrong and the Phase One developer won't check this (I tried to explain it to support several times. But they are not able to understand it and you can't get to the developers.)

    Do you know LR Plug-In "OpenDirectly" that gives RAW file directly to proffered another application like C1, so you don't need to browse Filesystem to find your RAW file

    I myself have switched to ON1 Photo RAW and use C1 in Session mode very sporadically.
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  • Ian Leslie
    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:
    As a semi-professional shooter (it's not my only source of income) I recently migrated from Lightroom, and I'm feeling my way around CO11.2 (Win).


    Same here but probably less money from photography 😊

    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:

    1. Capture One does not appear to be particularly stable—as in frequent glitches, hiccups, freezes, and crashes.
    (PhaseOne has already recommended that I do a clean install.)


    None of that matches my experience. I think C1 has locked up maybe once on me and that was after my catalogue drive went goofy.

    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:

    2. Capture One catalogs appear to have a (theoretical) number of images that the catalog shouldn't exceed. Otherwise, the catalog a) slows down significantly; b) which makes #1 above more pronounced.


    There are issues with performance, filtering in particular but normal navigation is fine.

    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:

    I'm interested in community input—specifically what people think is the safe, stable, (not-to-exceed) number of images in a single catalog.

    And based on that answer, I'd like to know how the community organizes their catalogs.
    For example:
    A. One master catalog that contains 50,000+ images.
    B. Vs. catalogs that are exclusively project focused (e.g. Session size).
    C. Or something in the middle.


    Definately A. Mine is 62 000 and climbing.


    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:

    Are you organizing your catalogs by geography? By project shoot? By year?
    I suspect it's all of the above, but I'm trying to shorten my learning-curve with CO based on everyone's practical experience.


    My photos are organized by year/date - job name. In the catalogue I have albums for the other connections.

    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:

    My preference would be 'A': one master catalog to rule them all. However, I'm getting the feeling that's not practical.

    Thanks for your input.


    They way I work is I create a session and do most of my editing and selecting and then I import the session into the catalogue.
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  • Dave R
    [quote="NNN636625240627049970" wrote:
    As a semi-professional shooter (it's not my only source of income) I recently migrated from Lightroom, and I'm feeling my way around CO11.2 (Win). After working with it for several weeks, I have two general impressions (which admittedly may not be correct). Both are of concern:

    1. Capture One does not appear to be particularly stable—as in frequent glitches, hiccups, freezes, and crashes.
    (PhaseOne has already recommended that I do a clean install.)

    2. Capture One catalogs appear to have a (theoretical) number of images that the catalog shouldn't exceed. Otherwise, the catalog a) slows down significantly; b) which makes #1 above more pronounced.

    I'm interested in community input—specifically what people think is the safe, stable, (not-to-exceed) number of images in a single catalog.

    And based on that answer, I'd like to know how the community organizes their catalogs.
    For example:
    A. One master catalog that contains 50,000+ images.
    B. Vs. catalogs that are exclusively project focused (e.g. Session size).
    C. Or something in the middle.

    Are you organizing your catalogs by geography? By project shoot? By year?
    I suspect it's all of the above, but I'm trying to shorten my learning-curve with CO based on everyone's practical experience.

    My preference would be 'A': one master catalog to rule them all. However, I'm getting the feeling that's not practical.

    Thanks for your input.

    You might find this link useful
    https://digitaltransitions.com/catalogs ... tle-times/
    Dave
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  • Karl Buhl
    Thanks everyone for your candor.
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