FAQ: When will Capture One support Camera X raw files?

This is one of the most common queries we receive. Notably, we often receive this question about cameras that are already supported, but the user is not running the most recent version of Capture One, or the user has selected an option that is not supported on that camera yet (e.g. they selected “compressed raw” when only the “uncompressed raw” is currently supported). So the first thing to do is check if the camera appears on the Supported Cameras list and whether there are any notes in the entry for that camera regarding limitations.

Otherwise the answer is surprisingly simple, and can be answered by asking a few simple questions. Phase One has been 100% consistent, for more than a decade, on which cameras it supports and when. While this is not an “official policy” in that you won’t find it in writing on their website (our guess is that’s because of lawyers) it’s been so consistent for so long that it can be considered a defacto policy.

Here is a flowchart that helps you answer this question, followed by some more extensive explanations.

 

Format?

Small format: Phase One has, for more than a decade, opened support in Capture One Pro to a huge variety of small-format cameras, providing those cameras access to Capture One’s class-leading raw processing engine and rock solid tethering mechanics.

Medium format: Phase One only supports their own medium format cameras and the medium format cameras of Fuji. Since Phase One makes their own medium format systems, software support  is developed alongside the hardware. As a rule of thumb, if you know about a new Phase One camera, then support is not only already present in Capture One, but they have already spent weeks and weeks fine tuning that support to get the most out of the camera.

 

Is it a camera useful to pros?

If it’s a small-format camera the next question is whether the camera is useful for professional use or use by serious photographic enthusiasts (regardless of whether they derive an income from photography). This categorization is obviously a bit fuzzy, as a pro or serious enthusiast can make great images with anything from an IQ4 150mp to an iPhone to a brownie loaded with film they subsequently drag across the sidewalk. But generally it means that it has some semblance of professional features like raw capture, manual exposure control, and a flash sync port of some kind.

Phase One doesn’t impose a very high bar. Capture One supports over 400 cameras are supported, including nearly every Sony, Canon, Nikon, Leica, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Ricoh, and Samsung small-format camera that can shoot raw. It even supports some defunct brands like Konica and Epson (yes, Epson made cameras). 

It’s actually very hard to find a small-format raw-capable camera that Capture One does not support, and when you can find one it’s pretty obviously not a camera geared toward pro or serious enthusiast use. For example, Capture One does not support the Casio EX-10, but I bet you didn’t even know Casio still made cameras, and I’ve never met someone who uses one.

So, generally, if it’s a small-format camera that someone buying $299 raw processing software might be interested in, it will be prioritized for support. If not, it will likely still be supported, but there are no promises on if or when that will happen.

 

But when???

Since Capture One supports nearly all serious small-format cameras the question becomes a matter of timing. There are two things that tend to drive this:

1. Is it a flagship camera model?
2. Is there anything radically new about the camera’s raw files or sensor?

By “flagship” we mean cameras like the Canon 5Ds R, Nikon D850, Sony A7R3, or Fuji XH-1. They are one of the top cameras in their respective lineups and used to push the limit of quality. Phase One places an especially high priority on supporting flagship cameras because they are disproportionally used by Phase One’s customers. 

Usually, such flagship cameras use the same raw file format and sensor type as their immediate predecessor. In that case support usually comes in the next release of Capture One. But this can be derailed if the camera uses an entirely new raw file format like with Canon’s introduction of RAW-S or CR3 raw file format), or if the camera uses an entirely new type* of sensor like with the introduction of the Fuji X-Trans sensor.

 

What does “Next Release” mean?

Capture One changed to a more agile and aggressive development strategy in version 8 which was released in 2014. In the four years since there has been an average of a bit less than one release per month, with some variation in the spacing between releases.

If a flagship camera becomes available more than a week or two before the release of a new version, Phase One will generally prioritize its inclusion in that release. There are no guarantees of course, especially if the rollout of actual camera availability is slow (Phase One insists on having a final production camera on which to do their testing, calibration, and profiling, and being headquartered in Denmark it’s sometimes a few days before they can find one to buy). Phase One has even held up the occasional release just to make sure it included a flagship camera. 

As you might imagine, not as much priority is given to cameras like the Panasonic ZS60 which are on the opposite side of the spectrum from “flagship cameras”. These are often done in batches, and they may not make the cut to be included in the first version after their release, especially if they become available only shortly before the next version of Capture One is released. That means for cameras that aren’t “flagship” support typically lag by a month or two.

All of this is also influenced by how many requests Phase One receives from their users, either via requests to the dealer channel, or via support cases at phaseone.com. So if you have a new camera that isn’t yet supported, feel free to reach out. Your voice matters!

 

Why so long? 

That expression “Fast, Cheap, or Good: pick one” comes to mind. Phase One is known for providing the best color, detail, and tone from the raw files it supports. One of the reasons for this is that every camera that Phase One supports goes through rigorous and in-depth testing, profiling, and calibration. This includes building an extensive database of raw files captured in the studio and captured outdoors of not just test targets, but of people, plants, fruit, vegetables, meat, and other source material that the eye is especially particular about when it comes to color. That takes time. 

Phase One could just accept the manufacturer’s profiles, or it could limit it’s testing to a couple pictures of color targets, but experience tells them that this results in lackluster profiles that aren’t robust and lead to raw processing that just feels “off” in a hard to describe way.

When I speak with customers they are often under the impression that camera makers will send Phase One advance copies of new camera models. This seems logical to expect, but it’s not correct. In almost every case Phase One must wait until the final production model is shipping to the general public, and wait for delivery like anyone else who is purchasing it.

 

But I need to work with these (currently unsupported) raw files NOW!

You might consider signing up as a Phase One Beta Tester to get early access to the beta builds of Capture One. These often include (inherently beta) support for raw files of recently released cameras that are not yet publicly supported. Just keep in mind that beta software is, by definition, not ready for mission-critical deadline-driven production work. So bugs, quirks, crashes, and potentially even worse, should be expected. Beta testers are volunteering to put up with (and report) those issues in exchange for early access to new features, camera support, and influence over the development of the software.

Alternatively, you can also explore making DNG copies of your raw files. But you should do so with open eyes about exactly what that does and does not mean.

In the future you might consider postponing the purchase or use of a camera until it is supported in Capture One. That saves a lot of hassle. 

 

Wasn’t DNG supposed to save us from this?

That was the promise, sure. But the reality is DNG doesn’t solve the problems it claims to solve, and causes a lot of extra problems to boot. The promise of DNG was that camera software wouldn’t have to be updated to support new cameras.

There is a large difference between “Program X can open Raw File Z” and “Program X has added bespoke, robust, well-tested support for Raw File Z.” It’s true that a DNG from a new camera can often be opened in software before that software is updated to support that new camera. But that doesn’t mean that lens profiles, color profiles, noise reduction profiles, or demosaicing parameters have been tweaked for good performance. It also doesn’t provide tethering. Moreover many users find that, after converting their raws to DNG, they experience more quirks and lower compatibility across a variety of applications (Capture One being just one). This is because most programs are designed around and tested with native raw files far more often than with DNG-conversions of those raw files. Because of this, if you do adopt a DNG workflow then you should really keep both the native raw files and the DNG copies, which doubles the amount of storage required for your work.

The fact is, every camera is different, and to get the most out of a camera’s raw file requires research and real-world testing with that camera. DNG does nothing to address that. In short, DNG more often causes problems than resolves them.

 

*Yes, we know that a new Bayer pattern isn’t really technically a “new sensor type”. We have a pretty solid grasp on the technicals. This article prioritizes readability over technical pedantry.