Each set of 100 was then imported, previews were generated, an identical custom preset/style was applied in both programs, and variants were exported as full resolution 100% JPEGs to a subfolder on the Desktop.Įach test was repeated a minimum of three times in a row to ensure consistency and eliminate outliers.
To keep the results as comparable as possible across cameras, we used the Raw studio scene comparison image from each of our four cameras and duplicated it 100 times, leaving us with 400 raw files in all. To that end, we installed C1 and LRC on four different computers – two PCs and two Macs – and ran the software through through the same battery of tests, using Raw files from four different cameras: the 20MP Canon EOS R6, the 47MP Nikon Z7 II, the 61MP Sony a7R IV, and the 100MP Fujifilm GFX 100. The broader our testing, the more we can learn about when, how, and why one program out-performs the others.
We don't just want to find out if Capture One is faster than Adobe Lightroom for one specific camera's Raw file or on one particular operating system. Is Capture One really faster than Lightroom Classic? And if so, by how much? Tests | Computers | Results | Key takeaways | Final thoughtsĪs with our Final Cut Pro vs Premiere Pro comparison, we did our best to put these two programs on an even footing and test them on a wide variety of different computers with different specs. Some of these claims are more subjective than others, but today, we're going to tackle one in particular: is Capture One really faster than Lightroom Classic? And if so, by how much? While nobody has yet managed to unseat Adobe's Lightroom Classic as the "industry standard" Raw photo organization and editing tool, Capture One has arguably come closest, earning a major following among photographers who want a highly customizable do-everything editor with tons of professional-grade features, layer support and, if the hype is to be believed, much faster overall performance. Fortunately, there's no shortage of contenders: from open-source alternatives like Darktable, to Mac-only options like Pixelmator, to universal options like On1 Photo RAW.īut one app has emerged as the de-facto alternative that's better, or at least more widely adopted, than the rest: Capture One Pro. Ever since that dark day when Adobe made the shift from the perpetual licensing model of the Creative Suite to the subscription-based Creative Cloud, many photographers have been searching for a viable alternative to Adobe Lightroom.