Capture One Pro review: Lightroom rival is a pro-friendly photo editor

Pro photo-editing app is great for your workflow

A screenshot from photo editing software Capture One Pro
(Image: © Future / Capture One / Jacob Little)

Our Verdict

This is a piece of software going after a different crowd to the likes of Lightroom, and it’s all the better for it. If you’re looking to learn a professional piece of kit as a photographer this year, make it Capture One and your workflow will thank you for it. It may not have as much of a focus on image editing and style as some of its contenders, but its RAW processing module is highly powerful and its focus on practicality and usability makes it one of the best in the business. The iPad version is worth a look, too.

For

  • Excellent focus on workflow
  • Great tethering options now include wireless
  • Excellent RAW processing
  • Moveable panels have great multi-monitor support

Against

  • Not a huge plugin library
  • UI interface a little dull
  • Some people may be wedded to modular screen setup

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Speak to any professional photographer and Capture One will be a name that has graced their lips at one stage or another. Known in most circles as one of the go-to pieces of software for commercial photographers and those plying their trade behind a camera, it has gained widespread acclaim for its powerful editing capabilities and advanced all round tools, particularly when it comes to RAW processing and tethered shooting in studio environments. Developed by Phase One, a renowned provider of medium format cameras, Capture One is now on its 16th version, and we’ve taken a closer look in this review to see if it lives up to the expectation, splitting out review into its design, features, usability and the various add-ons it offers to appraise its capabilities with a creator’s perspective in mind.

A screenshot from photo editing software Capture One Pro

(Image credit: Future / Capture One / Jacob Little)
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Header Cell - Column 0 Microsoft WindowsmacOS
Min processorIntel Core i3 (1st generation) or AMD Jaguar Family Intel Core i3 (1st generation)
RAM:8GB8GB
Hard disk space:10GB10GB
Screen:Calibrated monitor with 1280×800, 24-bit resolution at 96dpiCalibrated monitor with 1280×800, 24-bit resolution at 96dpi
OSWindows 10 64-bit (builds 20H2 through to 22H2) or Windows 11macOS 11, macOS 12, macOS 13 (builds 11.7, 12.6 and 13.3)
Network requirements:Internet connection to run Capture One LiveInternet connection to run Capture One Live
Row 6 - Cell 0 Row 6 - Cell 1 Note: SSE4.2 CPU instruction set is required

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The Verdict
8

out of 10

Capture One Pro 23

This is a piece of software going after a different crowd to the likes of Lightroom, and it’s all the better for it. If you’re looking to learn a professional piece of kit as a photographer this year, make it Capture One and your workflow will thank you for it. It may not have as much of a focus on image editing and style as some of its contenders, but its RAW processing module is highly powerful and its focus on practicality and usability makes it one of the best in the business. The iPad version is worth a look, too.

Jacob Little

Jacob Little is a freelance writer and photographer and over the past ten years, has written for several national publications and brands. Based near Bristol, technology and the creative industries form the basis of his work, and he also provides content planning and project scoping services for agencies and businesses.