Capture One Pro 8

Capture One Pro 8 not only processes top-quality digital photos but also helps professional photographers and advanced amateurs manage their workflow. Version 8 is a major upgrade, featuring a faster processing engine, improved HDR tool, and better suppression of image noise and distortion.

Pros

Pro support: Video tutorials and additional resources like the Image Quality Professor's blog, user forums, tips, keyboard shortcuts, and Introduction Video for new users make a complex and powerful tool reasonably easy to start using.

Unique interface: Capture One Pro 8 has the dark background and feature-packed toolbars typical of digital photography software, but its layout emphasizes efficient workflow. For example, it places frequently used features like the Focus Mask and searchable Filters right up front.

Camera menu: Capture One Pro 8's camera-specific features include Hot Folders, Auto Select Exposure options, and a Decrement Capture Center.

Cons

Import crash: In our tests, the program stopped working unexpectedly when we imported a 266MB image folder.

Bottom Line

Capture One Pro 8's feature set and image quality are unrivaled. While it's geared toward professional photographers, it's more affordable than most photo equipment and well within the reach of skilled amateurs, too.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Capture One Pro 8.