Phaseone releases Capture Pro V4.8

[Henry Goh]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0904/09042902...aptureone48.asp

I cannot find the info on PO site

[Colorwave]

4.7 has been out for a couple of weeks now, right?  I'm sitting this one out and waiting for 4.9 early next week.

[clawery]

4.7 has been out for a couple of weeks now, right?  I'm sitting this one out and waiting for 4.9 early next week.

You can download the Mac or PC version from Phase One's web site:

http://www.phaseone.com/Content/Downloads/CO4.aspx



Capture One 4.8 release notes
 
Introduction
Newly architected Capture One 4 allows photographers to enhance and develop RAW digital files with
excellent color and detail reproduction. Providing best possible image quality is a cornerstone in
Capture One. Tools for this and excellent “out-of-the-box” results are part of the new Capture One 4.
 
Capture One 4 is designed with an easy workflow in mind, and the simplified new user interface
leaves more of the screen area to your images.  
 
Highlighted new features
This new release of Capture One comes in three versions: 4.8, 4.8 PRO and 4.8 DB.
 
Capture One 4.8 is a free service release to existing Capture One 4.x owners.
 
Existing customers with Capture One 3.x can upgrade to a similar version of Capture One 4.8 at no
extra cost.
 
Capture One 4.8 includes:
 
- Localized versions of the application and user documentation into:
o Chinese (simplified), Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and
Swedish.
 
- New cameras supported
o Phase One P 40+ incl. tethered capture
o Olympus E-620
 
- Image Quality improvements
o Enhancements for P65+
o Enhancements for Leica D-LUX 4
o Color enhancements for Olympus E-30
o Improved colors for jpeg and tiff files
 
- Speed improvements
 
- Bugfixes
 
You can learn more about the new release at: http://www.phaseone.com/4  

Our tech, Doug Peterson, can help you with any questions that you may have also.


Chris Lawery(e-mail Me)
__________________
Sales Manager, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 404.234.5195
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up


 

[R_Medvid]

2 months after I filed a bug report and through a couple of updates -- the bug is still there.

Until some rough bugs will be eliminated, I'm not going further than a trial version of the program  

[selsoe]

2 months after I filed a bug report and through a couple of updates -- the bug is still there.

My trial version keeps to be a trial version  

Is the bug that your trial never expires or something else? Are you running Mac or Win?

[tho_mas]

Localized versions of the application and user documentation into:
o Chinese (simplified), Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and
Swedish.

how to switch to English?

Bugfixes

which ones?

Thanks!

[selsoe]

how to switch to English?

 which ones?

Thanks!

Regarding language:
On Mac it is determined by the order of the Languages in System Preferences -> International (top most language that CO supports is chosen)
On Windows, you can choose language in the application preferences.

Regarding bugfixes:
Since it doesn't say, you can assume it's stability improvements and minor annoyances that has been fixed, I'd say.

[R_Medvid]

Is the bug that your trial never expires or something else? Are you running Mac or Win?

No, I meant that I'm not buying this software until they get rid of this and other ridiculous bugs.

The bug that I filed the case with PO Support is described here

Basically, it's the wrong display of color tagged groups.

[tho_mas]

On Mac it is determined by the order of the Languages in System Preferences -> International (top most language that CO supports is chosen)

Thanks a lot!
So the change is system wide... no change solely for the application...  

[selsoe]

Thanks a lot!
So the change is system wide... no change solely for the application...  

It's standard Mac convention. You set up system wide language preferences/priorities and installed applications should follow your priorities.

[Doug Peterson]

2 months after I filed a bug report and through a couple of updates -- the bug is still there.

Until some rough bugs will be eliminated, I'm not going further than a trial version of the program  

Two months is really a very very short a time in terms of software development and non-critical bug fixes.

Just look at how long it takes Apple to fix bugs in the OS or Aperture.

Phase has a list of improvements, bug fixes, and new features as well as a constant quest to increase processing quality, UI speed, and stability.

One of the frustrating parts being a middle-man (so to speak) between Phase and End Users is the perception on the end users part that Phase doesn't listen, when in fact they are listening, but any given End User expects their bug, or their improvement, or their feature to be added first.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up

[selsoe]

No, I meant that I'm not buying this software until they get rid of this and other ridiculous bugs.

The bug that I filed the case with PO Support is described here

Basically, it's the wrong display of color tagged groups.

Regarding the processing bug you mention: The PS output file is 4 times as large as the CO4 output file. The compression is obviously more agressive in the CO4 output. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something, but have you tried setting the compression level in CO4 to something that results in a similar sized file?

[R_Medvid]

Two months is really a very very short a time in terms of software development and non-critical bug fixes.

Just look at how long it takes Apple to fix bugs in the OS or Aperture.

Phase has a list of improvements, bug fixes, and new features as well as a constant quest to increase processing quality, UI speed, and stability.

One of the frustrating parts being a middle-man (so to speak) between Phase and End Users is the perception on the end users part that Phase doesn't listen, when in fact they are listening, but any given End User expects their bug, or their improvement, or their feature to be added first.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up

Should I start thinking of myself as impatient and insignificant?  

[Doug Peterson]

Should I start thinking of myself as impatient and insignificant?  

No. You're being perfectly reasonable; if software as-is doesn't improve your quality and workflow in a way enough to justify the price then don't buy it. I hope that the specific bugs that impact you are addressed and you do buy it. Just don't think that two months without a fix for a particular bug means that they aren't listening.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up

[R_Medvid]

.. Just don't think that two months without a fix for a particular bug means that they aren't listening.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
.....

I never said so. Of course there are some human beings in the universe that are being listened to by Phase One at some particular time.
I just said that for me CO4 is still a raw product that hasn't been tested in a proper way, and that I'm not buying it as of yet.
My humble opinion.

And of course I honestly value your input here on the forum highly, so I didn't intend to start the fire.

[aaanorton]

So we go from 4.7 to 4.8 for simply adding compatibility for a new back? What new features/improvements/functionality were made? I fail to see how making it work for new product Phase One announces qualifies as a full 4.x upgrade signifier.
Who here bought (paid for) v3.x of Capture One Pro? Remember being told that the next version of Capture One Pro would be free? Well, how'd you like your free version? Maybe v5 will provide all of v3's functionality, metadata templating and other essential features pros expect. But of course, we'll all have to pay for those features (again).
Seems to me version 4 just became (potentially) usable with v4.5 (I still want my versions 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4!).
I really wish Phase would get out of the software-selling business. I know they won't, but it's sure to be their undoing.

[Doug Peterson]

So we go from 4.7 to 4.8 for simply adding compatibility for a new back? What new features/improvements/functionality were made? I fail to see how making it work for new product Phase One announces qualifies as a full 4.x upgrade signifier.
Who here bought (paid for) v3.x of Capture One Pro? Remember being told that the next version of Capture One Pro would be free? Well, how'd you like your free version? Maybe v5 will provide all of v3's functionality, metadata templating and other essential features pros expect. But of course, we'll all have to pay for those features (again).
Seems to me version 4 just became (potentially) usable with v4.5 (I still want my versions 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4!).
I really wish Phase would get out of the software-selling business. I know they won't, but it's sure to be their undoing.

There is no doubt in my mind that Phase's software branch is the strongest in medium format and is a core reason for their success. If you feel otherwise you are missing the forest for the trees.

4.8 was named 4.8 instead of 4.7.1 because it included for the first time multiple languages. That may not seem like a big deal if you speak English, but I can assure you for the rest of the world having the program localized to your language is a very big deal. Besides, who cares what they name it? They can call it 31.4159 for all I care.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up

[aaanorton]

There is no doubt in my mind that Phase's software branch is the strongest in medium format and is a core reason for their success. If you feel otherwise you are missing the forest for the trees.

4.8 was named 4.8 instead of 4.7.1 because it included for the first time multiple languages. That may not seem like a big deal if you speak English, but I can assure you for the rest of the world having the program localized to your language is a very big deal. Besides, who cares what they name it? They can call it 31.4159 for all I care.

Strongest in medium format? So you mean stronger than Phocus Pocus and This One Goes To (LC) 11? Well I should hope so. I mean, those are essentially jokes, right?
My point is that Phase has stubbornly clung to their software model instead of licensing their technology to Adobe, Apple and such. Who reading this would buy anything else if Phase One backs could produce the same results in Bridge or Aperture as they do from Capture One? This has allowed the likes of Hasselblad to compete with a "Well, if you like crappy, restrictive software, wait'll you see what we can sell you! And for cheaper! Plus we'll prevent the other guy's software from being used with our mediocre over-priced cameras, which just happen to be the best game in town!"-type of approach. Sure, Capture One defined the genre. It established the market and served it well for years. But it hasn't been serving it well for even more years. Don't get me wrong; I would use no other software package currently available to capture files on a photo shoot. But being the best of poor options is hardly market-driving. Their resources are stretched too thin and they are simply unable to provide essential features and forward-thinking workflow solutions pro photographers demand. And now Phase finds itself with a future of pairing their backs, by default, with a camera that virtually no high-end pro shooter will use. So tell me again about the forest and trees. Because I really wonder how happy Phase One will be as a software company that can't make backs anymore, since their reluctance to open up and compete and contribute converted their market dominance into irrelevance.

And as far as what it's called, I care, because I'll have to pay for version 5, which is numerically very close now. Localization support is built into OS X. Phase One is based in Denmark, sells globally and mostly on a different continent, in the US. If it took them til version 4.8 to figure out multiple languages (after taking away that feature from 3.x), then it's just another example of how they don't get software development. Put a fork in it and focus everything making digital backs that photographers can't live without.

[BernardLanguillier]

I really wish Phase would get out of the software-selling business. I know they won't, but it's sure to be their undoing.

All other things being equal, I don't think that that would be a good idea.

- The quality of C1 would be much worse if it were to be beta tested by only a few thousand of back owners as opposed to tens of thousands of DSLR owners,
- Phase execs would be a lot less motivated to develop C1 if it were only a cost center as opposed to a revenue generation,
- I don't really case as non phase back owner, but you can bet that C1 will probably save the company in the coming years and/or enable them to extend a little bit the active life of MFDBs if ever Japanese companies decide to enter this market segment.

Like it or not, that is the reality of software.

Cheers,
Bernard

[aaanorton]

All other things being equal, I don't think that that would be a good idea.

- The quality of C1 would be much worse if it were to be beta tested by only a few thousand of back owners as opposed to tens of thousands of DSLR owners,

I'm suggesting licensing the underlying code to Adobe, Apple, whatever, making it a codec or plugin whereby Phase could concentrate on processing only and leave the majority of UI and workflows to others that already do it much better. The install base could grow exponentially overnight.

- Phase execs would be a lot less motivated to develop C1 if it were only a cost center as opposed to a revenue generation,

The current situation represents a state of motivation then? How many software titles do you own where major upgrades involve the removal of dozens of key features and functionality that are slowly trickled back into the new version over numerous buggy dot-updates, only to be called making progress? My answer to this is exactly one: Capture One Pro. I get better progress from free/share-ware.
And I see potentially a lot more money to be made doing something else than trying to be the finest proprietary one trick pony to a segment of a niche market.

- I don't really case as non phase back owner, but you can bet that C1 will probably save the company in the coming years and/or enable them to extend a little bit the active life of MFDBs if ever Japanese companies decide to enter this market segment.

Like it or not, that is the reality of software.

I don't really follow what you're saying in this last bit, but in the end Capture One can not actually save Phase One as we know it. If they stop selling backs and become a software company, I couldn't really give hoot about what they do or don't do. And it's not like current DSLR owners are going to buy into a new Japanese format and suddenly decide to embrace a new proprietary, exclusive, late-to-market-backwards-upgrading and totally different workflow from some company they've never heard of.

Thanks.