Hello David:
Is there a third way to use C1 V.7 without either using Sessions or creating a separate C1 Catalog for all of my files? I currently use Lightroom 4 as my DAM, but want to use C1 V. 7 just to process select P65, IQ180 and Nikon D800 files. I would like to use V.7 to take advantage of the improved tools in V.7 that "may" produce better results than the Develop Module in LR 4(TBD!). I suspect that a number of potential users are in the same boat in wanting to use both LR 4 and C1 V.7. What is the best way to make them play nice with each other?
Thanks for your help.
Howard
Hi Howard,
Hopefully you would in the long run use Capture One Pro as your DAM.
But I understand its a 'Big Ask' of customers until we can thoroughly convince you.
So in the interim you can't really avoid working without a Session or Catalog. Well, you could but you are kind of swimming upstream.
Maybe you can treat it how I treat Capture Pro 7 and iPhoto? I use COP7 for my raw processing and DAM side of things, and iPhoto for final Jpegs as then it syncs to the iPad, available on Apple TV etc etc... to keep the family happy.
In more detail, my COP7 catalog is set up so that on my Laptop I have the Catalog file and the raw files are referenced to an external disk - I don't want to be carrying all the RAW files with me, and really have no need. But, I can still organise and adjust without having access to the RAW files. This is a great feature.
I use Projects, Groups, Albums and Smart Albums to virtually organise the catalog. Each event is contained in a 'Project' folder and has one album which has all the images and a second smart album which just shows the ones I have tagged as Five Star. I also have some global Smart albums which show me every five star image in every project and ones with certain keywords.
The raw files from each 'Event' sit in their own folder which is shown in the Folders area of the Library tool.
Everything is backed up via Time Machine and the Catalog file is also backed up away from the laptop. So if my laptop gets trashed then the Catalog doesn't.
I feel pretty comfortable with that arrangement.
When I export final JPEGs I just throw them at iPhoto for reasons mentioned earlier.
Perhaps in your situation you could then use Lightroom as your 'main' DAM.
Ideally I would like you to use Capture One Pro 7 as the full solution and in time I hope you will see the advantages to that.
See what you think of that and lets discuss your solution.
David.