I am new to C1 (just going through the LuLa videos starting with C1-7) but have been a Lightroom user since day one. C1 is impressive but truthfully, I haven't see anything I couldn't do in LR.
However, there is one aspect of C1 that I think is terrible: keywords. LR leaves something to be desired in keywords, but C1 really sucks IMHO.
Anyone agree or disagree?
Personally, having used LR since V1 I found that the problem with looking at alternative software is that you expect to see the same controls and way of working. Unfortunately, you need to spend the time to understand how the software is designed to work.
For example it took a lot of time for me to get my head around the fact that the UI was customisable. After 10 years of LR this is something that never crossed my mind because it is not an option in LR. A customisable UI enables me to work the way I want to and I have found it a big time saver, as well as removing annoyances that I had simply learned to accept, because you had to:-) Improved work flow is a big plus for me with C1. You also don't have that constant switching between Library and Develop modules. As I remember, one of the most asked for improvements on the Lr forums in the early days, until we all eventually gave up asking because it wasn't going to happen:-)
The other aspect to bear in mind is that C1Pro is much more like PS than LR. LR was developed as the antithesis of PS even to the point of changing the way cropping worked. Again the topic of great angst in the forums. C1Pro uses levels and curves as one of its main adjustment tools much like photoshop. It even has the option of a Luma curve as well as the normal RGB. When you adjust contrast with curves you also affect saturation. That was how Thomas Knoll (who created PS) designed the curves to work. With the Luma curve, contrast can be adjusted but saturation is unaffected. I find this a great help in getting the results I want quickly. You can even have 2 instances of the Curves dialogue open at once. Remember, customisable UI:-) See the attached jpg for an example.
You also have clarity but you can choose between various types, plus you have the structure slider which LR does not have.
Most of the adjustments are available in layers which is the way C1Pro goes about local adjustments, again like PS rather than LR. It is easy to miss what options are available until you become familiar with the UI. See attached jpg which shows the menu option on layers which people sometimes miss.
There is no "syncing" adjustments C1Pro works with the simple "copy" and "paste" methodology, again like PS.
You also get the option of "not" working in catalogues but directly with the files!! Again, not a possibility with LR so you would not be aware of it. As I said looking at new software is not easy:-) When you work directly with the files it is called "session" mode. You can rate, keyword, adjust etc in sessions and your work is not lost as these sessions can be imported at a later date into a catalogue. Note the catalogues are slower than LR when you have over 50,000 images in them.
One last final thought, C1Pro tries to get you close to your final image by default. If you prefer the flat, low contrast starting point that Adobe standard gives you just use linear profile, see jpg.
With regards to key-wording C1Pro was not comparable with LR but with V10 there is not so much to complain about. You can have key word libraries, hierarchical key words etc. Remember that once you are familiar with how key-wording works in C1Pro you can set up your own workspace optimised for that task.
I hope this helps. I "evaluated" C1 a couple of times in the past. But the truth is I just opened up a file in C1, pulled a few sliders that I recognised the name of and then went Mah, not as good as LR. Only when I really had the motivation to really evaluate C1Pro did I realise the potential.
Ian