Capture One just announced that they are working on the ability to merge multiple images into HDRs and stitch images into Panoramas. This is especially important for the company since new users tend to compare Capture One Pro directly to Adobe Lightroom Classic…
Now, with the announcement that these features are ‘in development’, Capture One seeks to even the playing field in this respect. The company has been on a roll. Earlier this year, they announced a new “Export” interface that caused a little flutter among long-time users, and the Magic Selection Brush, among other improvements.
The announcement about the new HDR Merging and Panorama Stitching features was made on Capture One’s social media and email platforms, but the announcements lack the details that we all would like to have.
Of course, since the features are in development, we would expect details to be scarce for the time being.
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What We Would Expect From Capture One HDR Merging and Panorama Stitching
In the time that I’ve been using Capture One, I’ve noticed a distinct difference in the results between Lightroom and Capture One Pro. So much so, that I’ve moved some of my studio photography to Capture One Pro exclusively.
I would expect that in a world of gaudy HDRs, Capture One would stand out by developing a solution that merges images that retain their faithfulness to reality while expanding their dynamic range.
We would also expect Capture One’s signature interface, for both HDR Merging as well as for Panorama Stitching. Hopefully, these tools will also be full-featured and support displays and file formats that will allow photographers and content creators to make the most of these tools.
Why Are These Features Important?
These two types of images – panoramas, and HDRs – are very much in demand and have been for quite a while. Both stand-alone shots by specialist HDR and Panoramic imagery photographers as well as composite images that are created by generalist photographers who require some element of HDR or Panoramic photography to overcome challenges that arise during a photoshoot have felt the lack of these features.
Not having these features even as a basic option built into Capture One has certainly held back its adoption by a wider range of photographers. Instead, Capture One Pro remained in a niche that was mostly the domain of a certain type of photographer … someone who was very demanding of their images and would not mind learning a slightly more intimidating tool to achieve their vision.
These two new tools are expected to bring in a more streamlined, and faster workflow for photographers who use these techniques often.
Features We Would Like to Have
- Multi-row panorama stitching
- Combined HDR-Panoramas.
- Easy file management without extra files being generated
- Support for import and export of HDR and Panoramas using industry standard, and HDR and Panorama specific file formats
With recent developments, Capture One has shown to be listening to their user base quite intently and making changes and updates based on feedback that they receive. We hope that this continues as they release and fine-tune these much-wanted photographic tools.
How Can You Get These HDR and Panorama Features?
Capture One reports that HDR Merging and Panorama Stitching will be expected in December 2021 along with the release of Capture One Pro 22. Perpetual license holders will have to upgrade, but subscription plan members will automatically gain immediate access to the new tools once they are released.
Try For Free:
I use Capture One Pro myself and have found the images it creates to be of a quality that is distinctly different from Lightroom. As a result, I find myself using it more with each passing photoshoot. If you’d like to try (Free Trial) or buy Capture One Pro and help us at no cost to you, please use this link.
