[Michael Spear Participant Posts: 13]

Capture One

on: October 10, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Because I do not see anything here on the forum, I may have heard wrong. I am sure that I heard that C1 is no longer owned or is at least a separate company from Phase One. I also heard that it is possible that Hasselblad  may be the new owner.

I visited the C1 site and it does indeed seem separate from Phase One. Sad to see that they are inching closer to subscription services. I have been a long time user of Phase One SW products, I believe it was called Media Pro at the time. At that time it was a a raw file convertor that would handle many different color profiles and I was using a color profile made by California photographer Joseph Holmes.

Not wanting to go along with Adobe’s subscription service, my last Adobe SW was Lightroom 6 perpetual and PS CS6 perpetual. Which now for some reason keeps breaking with the Type Tool Error. I still use CS6 because C1 does not have a workable print module, and I find the LR6 print module clunky.

Well it looks like maybe another fork in the road is up ahead. From what I understand the direction will be to go head to head with Lighroom, but not going full monty on a print module. Huh.

As good as C1 is, if they go subscription only, with no print module, and no update to a decent database for keyword meta data, it will be Hello Adobe nice to be home.

Michael

 

 

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #1 on: October 10, 2020 at 1:49 pm

Michael, the arguments about subscription services are pretty much over with. More and more software providers are going this route. I think we should now simply learn to live with the fact that this is the future. Like so many others, I bought into the Adobe photography bundle long ago. For ten bucks a month (really two take-out coffees these days) the sheer amount of image editing power we get, and it keeps improving all the time, is truly good value for money – at least in my books. It actually works out to be less costly than were their periodic perpetual upgrades if you upgraded with every opportunity. At first people thought subscription services would be the end of product innovation and improvement. The reverse has proved to be the case; we see this over and over again from one release to the next. Improvements come not only as new features, but also performance improvements under the hood – processing efficiency and speed, and more capability from existing tools. Just one example I’ve been working on a few minutes ago – the panorama making function in Lightroom. It’s amazing – creates great results with combinations of photos I thought for sure it would stumble over (and would have a version or two back).

Turning specifically to the Print module in Lightroom – and this is something I know well because I print everything in Lightroom, except for files that need Absolute Rendering Intent  – it is very well set-up, provides heaps of layout flexibility short of using a RIP, and turns out excellent results (except for the “Filter Failed” problem with MacOS only, which bedevils Photoshop as well – I’ll be having a lot to say about this issue in the not too distant future). Save for that, LR’s Print module is easy to use and feature-rich.

[Christopher Sanderson]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #2 on: October 12, 2020 at 5:15 am

Reply to: Because I do not see anything here on the forum, I may have heard wrong. I am sure that I heard that C1 is no longer owned or is at least a separate company from Phase One. I also heard that it is possible that Hasselblad  may be the new owner.

As far that I can see the corporate and ownership changes came in 2019 when the Silver Fleet Capital exited the major ownership role and the Phase One Group was established.

Previously you had just the Phase One company with company number 17 88 96 99 (established 1 July 1994) owned by Silver Fleet Capital from 2014 to 2019 (majority stake), employing 288 employees with Henrik Ole Hakonsson as Managing Director. The Chairman of the Board of Directors was Gareth Ridgwell Whiley from Silver Fleet Capital.

Silver Fleet claims Phase One as one of their best examples of the huge potential of a fundamental change in business model. They bought Phase One in 2014 as a renowned manufacturer of high-end camera equipment and transformed it into the world’s leading brand in cutting-edge image processing software and medium format digital cameras.

Phase One had two distinct business areas when Silver Fleet invested in the company: Image Capture Solutions and Software Imaging Systems.

At that time Phase One had just secured US giant Google as a significant customer for its hardware business – to use Phase One cameras to take aerial pictures for mapping purposes. However, they had also identified Phase One’s other business area, its high-growth and much smaller in-house software business – Software Imaging Systems – as the primary focus for the future. Therefore, Silver Fleet invested heavily in software research and development and engineers, and worked with management to improve the functionality of the software and the rollout of new products. They also invested significantly in Capture One sales and marketing, to secure new customers and grow market share. Further more, it was Silver Fleet that had changed the way Capture One sold its products; it previously sold through perpetual licences, but they moved it to a subscription model, offering customers access to updates and increasing the likelihood of customer loyalty, improving stickiness, lifetime value per customer, and revenue visibility.

So, in the words of Silver Fleet, their investment in Phase One helped drive a revenue compound annual growth rate of +38% in its Software Imaging Systems business unit between 2014 and 2018, and an increase in profits from the software business, from contributing 10% of group profits at acquisition to 70% of the whole of Phase One at exit.

Silver Fleet sold the Phase One investment in June 2019 to funds managed by Axcel in a deal that valued the company at more than 15x earnings, a multiple uplift reflecting the business model transformation; generating a money multiple for the Silver Fleet clients of 4.6x.

So, in 2019 three companies came out of Phase One:

1) The Phase One Group, with company number 40 15 25 39 owned by Axcel Fund (56% majority stake), is employing 323 employees with Martin Høy as Director (he is with Phase One as CFO since 2018). The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Jacob Fonnesbech Aqrao (Investor in European high growth consumer tech companies), the Members of the Board of Directors are mainly from Axcel Fund. The Phase One Group was established on 12 July 2019 after Axcel bought the Phase One in June 2019. The Phase One Group owns both the Phase One and the Capture One companies. Axcel fund does not own Hasselblad.

Outlook at the end of 2019: The Software division will continue its high growth in 2020, based on new products, new distribution systems and new OEM partnerships. The Imaging Solutions division has significant growth opportunities in primarily the Industrial market segments as the current product range is superior to that of its competitors in terms of ROI. In addition, a range of new solutions will be launched in 2020, including a new software suite. Each of the solutions will be tailored to specific customer segments e.g. aerial inspection or surveillance. Phase One Group will continue to invest in the further development and knowledge of the Group’s products, targeted distribution systems as well as potential new strategic partnerships.

2) From the previous Phase One company with company number 17 88 96 99 the Capture One was demerged in 2019 (note: the group company Capture One was seeking to demerge, in which Phase One will be receiving the hardware activity, the demerge has effect from 1 January 2020), it is now the Capture One company with the same company number 17 88 96 99. It is employing 176 employees with Peter Granild Colsted as Managing Director (appointed in March 2020). The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Jacob Fonnesbech Aqrao (Investor in European high growth consumer tech companies), the Members of the Board of Directors are mainly from Axcel Fund. The company has entered into a merger with the parent companies XPP BidCo ApS, XPP MidCo ApS, XPP TopCo ApS as of 1 January 2019, with Capture One company as the surviving company.

Management’s review in 2019: in order for the divisions to be able to grow on their own merits, the company is in 2020 seeking to de-merge the activities. The company organisation has functioned as such for a longer period, however, in terms of the operational backbone and legally the divisions have functioned as one company. It is expected that the de-merger will be approved mid-year with effect from 1 January 2020. The company has in late 2019 changed its name from Phase One to Capture One in order to prepare for the de-merger as the software division will remain in this legal entity. At the same time a new company has been established named Phase One and all hardware activities will be transferred to this entity.

3) A new Phase One company with company number 40 98 66 42 was established on 3 December 2019 with Henrik Ole Håkonsson as Managing Director (also minority owner of Phase One company since 2001). The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Jacob Fonnesbech Aqrao (Investor in European high growth consumer tech companies), the Members of the Board of Directors are mainly from Axcel Fund. I assume it employs 147 employees.

All three companies have their headquarters at the same address: Roskildevej 39, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Christopher Sanderson. Reason: Removed html tags

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1324]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #3 on: October 12, 2020 at 10:45 am

Don’t believe everything you hear.  I have been in this business long enough to say rumors are all over the place.  The info above is easily obtained for any company in denmark and many other EU countries.  Capture One I can say is running as its own entity as it probably should.  Phase One is doing well considering situations right now but is doing projects in other fields not usulally discussed here as what we conisder photography.  These are challenging times for all companies especially photo related.

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #4 on: October 12, 2020 at 11:02 am

Just to focus on what’s important for the readership here, Phase One produces excellent high-end equipment and along with that of course comes high-end cost and pricing. Whether one buys it or not depends on one’s needs or predilections, but given the large financial commitment, customers need to treat this like an investment. From that perspective, the key thing that matters to the customers, especially in the current economic environment facing the camera industry, is whether the company will survive healthily far enough into the future to support these investors. What you say above coheres well with what I have learned independently of their varied operations, that while out of public view and beyond the purview of most photographers, are really lucrative and indicate they should be around for years, regardless of the overall situation facing the industry.

[Stewart Hansen Participant Posts: 2]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #5 on: October 29, 2021 at 2:06 pm

In response to Mr. Segal’s previous post stating that the arguments about subscription services are pretty much over with.  I appreciate your opinion and for many people that may be true.  But it is an opinion.  From where I sit, there are several quality photo apps for Apple users that you buy once and get free upgrades for life.  Many of these apps will fully replace anything Adobe has, and in some cases are so much easier to use and save a lot of money.  For photography, Capture One fills the holes with their standard image adjustments, and ability to nicely catalogue my images.

Personally I avoid subscription software, not just in photography, but in my video work, business applications, and all other software.  I upgrade when I feel the need, but mostly those upgrades come for free.  To each his own.

To answer the original question in this thread, all I could find is this from Wikipedia.  It seems Capture One is its own company now:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_One

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #6 on: October 29, 2021 at 2:24 pm

Hi Stewart, I stand by my reply #27111. Yes it is an opinion, but it is based on lots of experience and evidence. However, my mind is open – could you please refer us to those applications for Apple users that you buy once and get free upgrades for life and will fully replace anything Adobe has and in some cases are so much easier to use and save a lot of money?

[Stewart Hansen Participant Posts: 2]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #7 on: October 29, 2021 at 11:25 pm

Happy to help.

After doing what adjustments I can do in Capture One, what is left that Capture One can’t handle, I export to Affinity Photo, then will save the TIFF back into Capture One.  Once and a while I’ll use Pixelmator Pro because it makes certain edits very easy like removing a utility power line from an image, but Affinity Photo is more powerful and closer to what Photoshop can do so I use that 90 percent of the time.

I write some movie scripts and there are subscription script writing tools but I use Final Draft for the same reason; I buy it once and own it.  I also use Roon from Roon Labs for music.  They offer a yearly subscription or a lifetime license.  I bought the lifetime license.

As I said before, to each his/her own.

[Mark D Segal Silver Member Posts: 951]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #8 on: October 30, 2021 at 10:16 am

Thanks Stewart. As you may know, I capture, edit and print a large number of photographs. I’ve tried all kinds of stuff, and I find the combination of Lightroom and Photoshop unbeatable in terms of capability, options and in the case of Lightroom (apart from certain aspects of the catalog) quite intuitive. I find I can achieve about 95% of what I need from ingestion to print without leaving Lightroom, and that is a huge plus for efficiency and effectiveness. Capture One is also a fine application in many ways, but much as I’ve tried, I find it can’t outdo the combined capability of Lightroom and Photoshop, which for 10 bucks (US) a month I think is very good value. But as you say, this is a field where everyone has to find their own comfort zone in terms of meeting their needs with what’s on offer, and we are fortunate to have a number of really fine applications to choose from. Competition is good for us consumers of these products.

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1324]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #9 on: October 30, 2021 at 11:50 am

There are many good software products out there.  I don’t mind the subscription model.  As an FYI, CApture One split off from Phase One but is still owned by Phase One.  It operates as its own entity which it should.  There are some very cool things coming in C1 22 like the stitching of raws and HDR from RAWs (exposure blending).  The new layer brushes that were in place before PS and LR really do a great job in harmony with Luma masking.

My workflow is to process in C1 and output a master prophoto 16 bit tiff file.  I then go into PS if needed for some fine tuning.  I may use plug ins from Topaz for deNoise or NIK for Silver effects.  I then save out new TIFFs if I make a BW and still want a color file.  These then can be rendered down in size for web use by using image processor pro.  I also then use the master tiff file to make prints using Colorbytes Imageprint software on one of my two Canon or Two Epson printers.  I’m all about prints.  Imageprint sizes down or up as needed from the master file.

Everyone finds their own workflow that works and I am always looking at my workflow and seeing if there is anything I can do to fine tune it.  Bottom line I make excellent prints and can go a lot of different ways from my master Tiff file.  I also have Affinity and Pixelmator and both are excellent programs.

As a side note you can set different workspaces in Capture One and change the order you do things unlike LR.  I’ll be doing a couple of videos on these real soon.  C1 let’s me process fast and do a great job.  I am doing just about anything I need to on the RAW where before I used to have to go into Photoshop and use luminosity layers and such.

Works with what works for you but don’t be afraid to explore.

We will soon be offering fine art printing classes in our new studio space, one-on-one instruction as well as guest lectures on different post-processing methods. Stay tuned.

 

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Jeremy Roussak Gold Member Posts: 1060]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #10 on: November 1, 2021 at 2:25 pm

Stewart Hansen wrote:

Happy to help.

After doing what adjustments I can do in Capture One, what is left that Capture One can’t handle, I export to Affinity Photo, then will save the TIFF back into Capture One.  Once and a while I’ll use Pixelmator Pro because it makes certain edits very easy like removing a utility power line from an image, but Affinity Photo is more powerful and closer to what Photoshop can do so I use that 90 percent of the time.

I write some movie scripts and there are subscription script writing tools but I use Final Draft for the same reason; I buy it once and own it.  I also use Roon from Roon Labs for music.  They offer a yearly subscription or a lifetime license.  I bought the lifetime license.

As I said before, to each his/her own.

I bought Affinity because it looked interesting and indeed was, when I played with it; I’ve not used it much because I have Adobe’s photo subscription, which as Mark observes gives LR and PS for (in my case) £10 per month. However, it’s not correct to say that Affinity offers free upgrades for life. Rather, they offer free updates “until version 2 becomes available (no planned date currently)”, and upgrading to v2 will cost. It probably won’t cost very much, given Affinity’s history, but it won’t be free, and I’d strongly suspect that v1 won’t be maintained for very long, if at all, after v2 is released.

A quick scan of Pixelmator Pro’s site didn’t reveal their long-term plans.

Jeremy

[Jens Brogaard]

Re: Capture One No Longer owned by Phase One?

Reply #11 on: October 30, 2022 at 6:55 pm

Mark D Segal wrote:

10 bucks (US) a month I think is very good value

I know, much have been written about Lightroom’s pricing but… when you calculate 10 bucks not just monthly but over e.g. 10 years contrary to 2 perpetual licenses (the rate I bought LR) then you really notice the difference.

That’s a lot Adobe gets especially (!) when digital economy is governed by (almost) zero marginal costs.

And then there’s the principle. If you say yes to every small monthly amount then small streams make great rivers.

I see the point in monthly payments if you’re using their cloud or get monthly upgrades but just because I walk in their “shoes” (LRc) I should have the choice, which they have chosen not to give their loyal users, which is why I choose C1 or darktable (free).

p.s. a late thread but I note my first post on a 1 year anniversary 🙂

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Jens Brogaard.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Jens Brogaard. Reason: just clarification
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Jens Brogaard.

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