CF Card Compatibility
February 24, 2010 | Tips & Tech
Whether or not a camera/digital-back is compatible with a CF card depends both on the firmware version of your camera/digital-back. Firmware allows the camera to speak the “language” of the new card. If your firmware doesn’t support a particular CF card one of two things will happen
- you’ll get an error message stating that the card is not readable/valid
- you’ll be able to shoot to the card but receive error messages when the camera goes to save a capture or receive sporadic error messages – the resulting files may or may not be readable on the computer
Obviously #2 is worse than #1 because you’ll think that things are ok when they are not. To help avoid this we’ve listed below the CF cards that Phase One has specifically tested with various Phase One digital backs. These are NOT a comprehensive list of all cards that will work – many many other kinds of cards are fully compatible. This list however represents complete assurance by direct testing.
Non Plus Backs
Consult KB Article
Phase One P20+, 21+, 25+, 30+, 45+
Approved cards on Firmware 3.2.6 or above
- SanDisk Extreme IV 2 GB
- SanDisk Extreme IV 4 GB
- SanDisk Extreme IV 16 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 1 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 2 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 4 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 32 GB
- SanDisk Ultra II 2 GB
- SanDisk Ultra II 12 GB
- Kingston 266x 2 GB
- Kingston 266x 4 GB
- Kingston 266x 8 GB
- Kingston 266x 16 GB
- Lexar 300x 16 GB
- Lexar 300x 8 GB
- Lexar 300x 4 GB
- Pretec 333x 16 GB
- Pretec 233x 64 GB
- Delkin UDMA 2 GB
- Hoodman 133x 2 GB
- Hoodman 133x 4 GB
- Hoodman 280x 4 GB
- Hitachi MicroDrive 6 GB
Phase One P40+ and P65+
Cards verified or re-verified on firmware 4.5.6 or higher
- SanDisk Ultra II 12 GB
- Hoodman 133x 2 GB
- Hoodman 133x 4 GB
- Hoodman 280x 4 GB
- Lexar 300x 4 GB
- Lexar 300x 8 GB
- Lexar 300x 16 GB
- SanDisk Ultra II 2 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 1 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 2 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 4 GB
- SanDisk Extreme III 32 GB
- SanDisk Extreme IV 2 GB
- SanDisk Extreme IV 4 GB
- SanDisk Extreme IV 16 GB
- Kingston 266x 2 GB
- Kingston 266x 4 GB
- Kingston 266x 8 GB
- Pretec 333x 16 GB
- Delkin UDMA 2 GB
Cards verified or re-verified on firmware 4.7 and higher
- Kingston 266x 16 GB
- Pretec 233x 64 GB
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Negative Clarity in C1 5.1
February 22, 2010 | Doug, Tips & Tech
Capture One 5.1 allows for a negative clarity value.
One major application of this image enhancement tool is for portraits. The best way to see the effect is, of course, by applying it to your own work. However, below is a basic primer that demonstrates what positive and negative clarity does for a portrait, along with how you might adjust an image after a large clarity change. You can view the small summary below or Download this as a layered Photoshop Document for a closer examination.
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C1 5.1 – Leaf Tethering & More
February 22, 2010 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Capture One has the dominant market share for tethered shooting. Up until last year this was limited to Canon dSLRs and Phase One digital backs. In version 4.6 tethering in Capture One was opened to Nikon dSLRs. Now in version 5.1 the game is changing again.
Leaf Cameras Supported for Tethered Capture in Capture One 5.1 DB:
- Leaf Aptus II 10, Aptus II 8, Aptus II 7, Aptus II 6, Aptus II 5
- Leaf Afi II 10, Afi II 7, Afi II 6
Leaf Cameras Supported for Tethered Capture in Capture One 5.1 PRO:
- Leaf Aptus 75S, Aptus 65S, Aptus 54S
- Leaf Afi 7, Afi 6, Afi 5
- Leaf Aptus 75, Aptus 65, Aptus 22, Aptus 17
This tethered support is offered for Leaf backs as-they-are and does not require a new firmware (though you should ensure your firwmare is the latest available) or hardware update. Many Leaf photographers already own Capture One 5 Pro for use tethering the Nikon or Canon or for processing their Leica or other camera’s raws – those photographers can update their software for free to 5.1 and plus in their Leaf and use it tethered immediately. Users who own Capture One 3 Pro or Capture One 4 Pro can upgrade to Capture One 5.1 Pro for $99*
Live View for Leaf backs is not yet supported, but R+D expects to be able to implement Live View for some backs soon (no details can be provided at this time since they are seeing what can be made to work as we speak.
Stability and Performance
Shot-to-preview time is currently a bit slower than Leaf Capture. This is an area of performance that R+D anticipates being able to improve in the coming months. C1 has always had incredibly fast shot-to-preview times with Phase One cameras, even those with very large files like the P65+, so stay tuned for further improvements in performance.
Capture Integration (our company) has earned a reputation for being careful with it’s recommendations for software updating in appreciation for just how important it is for tethering software to be rock solid stable. Although Phase and Leaf have tested this release with a variety of leaf backs and computers I would still advise that anytime such a large improvement is made (adding tethered support for 18 different backs in one release – let alone a new brand/type of back) that caution is required and that you should test your own specific setup extensively before using it on a job. We will be happy to report back here our findings as we, and our customers, start to use the new version with Leaf backs and we encourage you to do the same. Of course we also encourage you to do your own due-diligence – if you experience problems please read our Ideal Tethered Setup which, though catered to Phase One backs, still contains a useful checklist for Leaf owners, and to contact your Leaf dealer to see if you’re running the latest firmware for your camera. Often the forums get flooded by implied issues which are actually user error – and that doesn’t help anyone.
Support for Leaf tethering in Windows is being called “preliminary”. So be especially sure to test your specific setup before using it on a job.
FREE Trial
ALL users will be able to do a 30 day full-featured trial of Capture One. Even if you’ve already done a trial of 5.0 you are eligible for a free trial of 5.1.
Other Features and Bug Fixes
Auto Select New Capture - Auto Pause (on/off): allowing you to decide whether clicking on an image during tethered capture should pause the selection of new incoming images or not.
Spot Removal – previous spot removal only worked well for dust, new spot removal works for zits, dirt, and, apparently flies.
Advanced Noise Reduction – available for advanced users to easily modify the type of noise reduction based on their intended use, includes surface noise reduction which targets noise in areas of continuos tone (e.g. the paint on a smooth/shiny car), and fine grain which was borrowed from Leaf Capture to allow the introduction of a fine and uniform grain to help mask unpleasant noise in very high ISO or for aesthetic effect
Underline Acceptable – In 5.0.1 and 5.0.2 the underline key was disabled during text entry – in 5.1 this is fixed
Negative Clarity – used to enhance the smoothness of tonality in a portrait
Inverted Color Selection in Color Editor – the color editor is the most powerful tool in Capture One and this new tool makes it more flexible, allowing you to select the inversion of a particular color for editing
Improved Metadata Handling – GPS location and aut0-importing of metadata stored in compatible sidecar files generated in other programs
Improved Sorting – including sort-by-process-state and more intelligent sort-by-name
Aspect ratio available from Crop Cursor drop down – brought back from the days of version 3.X this option saves you time when switching cropping aspect ratios and just plain makes sense
Faster loading of recent folders – similar to the near-instant loads for folders which are assigned as favorites Capture One 5.1 now includes sophisticated recent folder handling
Faster loading of large folders – catalog shooters will notice improvements when opening folders with many hundreds or thousands of raw files.
10% Discount for purchase
Capture Integration offers an easy way to purchase Capture One online at a 10% discount. Check out our step-by-step instructions on Buying Capture One.
Installation
We recommend that for the best experience you remove the application, application support, and preference files of any previous Capture One version before installing Capture One 5.1. This is not “required” but it has been our long standing experience that doing so is a good idea. See our uninstall instructions for a comprehensive guide, but for the purposes of an upgrade you can skip all the steps except the application, application support, and preference files. If you skip this step and experience a weird glitch, bug, or strangeness, then close the program and delete the application support and preference files.
Training Available
Capture Integration is known throughout the world and the web as a leading expert in Capture One. If you are a Leaf user who is considering purchasing or using Capture One you should subscribe to our newsletter. We’ll be announcing March classes online specific to Capture One 5.1 for users coming from Leaf Capture in our next newsletter.
Parting Thoughts
When Phase One purchased the assets and took on many of the employees of Leaf we received many calls from Leaf users asking when they would get to use Capture One. Now, just a few months later, this support is being offered even back to the Aptus 17. This is a good day for Leaf users and for Phase One, which has just expanded it’s user base enormously.
*depending on when you bought your Capture One 3 Pro license you may be entitled to a free upgrade to version 5 Pro. Check with your dealer or look in your account at phaseone.com > my account (sign in) > license management > select your license.
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Cambo Wide RS w/ Rod. 40mm TS
February 9, 2010 | Guest Writers, Tech Features
Editors note: If you have any interest in landscape photography, traditional or alternative film and print processes, or enjoy photo forums but find yourself sometimes turned off by the typical forum-bickering-and-posturing, we strongly recommend the GetDPI.com forum. They provide a positive environment for the discussion of photography, aesthetics, techniques and gear. The members are very knowledgeable and helpful and the discussions are very often the best place on the web to get advice.
Further Editors note: GetDPI also runs some of the best photographic workshops in the world. They have one spot remaining in their upcoming Salton Sea workshop starting Feb 28.
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By Jack Flesher of GetDPI.com
Thanks to our good friends at Capture Integration, I was able to borrow their Cambo W-RS tech camera with a Rodenstock Digiron HR lens mounted in a Cambo TS lensmount for a quick field test.
Some background. I have avoided investing in a tech camera kit since one of the main features I wanted was separate tilts and swings up front with rise, fall and shifts at the back, and only recently has that option become (readily) available. Sinar released the Arctech about a year ago, and to date I have not been able to even look at one, though I understand there are a few floating around. Arca recently introduced their RM3D tech camera that incorporates a front standard tilt with rear rise/fall and shifts, all while using a dedicated focusing helical on the camera for all lenses. Without going into laborious detail, both of the aforementioned solutions will accomodate my desires, but if I understand their operation correctly, require some added camera gymnastics to get a combination of swing, tilt, rise and focus at the same time. For me, that trio is an often desired combination of movements when photographing three-dimensional subjects with broad near-far subject distances. Which brings me to the main feature that intrigued me about Cambo’s TS lensmount solution — it allows separate tilt and swing adjustments up front on the lens axis while allowing rise, fall and shifts at the rear. (There are a few excellent view camera choices which offer all of these movements, even independently at both ends, which is an obvious advantage for precise adjustments. However a view camera makes for a significantly larger package to transport, is more complicated to set up and use, and is virtually impossible to use hand-held, so I leave them out of the tech camera discussion.)
So armed with the Cambo and 40 HR, I mounted my P65+ back and set out to photograph a decent test subject. In this case, an old passenger train car. I’m going to get straight to picture examples showing results, and leave out all the preparatory discussion on how to use a tech or view camera. While the how-to portion is a worthwhile discussion, it’s lengthy, and most folks considering a tech camera purchase will already know the basics of working them. For those of you who don’t, you’ll hopefully at least be able to see why a camera with movements is worth considering.
Click on the images below to view at 100%.
Here’s the “normal” shot. For this one, the Cambo is leveled and zeroed, meaning no movements of any kind have been made:
The first problem we note is my shadow is in the image, which is an absolute no-no. So the first movement I make is rise, or back fall. Here I used 5mm rise, and note it has the effect of moving the camera to a shooting position several feet higher — note that the camera has not moved at all, the only adjustment is 5mm of rise:
Note that my shadow is gone, and I have more room over the train car, all good things. The three red squares indicate where I’ll be pulling crops from. The far left is the “near” subject point, the center is the “focus” point and the far right is the “far” subject point. Our goal is to get all of them into acceptable focus. I shot all of these frame at f10 as that is near the ideal performance aperture for the lens before diffraction starts deteriorating the fine detail. Here are the crops from the frame with no tilts or swings and only the 5mm rise:
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Arca Cube Quick Release Fix
February 3, 2010 | Tips & Tech
The Arca Swiss Cube is the best tripod head in the world. We have sold many of these to landscape and architectural photographers for whom the quick and precise ability to level both axis regardless of whether the tripod is flat and then, on a flat surface, pan left and right.
At the top of the Arca Swiss Cube is a quick release for the nearly universal Arca Swiss quick release system. Quick Release plates from Arca Swiss itself are always the same width, but third parties may use the phrase “Arca Swiss compatible” even though their plates are slightly wider or narrower. To allow for this variation in size the cube has an adjustable screw which widens or narrows the quick release.
If you over-loosen the quick release the “jaw” will pop off and the springs/washer/net may go flying. So first: try not to do that!
However, if you do have this happen to you we have written this article to make it easier for you to reassemble the quick release.
The final working assembly
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Formating CF cards for Leaf in 10.6
January 9, 2010 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Formatting CF cards for use in Leaf Digital Backs on a Mac computer running OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard requires that you Select Options > Master Boot Record under the formatting options in the Disk Utility.
For full instructions download and read this Leaf Support PDF.
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New Extreme III NOT compatible
January 8, 2010 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
SanDisk has been selling CF cards using the moniker “Extreme III” for several years. There is now a new version of the Extreme III series which does NOT work with Phase One P+ backs running firmware lower than 4.8.
It is not unusual for cameras to not support new generation cards right away. What makes this worth a blog entry and your attention is that the NAME of the card was not changed, so digital techs and photographers who have come to rely on the Extreme III series for reasonably priced, well performing, and reliable cards for Phase One backs need to note the subtle difference in the design of the card. The new cards have “30MB/sec” written on them.
Right now version 4.8 firmware is only available for the P40+ and P65+ although a release of 4.8 for other P+ backs is under development.
Below is an image of both versions of these cards in 4gb capacities:
- LEFT: the classic Extreme III 4.0gb card which works with all Phase One P+ backs.
- RIGHT: the new Extreme III 4.0gb card with the 30mb/sec tagline which will only work with P+ backs with 4.8 firmware or higher (currently only P40+ and P65+).
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Capture One 5.0.2 Released
January 7, 2010 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Phase One has just posted a minor maintenance release, version 5.0.2. (download)
The only significant change in this version is a bug-fix for a rare error involving LCCs applied to EIP files.
As of today we recommend you only download/install the update if you use or might use LCCs in conjunction with EIP files. We will investigate further to see if there are any other benefits.
If you do update we recommend, as we always do, to completely uninstall the previous version of the software prior to installing the new version (instructions on uninstalling Capture One).
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Windows 3.7.X “Trial Version Expired”
January 4, 2010 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Capture One 3.7.X for Windows contains the equivalent of a Y2K issue which triggered on Jan 1, 2010.
If you are still using version 3.7.X we strongly suggest that you upgrade to version 5.0.1 which Capture Integration endorses as being a fast, powerful, high-quality, and most importantly, stable version.
However, in an effort to support customers who purchased Capture One 3.X and do not wish to upgrade to version 5 Phase One has released 3.7.X. There are no other changes to the software other than to eliminate this Y2K10 problem.
Download Capture One 3.7.9 for Windows.
Note that this applies to the Pro and DB versions of Capture One only. There is no fix for the LE version so LE users need to upgrade to version 5.
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Rear-Button-Focus-Only on DF Body
December 23, 2009 | Tips & Tech
In the Miami office our customers very frequently want to set a camera so that a button on the rear (used with your thumb) will activate the Autofocus system but the shutter release does not. This is useful if you wish to shoot multiple frames after a focus-and-recompose.
More Information on why you would want to set the camera this way.
On just about every camera this requires changing a custom function or two. Soon owners of P40+ and P65+ digital backs will be able to set the custom functions of a DF body using the digital back’s LCD. Until then here is way to set this configuration using the DF Body.
Summary
Set CF#12 to Option 1
Set CF#9 to Option 1
Set CF#10 to Option 2
Step-by-step
1) Rotate your Mode dial to “CF” to access the custom function list.
2) Under CF#00 rotate the thumb dial to select Custom Function Set A. This allows you to make changes from the defaults which will be stored in Set A. This also allows you to set up three different custom function sets (e.g. for three styles of shooting or for three different photographers sharing a camera) and also allows you to always return to the default settings (by selecting — instead of A B or C) without having to “reset” the camera.
3) Rotate the front finger dial to function #12 and then the thumb dial to set custom function #12 to option 1. This sets the AF-L button to be an AF-On button so instead of locking focus it engages the AF engine.
4) Rotate the front finger dial to function #9 and then the thumb dial to set custom function #9 to option 1. This switches the AEL (normally on the rear) and AFL (normally on the front) so that now the rear button engages Autofocus.
5) Rotate the front finger dial to function #10 and then the thumb dial to set custom function #10 to option 2. This removes autofocus from the shutter release.
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Capture One 5 Released
October 31, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Capture Integration is working furiously to evaluate the newly released Capture One 5. Our sales and technical teams are already using the new version for personal shoots (tethered and untethered) and is working closely both with Denmark and our community of digital techs to evaluate it for professional workflow usage.
There are a LOT of new features in Capture One 5 that we cannot wait to share with our customers. We will be writing up a new tips and tricks guide for version 5 and posting real-world example for the new tools such as the Skin Tone Consistency Editor, Dust Removal Tool, and Keyword Editor.
However, our recommendation for the time being is not to use the software with any production computers or in your professional recommendation. This does not represent anything but prudence and is what we recommend with ANY new software (including operating systems, printer drivers, etc etc).
Stay tuned for a schedule of new online training classes specific to Capture One 5.
Update: with the release of Capture One 5.0.1 we now officially recommend it for production environments. Make sure to follow our uninstall instructions for maximum reliability.
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Capture One 4.8.3 Released
September 10, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Today Capture One 4.8.3 was released.
Capture Integration does it’s own independent testing of all Capture One releases. As a general guideline we do not recommend adopting new OS versions until at least a month or two after release; however, as a service to those who wish to tinker we have prepared a Snow Leopard Mac Pro and Snow Leopard Unibody 15″ MBP for testing with a Canon 5DII, 1Ds II, and P30+H. We will report our findings soon.
As a side note to those using versions of C1 earlier than 4.8.2: we found and continue to find 4.8.2 to be incredibly stable, fast, and reliable with only a very small number of bugs.
As a further note to anyone who has been waiting to switch from C1 3 to C1 4: we now fully endorse Capture One 4 Pro as a professional, stable, fast, and powerful piece of software. We have been running online classes to help our clients switch. If you haven’t switched yet then you are behind the game and missing out on some great new features and much improved workflow speed; consider taking the class and making the switch.
Features/Improvements
- Snow Leopard Compatible
- Support for Leica M9 (also Canon 500D / Rebel T1i)
- Minor Bugfixes (including rare “out of memory” error)
- Improved quality for P40+ and P65+
Download
Capture One 4.8.3 download page
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Snow Leopard Compatibility List
August 31, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Recently we posted about Capture One’s (lack of) compatibility with OSX Snow Leopard and reiterated our standard advice that upgrading to a new OS immediately is very inadvisable.
For completeness: here is a resource which lists various applications’ compatibility (or lack thereof) with this new operating system.
http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/
Without a doubt most mac programs which are still being developed will be made compatible with Snow Leopard quickly (weeks or months). In fact the future is very bright in that Snow Leopard introduces some fantastic tools which developers can harness to greatly speed up their programs. However, for now, those of you who use your computer for day-to-day production work should be weary of upgrading.
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Capture One and 10.6
August 28, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Apple today released OSX 10.6 nicknamed Snow Leopard.
Preface: A Brand New OS Has No Place in a Production Environment
Capture Integration’s general guidance is to avoid using Operating Systems immediately upon their release on any production computer. As with any update large-or-small to a production computer we recommend you proceed only when 1) it is clear that there are no major bugs 2) you have a backup of a known-good state and 3) you have several hours to thoroughly test the new system. While Snow Leopard seems on-the-surface to be a minor OS update there are ALWAYS issues with new OS. We will be doing our own hands-on testing of Snow Leopard in the coming weeks and will report on this blog our findings. However, we know that some of you will want to try out this operating system. So here is an initial report on Capture One 4.8.2 and Snow Leopard.
Compatibility Summary
Capture One 4.8.2 is NOT compatible with Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard. However, the next release beyond 4.8.2 will be. In the meanwhile we can provide the following workaround.
Workaround for Experimenters
When starting Capture One for the first time on Snow Leopard (if software has not been activated and no session file exists on the computer),
If you try to go into either Standard or Pro trial mode as the first action it will crash. It will continue crashing every time you try to start the application, after the License window is dismissed.
To get around this you must first go to DB mode so that the Session file can be initialized, and then back into Trial mode. So, to break it down into easy steps:
- Install Snow Leopard.
- Start CO. In the License dialog choose “Use Capture One DB”, and click the “Use” button.
- Capture One will crash. This is unavoidable. Restart it – you will start in DB mode, without seeing the License dialog.
- Go to the Capture One->License… menu item. Choose “Try Capture One Pro” (or whichever trial mode is desired), and click “Try”.
- Capture One will relaunch, and start in Trial mode.
- There will be an error message about being unable to verify the license code, every time you start in Trial mode. Ignore this.
Notes:
- Switching from Standard trial to Pro trial does not relaunch, and always starts in the original mode, always requiring another prelaunch.
- You must switch to DB and then to the other trial mode to change.
- You can activate the software with your product key, this works without any issues.
- This method does not require a Phase One back. The DB software option can be started on any computer regardless of whether the owner has a Phase One back. As stated above you only need to launch the software into DB mode as a workaround to get the software to launch. After that you can run in whichever mode (Normal or Pro) you desire.
Other known issues
- Non-image (or unsupported image) files appear in the browser. To see this in action, simply browse to the Preferences folder – all the plists are visible.
- Process progress bar in the Process Summary tool has corrupted graphics.
If you notice other specific Snow Leopard issues you can email them to doug@captureintegration.com and I will place them here once verified. However, bare in mind that Phase One KNOWS 4.8.2 is not compatible with 10.6 and the next version of Capture One will be.
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Not all Ports are Equal
August 26, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Apple Mac Pros have firewire ports on both the front and back of the machine. While convenient the firewire port in the front of the tower is not well suited for high-performance tasks. Whereas the back port has a direct connection to motherboard the front port is connected to the motherboard through poorly shielded cable. This is not a problem for most uses of firewire, but high performance digital backs use the absolute maximum capabilities of firewire devices. For instance a Phase One P65+ is able to push a 60.5 megapixel true-16-bit raw file across the firewire channel at one frame per second. With that level of performance any weakness in the firewire channel can cause issues. That is why we recommend only using the rear port of a Mac Pro tower.
For more suggestions on tethered shooting see our Ideal Tethered Setup article.
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Type(1-7)Camera but Don’t Touch
August 26, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
If you follow this blog then you know the Type8Camera issue for tethering dSLRs in Leopard. If not, read our Type8Camera article.
In the same folder as the Type8Camera are 7 other similar files.
If/when you remove Type8Camera you should NOT remove or modify any of these other files. Doing so will cause Capture One to crash immediately upon launch.
As a general rule of thumb it’s a bad idea to modify or delete any document
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CS4 with Snow Leopard
August 26, 2009 | Tips & Tech
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/08/26/adobe-creative-suite-3-unsupported-on-os-x-snow-leopard/
From Adobe Principal Product Manager for Photoshop John Nack as quoted by MacRumors.com
Apple and Adobe have worked closely together (as always with new OS releases) to test compatibility. As for CS4, everything is good with the exception of auto-updates to Flash panels (which I guarantee you’re not using*) and Adobe Drive/Version Cue (which doesn’t work at the moment on 10.6). CS3 & earlier haven’t been tested.
Although I have not personally tested this, and the article does not indicate it, it’s safe to assume that this statement applies only if the user has applied all updates using Adobe Updater.
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Extreme Macro Techniques / Gear
August 25, 2009 | Doug, Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Reposted from my personal blog www.doug-peterson.com.
Are you a Hard-Core Photo Nerd?
This article is a followup to the Extreme Macro Results post I made. It is only meant for those readers who are very technically oriented.
Nerd Out With All the Technical Details
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Capture One 4.8.2 Released
July 31, 2009 | Tech Features
Main improvements are
- P65+ and P40+ image quality
- improved stability (mostly regarding 8-core Mac Pros)
- improved stability of Live Preview
- option to lock tethered capture to vertical or horizontal format*
- Network access much improved in speed for multiple folders NAS drives and for Mac AFP drives
Added Support for
- Canon 500D (a.k.a. Canon Kiss X3), Pentax K7, Nikon D5000/6000, Olympus E-450/E-P1, Sony A230/A3301
If none of these directly affect you we recommend staying with 4.8.1 until 4.8.2 has been out for awhile (nothing specific to 4.8.2 – just a good practice in general). 4.8.1 has been very stable and fast.
Anyone waiting for a specific major improvement should be aware the programmers are working on a major release which addresses many user requests for features; this release was a minor release to fix a few specific bugs.
Also for best results we recommend as always to completely uninstall the previous version prior to installing the new version per our instructions.
*Solves annoyance of shoots where camera is pointed strait down or up
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Technical Support Breakdown
June 8, 2009 | Doug, Tips & Tech
Capture Integration receives several dozen calls to our two locations for tech support. Because the digital back is the most expensive part of the camera system it is generally the first target of blame whenever something is “not right”. So you might be surprised by the breakdown of the solutions to tech support calls that I, as Head of Technical Services, answered in 2008.
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5D II Firmware Updates
May 21, 2009 | Tips & Tech
5D Mark II owners should ensure that their firmware is 1.0.7 [Menu > Utilities (yellow) > Firmware Ver.]. You download the firmware update as a single file and place that file on a CF card which you then insert into the 5D Mark II to actually update the firmware. Be very careful to note that you should only do firmware updates on a full battery and you should not rush through the process; botched firmware updates can make your camera non-functional.
From Canon
Firmware Update Version 1.0.7 improves and mitigates the following two types of image quality phenomena that occur under certain shooting conditions.
- “Black dot” phenomenon (the right side of point light sources become black)
- Vertical banding noise in sRAW1 and sRAW2
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Optimizing a Computer for Capture One
May 20, 2009 | Doug, Tips & Tech
There are many types of upgrades available for Mac laptops and desktop, and each effects computer performance in different ways. Capture Integration is a leading expert at customizing computers for photographic applications, especially for tethered and untethered use of Capture One. This article is meant to to help identify what upgrades will have what effect on the speed of Capture One.
Capture Integration a Professional Value Added Reseller and offers both standard and highly customized Apple laptops and desktops. Call 877-217-9870 to discuss your needs.
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Highly Customized MacBookPro
May 20, 2009 | Doug, Tips & Tech
Capture Integration was recently asked to research the fastest possible MacBookPro for on-location Capture One work.
With some dramatic customizations we were able to come up with a system that would be blazing fast, even compared to the fastest system available from Apple.com.
We remove the DVD Drive from the MacBookPro (we give you an external DVD burner which runs off of USB power to replace it) and put in two of the fastest laptop hard drives in the world and RAID them together for 3.3 times the speed of the standard Apple hard drive. For backing up during the shoot we provide an external 7200 rpm hard drive with both USB and firewire interface. We package it together with a HyperMac battery which will run the hard drive and computer for up to 27 hours. At your request we will install, configure, and optimize Capture One.
Modifications for Photography
Capture Integration’s Price is less than Apple.com
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Why Buy From Capture Integration
- Expertise: We are a Value Added Professional Photography Apple Reseller
- Price: In most cases we are able to beat the price from Apple.com
- Tax: If you live outside Florida/Georgia you will not pay sales tax
- Support: We stand behind our sales and offer top-notch support
- Customization: We take pride in eking out every ounce of performance
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Capture One 5 vs. Capture One Pro 5
May 18, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Capture One is sold in a pro and non-pro version.
Capture One Pro has everything that Capture One has as well as:
- Tethering - Shoot directly into the computer for large, fast, and stylized previews and easy on-set organization
- Live Preview - while shooting a digital back tethered you can use a live video feed for focus/composition
- Focus Mask - a editing tool unique to Capture One, this mask identifies areas of focus with a mask for quick editing
- Lens Correction - to sharpen soft corners, remove lens-falloff, remove lens distortion, correct lens cast, and add/remove vignetting
- Clarity – gives the similar to a high-radius unsharp mask
- Moire Reduction – for easy removal of moire patterns (e.g. fabric)
- Color Editor - for customizing the ICC profile of your camera (e.g. for skin tones)
- Styles – A quick way of collecting your image adjustments into looks for quick creative image editing
- Individual RGB Levels - adjust each channels’ levels independently
- Individual RGB Curves - adjust each channels’ curves independently
- Skin Tone Enhancer – Increase the consistency and pleasantness of skin tone, during or after a shoot
- Dust Remover – Remove sensor dust from a single frame, or all the frames of a shoot quickly and easily
- Watermark Tool – Add your copyright or logo to images without the need for another program
- Skin Tone Tool – for matching colors in changing lighting conditions
- Overlay Tool – for previewing the raw image in an ad layout or page design
- Process Recipes - to memorize a particular output type (e.g. 16 bit TIFF in adobe 98
- Sessions – a project based way to organize your raw and processed files
- Second Monitor Support – Allows you to use the second monitor for additional viewing flexibility
- Menu Customization - allows you to change the location of any tool as well as float individual tools
- Workspace Save/Load – allows you to save the customized location of your tools
You can purchase Capture One Pro, or upgrade from a previous or non-pro version of Capture One through Capture Integration, which will get you a 10% discount. It’s fast, easy, and entirely online. A link to do so will be added here shortly – until then call 877-217-9870.
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5D II Batteries/Grips IN STOCK
May 14, 2009 | News, Tech Features
The batteries and vertical battery grips for the Canon 5D Mark II have been in short supply. But Capture Integration has both in stock today. Call 877-217-9870 to place your order.
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10.5.7 released. USB camera bug fixed.
May 12, 2009 | Doug, Tech Features, Tips & Tech
When Apple released 10.5.6 it contained a major bug which made tethering with USB cameras (e.g. Canon 1Ds III, Canon 5D II) unstable in any capture program. In Capture One this manifested itself as an application-freeze after about 110 raw frames, rendering 10.5.6 useless for those tethering USB cameras.. This bug *appears* to be fixed with 10.5.7. Our Head of Technical Services, Doug Peterson, has just fired off 500 shots on a Canon 5D mark II and is still going.
We will do complete testing, and post a side-by-side speed comparison soon which will include the incredibly fast P40+ digital back as soon as time allows.
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Cambo Leveling Base
April 7, 2009 | News, Tips & Tech
Cambo is introducing a new accessory for the WideRS, consisting of a Leveling Base for fine-tuned control of the camera’s level to match exact vertical linearity. This Base also allows for 360 degrees panning in levelled position, with a clear zero-position, useful for reaching the lens control settings in difficult set-ups, and useful to perform panoramic-like movements based on use of the integrated scales.
Continue reading Cambo Leveling Base…
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Hähnel P1 Battery Charger
April 7, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
Capture Integration is proud to announce an exclusive lower price on the Hahnel Battery Charger used to charge Phase One digital back batteries. These chargers not only charge Phase Batteries, but display the charge level of a battery almost immediately in 10% increments.
Included
- Hähnel PowerStation Twin V Pro Video
- Plate to charge: Panasonic CGR-D08, D16, D28 & CGA/R-D54
- Plate to charge: Sony L&M series
- Plate to charge: JVC BNV-707, 714 & 730 Canon BP-911, 930 & 945
- Car charger
- US power adapter (100-240V -> 12V 1250mA)
Phase One’s List price is $299. CLICK HERE to order now for $99!
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More iPhone Photo Apps
April 6, 2009 | Tech Features, Tips & Tech
We received so much positive feedback about our Photo iPhone Apps article we knew we had to continue the series.
Canon 5D II Mini-Manual
This 5D II is one of our weekend recreational cameras as a company, but it has so many features that even we get dizzy! This app is a mini guide to the functions, features, and menus of the camera. It’s like having the most important part of the user’s manual in your pocket at all times. Documentation includes all the basic controls such as shooting, auto focus, and metering modes. Advanced controls including bracketing, white balance, custom functions, menu settings reference, and quick help section.
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Air Mouse (Requires free Air Mouse Server)
Don’t let the name fool you. This app’s great power for a photographer is to remotely enter up to four different keyboard shortcuts. Effectively freeing you from needing to be near the computer to trigger a tethered camera, zoom in to 100%, zoom to fit, tag an image, or hide/show the browser (thumbnails). See the instructions below. Outside of this specific use Air Mouse can also be used to control the mouse itself allowing theoretically any function to be completed remotely; however, in pratical use this can be challanging to do at any great distance (it can be hard to see the mouse).
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Setting Up Air Mouse with Capture One
Below are some suggested instructions to tie your Air Mouse on your iPhone to Capture One during a tethered shoots.
Continue reading More iPhone Photo Apps…
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C1 4.7 Pro Tip: Checking Focus Mid-Burst
April 3, 2009 | Tips & Tech
The Problem: When shooting at the maximum speed of a Phase One digital back or Canon/Nikon dSLR the 100% focus window may never fully resolve, making it impossible to check the focus of images as they come in.
Capture One 4.7 Pro includes several ways to check focus in the middle of a stream of images.
Method 1
Set [Camera > Auto Select New Capture > Never]. New images will still be captured and placed in the thumbnail list; however, the program will not automatically select the new image which gives you the flexibility to select images and check their focus at your own pace.
Method 2
Set [Camera > Auto Select New Capture > Immediately]. When a new image is captured it will be immediatly displayed. This creates a steady “stream” of images on the screen during heavy shooting. To check the focus of a particular image press the Return (a.k.a. “Enter”) key. The currently selected image (denoted by a while border) will become a “compare variant” (denoted by a yellow border) which will remain on the screen even as the next image in the stream is selected. You can either zoom in on that image, or use “Window > Viewer” to bring up a separate view of the two images so that both the focus-check view and the zoom-to-fit vew are shown. This later method requires considerable computer power and is best done on a fast 8-core tower fully optomized for speed.
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