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Improve Capture One

Request a new feature, or support for a camera/lens that you would like to use in Capture One.

Status Awaiting review
Workspace Feature requests
Categories Capture One Pro
Created by Jeff LeFever
Created on Jul 30, 2024

All around workflow beyond photography ie. Adobe + Keeping camera file name consistant to camera

I was asked to submit my workflow. So here it is and here are a couple of requests based on how I work at my studio.


First, let's talk about my current issue with C1Pro for my work process when tethered. When tethered in the studio this is not an issue. I can name the files any way I'd like since I am not saving the files on my camera card, but just transferring them to my Laptop into my C1Pro catalog. So here my files can be named to match my client or the job.


But recently, on location, in a production facility, I was shooting with multiple cameras, handheld untethered, as well as on a tripod tethered (sometimes with one camera tethered and another mobile untethered and free to find alternate perspectives). The tethered cameras were set up to keep the files on the camera cards AS WELL AS copy those files into the C1 Pro catalog. For this, I needed the file names to be consistent with the file names on the camera cards. Mostly for when viewing in Adobe Bridge later I could order them by file name and easily know what cameras were what and have them in an easily readable sequence. Especially if by some chance the time settings on the files were off or out of sync with my laptop. Before I left I synched all my cameras with the time zone that my laptop would adjust to at the location (my cameras are older and need to be set manually - they don't have GPS).


The workaround is below. But what I would like to see and am asking for from C1 is the ability in C1P to set incoming file names to match the camera for example, my C. 5DsR full file name on my card: _K7A1115.CR2 would be how C1P could, would, record that file in the catalog. My C. 1Dx file would write as" _Y8R7022.CR2 and when renting Fuji GFX bodies - it would write as the Fuji writes its files --- all for consistency and for backup purposes as well. So in a catalog - even when switching cameras, the file names would match those camera bodies in their naming convention. Those cameras do not stay tethered in the course of a shoot so I would like to keep the file names consistent between tethered and untethered.



Why use Adobe Bridge?


Workflow number two: For me, I work with Adobe Photoshop for complex files and graphics. I also work with InDesign for my books and magazines. Also Adobe Illustrator for client labels and product printing files for adding to CGI renders or photo templates, and also for vector illustrations. Bridge, bridges across all those programs for previews and smart-object placements. Adobe Camera Raw - can be opened straight from Bridge without launching Photoshop and presets can be applied from Bridge without opening anything but Bridge - and I can see the changes across multiple and single versions of a file quickly and simply. Because of that, I am locked into the Adobe workflow and Bridge as a multiple file type file viewer. Having a viewer for C1P has always been a problem - and there have been several third-party viewers C1 has acquired and incorporated. But for viewing across Adobe files of various programs and being able to see the edits... I am stuck in the Adobe workflow.


Why use C1Pro?


I love tethering with C1Pro. It is that simple - I like using it to control my camera settings from my laptop, my iPhone, my iPad - and zooming to check focus from my iPad when I am 30 feet away from my laptop adjusting a light, and taking a second shot... it is brilliant And all I ask is can we please have the ability to keep the original camera designated file name on import from camera when tethered. I would much rather hear Yes we can, than, why shoot that way? I would hope that this might be an easy add to the import dialog box in C1 Pro.

Current workaround

Workaround to file names. I named the files according to the job and a 4-number sequence - I copied all my untethered photos into the capture folder after each day's shoot, then viewed them in Adobe Bridge set to view by capture date. I would have just done a batch rename in Bridge but the sequence numbers were not synched ... C1 tech support suggested for each camera tether I add the name of ht camera as a token, then a sequence starting with the last untethered shot in that camera.... a bit to much work in the heat of a shoot. Wouldn't it be easier if C1P just had a token to leave the file name as it is designated by the camera on import? As an option?


Workaround to Bridge as a viewer. Not sure there is one unless the viewer can see the edits made to raw files, read Photoshop files, and view InDesign, PDF, movie, and AI files with accurate previews. I know C1 has the option to save metadata to XMP files and those can be read by Bridge and vice-versa but I am not sure if edits translate over to thumbnail and preview renderings between programs since the coding of each is different... can someone comment on that please? Can C1 preview files that are adjusted in ACR with the ACR adjustments applied? I recollect that Bridge will read the C1Pro files but not all the adjustments made during the shoot or the adjustments made to successive imports. Just reads the file as an unadjusted raw file.