Do you use your iPhone with Capture One Pro? Is a smartphone a camera to take serious? If so, how can you incorporate it in your Capture One workflow? With this post I share how I went ahead since I recently bought a new iPhone.
Use Your iPhone with Capture One Pro
As a long time DSLR shooter with Capture One Pro, I hardly used my iPhone 6 for my kind of imagery. That changed the moment I bought the iPhone 7 Plus with iOS 10. That combination offered me the following advantages.
To take a partial screenshot with the iPad snipping tool, you’ll need to take a screenshot first (see above for the various methods). When you take a screenshot, a small version of the grab will. Capture Pilot allows you to view, rate, tag and capture images remotely from your iPad or iPhone. Connect your iOS device to Capture One 11 or an IQ2 or IQ3.
- Dual lens setup
enhances the phone’s versatility considerably, only on iPhone 7 Plus - Improved image quality
due to a wider color gamut of sensor and display; better signal processing, optics, and sensor - DNG RAW support
thanks to iOS 10 and 3rd party camera apps
Also, note that an advantage of a smartphone as a camera is that I carry it almost always with me. And although I still love to shoot with my DSLR I also love to explore new opportunities.
Next (R)evolution
Just like about 15 years ago, when half of the crowd started to use digital cameras while the other half said it was not good enough, we now see smartphones take over from conventional digital cameras. And again, it starts with killing the lower end Point-And-Shoot cameras, working its way up to the bigger stuff.
In the meantime, we have become common to the internet and social media, which helped to unlock the smartphone’s potential as imaging device. Last but not least, smartphone builders are aggressively upgrading the cameras to sell their newest stuff to us.
The iPhone 7 Plus perfectly fits in this description and I am ready to figure out how to incorporate the smartphone in my workflow.
JPEG or RAW?
The latest iPhone models combined with iOS 10 offer both options, JPEG and RAW. My overall workflow is a bit different whether I shoot JPEG or RAW or both with the iPhone. It mainly is related to the camera app I use.
JPEG
The JPEG image quality out of the iPhone 7 series is incredibly good and has baffled me from the first shot. Dynamic range is obviously the weakest point here, so pay attention.
That said, one particularly nice feature of the iPhone 7 Plus is the Depth Effect of the Portrait mode of the iOS10 Camera app. See the example above in a before/after comparison, where the Depth Effect is apparent in the after image.
Note: these are JPEG files direct from the iPhone, except for some cropping and curve in Capture One. No blur filter is applied in post-processing.
Unfortunately, this app can only shoot JPEG, and the Depth Effect is a feature exclusive to this app.
RAW
Only the most recent iPhone SE/6s/7 and iPad Pro (9.7″) from 2016 with a 12-megapixel camera and running iOS 10 are able to shoot to RAW DNG. Older hardware or iOS versions do not support this feature nor does the built-in Camera app.
Fortunately, all good 3rd party camera apps for iOS now support RAW.
I selected an alternative camera app to shoot JPEG + DNG RAW. The image above shows the in-camera JPEG (left) and the DNG RAW image processed in Capture One (right). I adjusted the RAW image to make it look similar to the JPEG. This allows you to see the color rendition and tonality between the two.
All camera apps save the RAW image in a native DNG format. Most of them save a JPEG file along with the RAW file, so you shoot JPEG + RAW.
Capture One Workflow
Depending on whether I shoot JPEG or RAW, I slightly adapt my workflow while copying the images from the iPhone to my computer.
Since there is no memory card to pull from my iPhone and plug it into my computer, I have to find another way of transporting my images to my computer with Capture One Pro.
No Card? Use Cord!
I connect the iPhone with the Lightning-USB cable to my computer. This is very untypical for the seasoned Capture One user, since connecting a camera means tethering!
As a Mac user, I now rely on the basic and brutal tool that comes with macOS: the program Image Capture. As soon I connect my iPhone with the USB cable it shows me the images and I can sort on Name, Date or Kind of image to easily select what I need and copy it.
When I copy the images I optionally select Delete after import to remove the original from my iPhone. Some may find this a risky choice, and in fact, it is. Since I often shoot JPEG + RAW, I only download the RAWs and leave the JPEGs to be synced through iCloud.
Sometimes I like to JPEG images so much that I copy them too as a reference when I work on the DNG RAW images in Capture One Pro.
As a bonus, I made Image Capture start automatically when I connect my iPhone but I do not recommend this if you frequently connect your iPhone to your system for other purposes like battery charging, internet access through your phone’s mobile network, or synchronize the iPhone with iTunes.
Capture One JPEG Workflow
Actually nothing new here compared to any other JPEG workflow. Capture One Pro 10 derives the color profile (Display P3 in the iPhone 7, almost similar to AdobeRGB) and allows for many editing capabilities.
Note that in Capture One DB mode JPEG (and TIFF) editing is not supported but viewing is.
Capture One DNG RAW Workflow
Since there is currently no native support for the iPhone (or any smartphone’s) DNG RAW files in Capture One Pro, the program will open them with the generic DNG File Neutral camera profile. On opening these RAW files two things are obvious at first glance:
- you need to do quite some editing to get a reasonable result
- compared to iPhone’s JPEGs the color rendering of the RAW files is much better
Point 2 drives my internal motivation to keep using Capture One both for the iPhone as in general and you sure need it to mitigate point 1. To help you in the process, I made a set of Capture One iPhone Styles.
Capture One iPhone Styles
The Capture One iPhone Styles apply the following corrections: High Contrast Film Curve, Exposure, High Dynamic Range, Luma Curve, Clarity, and Lens Correction Light Falloff. They are actually all identical except for the Exposure adjustment, which is often needed but to a varying degree.
I use it as a starting point for further corrections. Note that you can apply a Style (or Preset) or a combination of them during capturing and import.
You can find these Capture One iPhone Styles in my webshop and you can download them for free.
Session or Catalog
With the image files on your computer you can:
- open the folder in a Session, browsing System Folders
- move them into a Session Folder from the Capture One Library tool
- import them into a Session or Catalog with the Import Images tool
Capture Duo App
Which option works best depends on your current workflow, and whether you use Sessions or Catalogs. To refresh your memory on the topic of importing, please refer to Catalogs Continued.
The Camera App
The combination of iOS 10 and the 12-megapixel camera sensors in the latest model iPhone and iPad Pro provide the opportunity of shooting DNG RAW. However, the native Camera app does save your images in RAW. Several 3rd party camera apps now support shooting DNG RAW.
Adobe is repeatedly seeking publicity with their Lightroom for iOS app but for advanced camera handling I prefer:
- ProCamera by Cocologics
only RAW on iPhone, not on iPad Pro - ProCam 4 by Samer Azzam
RAW on both iPhone and iPad Pro
Note that Camera+ (by tap tap tap) is also a worthy contender and known for being a frontrunner in this class. Personally I find that it is outperformed by the two apps mentioned above. I plan to discuss these apps in more detail in a different post.
Wishlist
To improve on the iPhone with Capture One workflow, I have been in contact with Phase One and dropped a feature request for full file and lens camera support.
In addition, import capabilities would also be welcome, with or without an app on the iPhone.
Time will tell what will come of this. In the meantime, you have a workaround as described or maybe you come up with something else.
Thank you
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Want to try Capture One? Or would you like to buy it?
Best Regards,
Image Alchemist
One of the biggest annoyances with tethered capture is having to constantly move back to the computer to trip the camera. I often work independently, so anytime an adjustment needs to be made with a soft box, moving a bounce card, moving the subject or styling the scene, I have to move from behind the computer and into the frame. That gets old quickly and chews up a lot of time that could be spent more productively. Of course, an assistant or digital tech would be helpful, but that isn’t always an option. Capture Pilot is an awesome mobile solution to many of these
challenges. The app integrates seamlessly with Capture One Pro 10 to review capture right on the iOS device with the option to control many tethered camera settings, including shutter release.
Independent Workflow Benefits
Capture Pilot reliably allows me to step away from the tethered camera to style a scene, reposition lights, hold bounce cards, while still adjusting camera settings and taking the shot without having to move. When tethering a camera to Capture One Pro 10 on my Mac, I position the display to face back towards the scene. I can stand just out of frame and see exactly what is happening on a larger monitor with precision. For added refinement at a glance, viewing the Focus Mask displays a green overlay to show image areas in focus. Previews will quickly load on my smart device in Capture Pilot and a simple pinch to zoom helps to evaluate fine detail. Working independently on projects is vastly more feasible using Capture Pilot with Capture One Pro 10.
Focus Mask displaying a green overlay
Collaborative Workflow Benefits
On set, time is money, and it’s not simply your time that goes into consideration. If you have a creative team with a producer, creative director, stylists, assistants, chefs, clients, etc., there can often be a number of staff on hand. Any amount of time you can save is multiplied across every person on set and that can be considerable. For food or beverage photography, the level of efficiency that Capture Pilot helps establish can make all the difference with brief windows of opportunity after styling, saving additional takes.
Having the best creative tools will you help maintain a less chaotic, more productive atmosphere on set, further increasing the value you offer. Capture Pilot is one more resource to have on hand to speed up and simplify the process, especially if you are working shorthanded. It can also be implemented to easily include a key player in the creative process, giving them their own personal review station on a phone or tablet.
Setup and Tethered Camera Controls
To begin, make sure your computer and smart device are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. After installing Capture One Pro 10 and Capture Pilot iOS app, open Capture One Pro 10 on your computer and navigate to Capture Pilot within the Capture Tool Tab. Under the PublishTool, select either Mobile or Mobile and Web. Launch the app on your smart device and select the local server you just created in Capture One Pro 10. By default, it will share the same name as the Capture One library that is open. Once connected, it will launch camera controls with previews behind it. You can disable the controls and change the size of previews, as well as intuitively navigate within the frame by pinching to zoom. You can choose your priority/drive mode, and within the applicable mode, adjust Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and Exposure Value.
Adjust Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and Exposure Value
RAW or JPEG file types can be selected, as well as preset while balance options. The ability to set a white point for color balance is built in. What’s really slick is that you can rate photographs as you are working.
Rating photographs
Capture Pilot App
Coupled with Smart Albums in Capture One Pro 10, that’s a powerful feature and enables more freedom from being stuck behind the computer.
Pro tip: keep a charging cable on hand to charge your smart device. I have a case with a built in battery for additional redundancy and only kick it on if charging between shoots can’t keep up with demand. Enabling Do Not Disturb on an iPhone can help keep you from getting interrupted by notifications while working.
What I Love About Capture Pilot
Freedom to work more independently on studio or location projects. Time saved being able to interact with a scene while still controlling the tethered camera. The seamless implementation with Capture One Pro 10, quickly adjusting camera settings, and tripping the shutter with ease. The pinch to zoom previews show all the detail I could ever hope for. The app itself is free, with camera control being an optional (massively beneficial!) in-app purchase. Basically everything about it. It considerably upgrades my workflow and Capture One Pro 10.
Pinch to zoom preview
Improvements I’d Like to See
Focus control, which was just added to Capture One Pro 10, would be an amazing feature. The histogram doesn’t load for me on mobile, though perhaps it is my camera. Ability to check camera battery status when the camera is powered by a battery and not with a power adapter. The camera could be a Phase One XF 100MP. A better photographer.
Closing Thoughts
In the past, I’ve used third party remote apps, paid more for them, and they were not this easy to use and never this integrated. At $15 for an in-app purchase (the app itself is free), it’s on the steeper side of what one might consider paying for a phone apps. That said, when you consider the amount of time savings, creative control, and mobility it provides, it upgrades the value of Capture One Pro 10 and your overall production workflow. If you tether even occasionally, using Capture Pilot with Capture One Pro 10 really is a must.
Capture Pilot is available as a free iOS App from Apple’s App Store
Download Capture Pilot here. You will need Capture One as well, download a 30-day trial to make everything work!
Read more in-depth details about Capture Pilot in our User Guide.
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Jordan Bush
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Jordan Bush is a photographer and writer based in the countryside just outside of Philadelphia, PA. Always adapting, he focuses on commercial photography and photojournalism. From snipers to social issues, his photojournalism work has taken him to five continents and counting.
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