Capture One Apple M1

• Apple M1 Software Support
• Capture One 20 Apple M1

I've ordered an M1 MBP, despite the 16gb RAM. Capture One doesn't run great on my current machine. If the same is true for the new MacBooks, I may just give up on C1. I can handle no mobile app, different DAM, worse integration with other apps, etc., but if it's STILL slow on a new machine, especially one where the speed of PS/LR were featured. I then ran the same tests on the beta version of Photoshop that supports Apple M1. It took 22 seconds to align the layers and 46.6 seconds to merge them - a faster overall time than my immensely.

As a professional photographer, I was intrigued when Apple ditched Intel's chips and instead started using its own M1 silicon in the MacBook lineup. The performance boosts Apple promised were appealing -- as was the supposed battery life improvement -- but I was nervous about having to run my professional software on a platform that wasn't yet properly supported by some of the tools I use every day.

I came here looking for the same info. My 2015 MBP is getting long in the tooth. I've ordered an M1 MBP, despite the 16gb RAM. Capture One doesn't run great on my current machine. If the same is true for the new MacBooks, I may just give up on C1.

I've spent some time now with the 13-inch M1-based MacBook Pro (with 16GB RAM) and have run it through a variety of tests to see how well I can work on it. Is it a safe upgrade for photographers or other creative professionals? Or should you wait for promised software updates?

Apple using its own chips might seem like a small change that you'll never need to think about, but it has a big impact on how software will run. To get the best performance, the programs you use will need to be rewritten to properly take advantage of the new hardware.

That's potentially a problem, as it requires software developers to support two versions of their products; an Intel version and an Apple M1 version. At the time of writing, Adobe has released an M1 version of Lightroom, but not Lightroom Classic (the version that I, along with most photography pros, still use). The industry-standard Photoshop only supports M1 when you download the beta version, and Adobe hasn't officially given any kind of timeline for when all its Creative Cloud suite of apps will fully support Apple M1.

So it's useless for photographers?

Not at all. While these apps aren't optimized, they will still run, thanks to Apple's Rosetta 2 software, which allows Intel versions of software to run as normal. That means any app you'd normally want to use on your MacBook will still be able to run on the new model without any difference in how it operates, and you likely won't see much in the way of performance degradation, although that can vary app by app.

In my hands-on testing, I found the M1 versions of Adobe's apps to run extremely swiftly. Lightroom ran lightning fast, and allowed for extremely swift editing and exporting. Even Lightroom Classic (the Intel version) still ran well when used via Rosetta 2.

The improvements are noticeable when using M1-optimized versions. I tested how long it took Photoshop (both in Intel and M1 beta versions) to align 19 full-resolution raw images and then to merge them into a focus-stacked image. It's a technique I use regularly in my product photography, so it's important for me to have good efficiency here.

Intel-based Photoshop, via Rosetta 2, took 50.3 seconds to align the layers and 1 minute, 37 seconds to merge them. I compared that to an exceptionally powerful Windows desktop PC that was built with an AMD Ryzen 9 3950 X CPU, Nvidia RTX Titan graphics and 128GB RAM, specifically to be a beast with editing photos and 8K video. The PC took 20 seconds to align the layers and 53 seconds to merge them -- a clear victory for the PC.

I then ran the same tests on the beta version of Photoshop that supports Apple M1. It took 22 seconds to align the layers and 46.6 seconds to merge them -- a faster overall time than my immensely powerful editing rig was able to achieve.

In the M1-supported version of Lightroom, it took the MacBook 6.4 seconds to import 100 raw images, edging out the PC's time of 7.1 seconds to complete the same task.

The story was similar when it came to exporting video in Premiere. The Intel-based version of Premiere took 6 minutes, 25 seconds to export on the M1 MacBook, but the optimized M1 beta version took about half the time, at 3 minutes, 24 seconds. For reference, my desktop did the same export in 1:20.

Other software that isn't optimized still runs as normal, and you'd never know that you're running 'emulated' versions of software, as the machine's overall performance is still excellent. It took 51 seconds to import 100 raw images into pro image-editing software Capture One, and the desktop wasn't much in front at 48 seconds. Capture One has said an M1-optimized version is coming in an update, but we don't know exactly when this will be.

Pro video software DaVinci Resolve Studio is also available in beta for M1, and I found it was extremely quick to use, with no issues previewing 4K files in a timeline.

Overall I'm impressed. Even when running unoptimized versions of apps, the M1 MacBook Pro still puts up a hell of a fight against a superpowered editing PC, and the fact that it's able to outperform the PC on some tests when using M1-optimized beta apps is astonishing. I'm certainly excited about what performance improvements we'll see as more developers fully optimize their software for Apple's silicon.

If you're a photographer and considering upgrading, I'd absolutely say the M1 MacBook is a safe bet. At the very least you'll still be able to use all your current software as normal via Rosetta 2, and in time when official M1 versions are released, those performance boosts -- and likely the battery life savings as well -- will be extremely welcome.

Read more:MacBook Air M1 review: Big changes from Apple silicon and Big Sur

Capture One 21 and Capture One 21 for Nikon are now officially released and available for purchase/download:

• For a complete list of all products and licensing options click here
• For a 30-day fully-featured free trial of Capture One 21 click here
• For Capture One updated learning videos click here
• The Capture One 21 release notes can be found here

Here is the pricing and licensing information:

• Capture One Pro 21:
  • Perpetual License: $299
  • Upgrades from select previous generations starting at $159
  • Subscription starting at $20/month
• Capture One 21 for Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm:
  • Perpetual License: $129
  • Upgrades from select previous generations starting at: $109
  • Subscription starting at $9.99/month

What’s new in version 21:

• Speed Edit: Revolutionize how fast you edit photos. Speed Edit lets you work seamlessly without touching a slider on the interface – simply hold down selected hotkeys and scroll, drag or use the arrow keys to make rapid edits. You can even adjust multiple photos at once for the fastest ever batch edit.

• Dehaze: Eliminate haze and the most undesirable atmospheric weather conditions with the ease of moving one slider. The groundbreaking new Dehaze tool uses deep analytic algorithms to assess and automatically adjust contrast, saturation and a matrix of other parameters to remove haze and reveal the image you want.
• Faster Asset Management: Get seamless asset management. With increased power and speed, it’s now faster than ever to import, search and browse photos in Catalogs and Sessions.
• Improved Importer: With a better selection, high-resolution thumbnails, and faster importing, it’s smoother, easier, and quicker to select images directly in the importer – and cull the ones you don’t want. Plus, import images from different folders all at once.
• Enhanced Tooltips: The onboarding experience and familiarization with Capture One is now smoothest it has ever been, thanks to the new enhanced tooltips. Navigate the Capture One interface with ease – simply hover over a tool for a quick explanation of how it works and links for more learning. Enable or disable them from Preferences as you like.
• Learn: It’s never been easier to get started and master Capture One. Together with the enhanced tooltips, the new “Learn” button allows users to quickly access a curated selection of tutorials designed to help you learn step-by-step, right from within the software, and immediately put new skills into practice.
• HEIC Support: With support for HEIC files (8-bit), you can now edit photos from your Apple devices and more in Capture One.

• ProStandard Profiles: Stay true to real life with the most authentic colors yet, using the new color science/technology in the new ProStandard Profiles. These new camera profiles overcome the challenge of unwanted color shifts while making adjustments, protecting hues from changes caused by contrast. This is a true game-changer for portrait and product photography – and any image that relies on authentic color. Available for select camera models that can be found at support.captureone.com
• Easy Brush Adjusting: It’s now possible to easily change the size, hardness, opacity, and flow of any brush by using modifier keys and a mouse/trackpad/pen, removing the need to right-click.
• Capture One & Leica: Unlike other raw processors, Capture One’s camera profiles are uniquely developed for each specific camera model, a process that requires the use of the camera in and out of a controlled lab in Copenhagen, where a team of specialists engage each new model in various scenarios. They then evaluate all the performance parameters such as color, sharpness, and noise across hundreds of images and uses that data to deliver a truly tailored profile, which ultimately provides the best post-processing experience. Capture One 21 brings this level of support to a growing list of Leica cameras, and for the first time brings tethering capabilities to those models.

Apple M1 Software Support

Update – I can confirm that the new Capture One 21 is working on Apple M1 Silicon:

Via PhotoRumors

Capture One 20 Apple M1

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