Which Is Best for Fuji Files: Lightroom or Capture One?

There are probably two main software options when it comes to the processing of Fuji raw files that most photographers tend to use, Adobe Lightroom and Capture One. The choice, however, depends on the user’s personal preferences, as both have their strengths and weaknesses.

Inspired by Ivor Rackham’s recent article, Lightroom Versus ON1 Photo Raw 2023, I decided to test out the differences in the handling of the Fuji files to see what software would best suit my purposes.

Lightroom Classic

Lightroom has been my go-to software for editing all of my raw files for Fuji and Nikon. The interface is intuitive and now very familiar, plus it’s also easy to navigate and learn and integrates seamlessly with Photoshop and the plugins I use. However, one of my main criticisms is its handling of Fuji files, as it appears to produce a slightly soft smearing effect. This is not always the case and is only really noticeable when zoomed to 100%. If this is the starting point for an edit, sometimes, the result can be a little disappointing, although that is not always the case.

Capture One Express for Fujifilm

As a new user when it comes to Capture One, I can see why some claim it has a steeper learning curve for newbies, but if you are already a Lightroom user, it’s not too dissimilar in terms of layout and usability. Yes, it may not have the same cataloging or file management facilities, but as I’m still learning my way around it, the sessions seem to be the way for me to go, but perhaps there’s a better option I’ve still to discover.

From the outset, the color and sharpness handling is very apparent when put side by side with the Lightroom edit, and understandably, I tackled the edits slightly differently due to this. With the edits I’ve completed so far in Capture One. I am preferring the final outcome due to the starting point of the raw files.

In the quick video, I take a look at the interface of both software and speed and edit the above image to see the relative differences and the handling of the Fuji files, which is apparent from the outset. I do think I will be moving over to Capture One for the raw editing of Fuji files and using it in conjunction with Lightroom, as you can edit in Lightroom as an external editor. I’d love to hear in the comments your experiences with both and any other software that you use for your Fuji files.