Hasselblad and Capture One bury the hatchet
If you own a Hasselblad medium format camera from the last two generations, you can now also develop your images with Capture One. The new support is not generic, but tailor-made for specific models.
Capture One now supports RAW files from Hasselblad cameras. After the 16.8.3 update, photos from the X2D, X2D II, and the CFV 100C digital back can be edited. This removes a long-standing artificial barrier in the medium format world.
The proper support for Hasselblad's RAW files is the result of a new partnership and a lot of work, says Rafael Orta, CEO of Capture One, to DPReview. "Every manufacturer has their own approach to color science and sensor data processing. We place great importance on users seeing colors that meet our standards." The Hasselblad files are not simply read generically, but with dedicated color profiles for the respective models. Tethered shooting is expected to follow later in the year.
Rivalry was long overdue
The previously missing support has its roots in an old rivalry between Hasselblad and Phase One, the original parent company of Capture One. Because both manufacturers produced expensive medium format cameras for the same customer segment, proprietary software was a selling point. Capture One was always more user-friendly than Hasselblad's RAW developer Phocus.
Hasselblad has largely withdrawn from the high-end medium format market. The last "big" camera was the H6D from 2016. Instead, the Swedish manufacturer is focusing on the mirrorless X series. Phase One continues to build modular SLR cameras with digital backs that cost tens of thousands of francs. They thus de facto serve different applications.
In 2019, Phase One and Capture One also split into separate companies. Nevertheless, it took another seven years to support Hasselblad files. Photos from cameras of all other popular brands, however, have long been able to be opened. "It only takes a moment to destroy a bridge, but a very long time to rebuild it," Rafael Orta explained the long delay.
My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
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