Strikes me this a very 'lite' release. DeHaze is nice...but should have been out year ago. Import is as slow as Christmas on my M1 Mini 16GB running Big Sur. Maybe that will be fixed with a future update to make it run native mode on Apple Silicon. Speed edit seems nice. But I have wonder if that too a lot of design resources to implement. Still no content aware eraser or fill that other apps have had for years.
What C1P21 does, it seems to do well (ignoring the slow import). I got my 21 via subscription. I would never paid list price for what seems to me to be a small set of new or improved features. Of course, this is all subjective.

I looked at the video from Paul Reiffer on the new additions and didn't see anything that would make me want to upgrade. Dehaze can be done with existing sliders, and Paul himself says you'll get better results using those sliders than using the new dehaze slider. The import speed doesn't bother me. If they'd added a focus stacking feature, then I might have had to consider it.

agree!... I was willing to upgrade when it was announced in past weeks, but I decided to wait to see the new features, in the end I'll skip an upgrade until see what's new in C1 22 as I don't see anything that would help me more to edit my photos.

I upgraded for HEIF support only to find it can read but not write HEIF files. Was interested in having a good alternative to JPG files.

I have read with 21 you only get 2 activations. With 20 and (previous) you get 3 so if you need to have it on 3 computers it's something to consider.

Capture One is supported by a Helicon Focus focus stacking plug-in:
https://www.heliconsof​t.com/capture-one-plugin/
No raw converter or pixel editor will match the performance, quality and features of a dedicated focus stacking application, and this plug-in makes integration between the two applications painless and easy. Consider adding it to your workflow if focus stacking is important enough to want it in Capture One.
kirk

As I pointed out in the other thread about Capture One 21, the release notes are clear that HEIC write support is not included. You can also sign up to be a beta tester and get access to early releases of the upcoming software, and voice your desire to have things like HEIC write support included.
Just sign in to your Capture One account and sign up for the beta program.
kirk

According to my perpetual license version of v21, I have one activation remaining - I have activated on 2 computers at this point, implying that the perpetual license provides 3 total activations.
kirk

Re: slow import - I do not use Catalogs in Capture One, I just use Sessions. Generating the initial previews sometimes takes a few seconds. Unless there is a compelling reason to use a huge database for your images, I see no point in locking oneself into a DAM. The OS on modern computers is pretty good at managing and searching the metadata within image files.
The thing about Capture One is the initial buy-in. It is expensive to purchase a license if you are not upgrading. Once you are a registered user, the upgrade price is on par with most professional raw converters, should you decide you need to upgrade. They also offer a subscription if that is preferable to your payment structure or business/personal financial operations.
You can always download a free trial and decide if the new version is worth it - better than relying on the 'experts' on the internet.
kirk

I don't know anything about it. I just read about it here.
https://www.fredmirand​a.com/forum/topic/1676​826

I am a beta tester for them already, I just didn't participate in the 21 release because of work. Clearly I didn't read the release notes.
What is the purpose of focus stacking?

To do focus stacking, you would take multiple shots with the focus point set to different parts of the scene. For a landscape shot, you might focus on the foreground, the middle ground, and the background. The focus stacking software will then blend the 3 images, using the sharpest part of each image, so you then get a shot that is sharp from front to back. I think focus stacking is really big for the macro people, since they have such shallow depth of field.

I hope the update to support Apple Silicon improves import performance time. On my M1 Mini with 16GB and 1 TB SSD it took about 48 hours to import 90,000 images sitting on SSDs connected via TB3. IMHO, not good at all.

Looks like subscription costs MORE than buying the upgrade to me.
I just paid $130.00 for the upgrade. Subscribers will pay $180.00 this year, and of course paid another $180 last year. If I skip next update, I'll pay even less.

DP - I believe you still get 3 with a perpetual licence but only 2 with the subscription.