Pros Ditch Adobe as Hasselblad Capture One Support Lands

Three 100MP Hasselblad systems can now open native 16-bit .3FR RAW files in Capture One, ending a workflow gap that had frustrated many professional shooters using the Swedish medium-format brand.

The new Hasselblad Capture One support covers Hasselblad’s X2D II 100C, X2D 100C and CFV 100C digital back, with support available through Capture One 16.8.3 or Mobile Version 3.3.4, according to TechRadar Pro. Tethered capture is not live yet, but it is promised for later this year.

Hasselblad Capture One support finally lands for three 100MP systems

Capture One has added native support for Hasselblad’s 16-bit .3FR RAW files, letting photographers import, organize and edit files from the three supported 100MP systems inside Capture One without the previous workaround route.

That matters because Hasselblad and Capture One sit in the same professional photography lane. Hasselblad’s medium-format cameras are built around high-resolution files and its Natural Color Solution, while Capture One is widely used for color correction and tethered shooting in commercial work.

The first supported cameras are:

The CFV 100C is the digital back used with the 907X. Capture One also now includes profiles for Hasselblad’s full range of XCD lenses, covering corrections for distortion, chromatic aberration and light falloff.

“One of the most consistent requests has been native support for Hasselblad RAW files in Capture One. This partnership is a direct response to that feedback, and we've been working with the Capture One team for some time to make it happen.”

That statement, from a Hasselblad spokesperson cited by TechRadar Pro, gets to the core issue. This was not a spec-sheet upgrade. It was a missing workflow bridge.

Native .3FR files cut out the workaround tax

Until now, Hasselblad RAW files required workarounds to move into Capture One. TechRadar Pro says those workarounds came “at the cost of color accuracy and editing latitude.”

That is the friction this update attacks. If a photographer chose Hasselblad for its file quality but preferred Capture One for color work, the pipeline was never as direct as it should have been.

Hasselblad Capture One support changes that first step. The RAW file can now enter Capture One directly, with dedicated color profiles for each of the three supported cameras.

Capture One described the engineering challenge as more than basic file compatibility:

“The real challenge was less about simply reading the files. Getting a new format right means dedicated color profiles for each of the three cameras, so Hasselblad's files render with the true-to-life color our users know Capture One for, plus lens profiles for the XCD lenses that correct distortion, chromatic aberration, and light falloff.”

The practical gain is simple. Photographers get native file handling, lens profiles and Capture One’s editing environment without converting files first.

For commercial users, that can matter as much as camera hardware. A camera system that produces excellent files but resists a studio’s preferred software can become harder to justify on busy jobs.

Adobe loses a workflow lock-in point, but not the whole studio

The Adobe angle is direct, but it should not be overstated. This update gives Hasselblad users a stronger path away from Adobe Lightroom-centered RAW workflows, especially if they already prefer Capture One’s color tools.

It does not erase Adobe from professional photography. The supplied source material specifically contrasts Lightroom with Capture One on color fidelity, but it does not claim photographers will abandon every Adobe product or every Adobe-based workflow overnight.

Still, for Hasselblad shooters who stayed with Adobe mainly because Capture One lacked native support, the pressure point has changed. Capture One now has the file compatibility it needed to make a cleaner pitch to that group.

Capture One framed the move as a response to the same professional base Hasselblad serves:

“Giving Hasselblad photographers the native Capture One workflow they've asked us for is genuinely rewarding. Both of us are firmly rooted in the commercial and professional space, and that's a big part of why this partnership makes sense.”

XOOMAR analysis: the sharpest impact is not on Adobe’s overall scale. It is on buyer confidence around Hasselblad. Better software support makes the X2D II 100C, X2D 100C and CFV 100C easier to evaluate as working systems, not just image-quality machines.

For readers tracking separate Adobe coverage, XOOMAR has also reported on 10/10 Adobe ColdFusion Vulnerabilities Threaten Servers. That is a different Adobe story entirely, but it shows why product-specific context matters when judging headlines around the company.

Tethered capture is the missing piece

The biggest unresolved item is tethered capture, the studio setup where the camera connects to software for controlled shooting. Capture One support for Hasselblad tethering is promised later this year, but it is not included in the current launch.

That timeline matters. Native RAW editing helps after the shot. Tethered capture affects the shoot itself.

Here is where the rollout stands now:

• Live now: Native Hasselblad .3FR RAW support in Capture One 16.8.3 and Mobile Version 3.3.4.
• Live now: Support for X2D II 100C, X2D 100C and CFV 100C digital back.
• Live now: XCD lens profiles for corrections including distortion, chromatic aberration and light falloff.
• Coming later this year: Tethered capture support.

Photographers will now test whether Capture One’s Hasselblad rendering preserves the color character they expect from the camera files. The source material says the priority was making sure “the unique character of these cameras comes through,” but real-world studio use will be the test that matters.

Pricing is also clear for new users. TechRadar Pro reports a free Capture One 7-day trial, with subscriptions starting at $18 / £16.67 per month or $216 / £124 per yer, and a one-time purchase costing $349 / £336.

XOOMAR’s broader technology desk has recently covered hardware and software stories as different as 153mph Wimbledon Robot Serve Humbles Fans in Queue, but this one lands in a narrower professional niche: whether a high-end camera system can fit into the software habits of working photographers.

The next practical watch item is tethering. If Capture One’s Hasselblad tethered capture arrives on schedule and performs cleanly, this partnership moves from useful RAW support to a fuller studio workflow shift. If tethering slips or arrives with limits, the update remains important, but less decisive for the commercial photographers Hasselblad most wants to win.

The Bottom Line

• Professional Hasselblad users can now import, organize and edit native .3FR RAW files directly in Capture One.
• The update reduces reliance on Adobe-based workflows for supported 100MP Hasselblad systems.
• Tethered capture is still pending, but promised support later this year could make Capture One more viable for studio work.