Law Firm Eyes Class Action Lawsuit Against Sony Over Demise of Capture One Express

A law firm is investigating a possible class action lawsuit after Sony camera owners lost access to the free photo editing software Capture One Express, which was included with many Sony mirrorless cameras.

Capture One Express was a free program often bundled with Sony mirrorless and DSLR cameras. It allowed users to organize, edit, and export photos — often serving as their main editing tool.

But in December 2023, Capture One notified users by email that Capture One Express would no longer be available starting January 30, 2024. The free photo editing software ceased to function completely on February 12, 2024.

In an ad posted on the website Top Class Actions, law firm Wolf Popper is asking affected customers to fill out a form to check if they may qualify to join a class action lawsuit. The investigation focuses on whether Sony misled customers or unfairly impacted consumers by terminating this bundled software.

“If you purchased a Sony camera and were impacted by the termination of Capture One Express, you may be eligible to join a Sony class action lawsuit investigation,” Wolf Popper says in the ad.

According to Wolf Popper, the law firm places the blame on Sony and says that its decision to end access to Capture One Express was made so the company could reallocate resources toward its paid products, including Capture One Pro and other subscription-based services. As a result, users who relied on the free version had no choice but to upgrade, with Capture One Pro now costing up to $300 for a perpetual license.

However, it is worth noting that it was not Sony’s decision to end Capture One Express, but Capture One’s. Capture One’s move in late 2023 to end support for Express followed its decision in 2022 to stop developing brand-specific versions of its software, which it once offered for Sony, Fujifilm, and Nikon cameras. It is a bit strange, therefore, to see Wolf Popper conflating Sony and Capture One in this way.

Nonetheless, the law firm says the shutdown of Capture One Express has left many Sony camera users with a sudden gap and without a free way to edit their photos.

For what it’s worth, Sony offers a remote shooting and RAW development app, Imaging Edge Desktop, for macOS and Windows. This app is also required to work with pixel-shift images captured in Sony cameras. Imaging Edge Desktop is available for free for Sony camera owners.

“For many users, Capture One Express wasn’t just a bonus,” Wolf Popper says in the ad. “It was the go-to software that allowed them to get the most out of their camera (including native Sony RAW file processing) without additional cost. Its removal now leaves those users without a built-in editing solution.”

“With Capture One Express disabled, users were left with two options: upgrade to a paid version of Capture One Pro or acquire a new third-party editing tool. This shift has raised questions about fairness.”

Wolf Popper says that consumers who purchased a Sony camera bundle that included Capture One Express may have legal rights. The law firm is investigating whether Sony misled customers who reasonably expected continued access to the bundled software, and those who lost access to Capture One Express could be eligible to join a potential class action lawsuit.