20D CF Folders

[mercphoto]

I tried to search the forums to no avail. I don't think this has been asked yet, but apologies if it has.

The Canon 20D puts images on the CF card in folders based on image number. The first hundred go into 100CANON, the next hundred into 101CANON, etc. I want them all to be in one folder to make it easier to grab them all. I've been told this is a custom function on 1-series cameras, but I can't find that setting on my 20D. Can it be done?

Why does Canon do this?

[pathfinder]

I tried to search the forums to no avail. I don't think this has been asked yet, but apologies if it has.

The Canon 20D puts images on the CF card in folders based on image number. The first hundred go into 100CANON, the next hundred into 101CANON, etc. I want them all to be in one folder to make it easier to grab them all. I've been told this is a custom function on 1-series cameras, but I can't find that setting on my 20D. Can it be done?

Why does Canon do this?

I've not tried to do it differently - I just open each folder to a new folder on my desktop and consolidate them that way. The 1 series do not use the folder scheme you describe - they're all in one folder on my 1DMkll. I did not set this up as a custom function, I think one folder only is the default for the 1 series cameras.

[DavidTO]

I tried to search the forums to no avail. I don't think this has been asked yet, but apologies if it has.

The Canon 20D puts images on the CF card in folders based on image number. The first hundred go into 100CANON, the next hundred into 101CANON, etc. I want them all to be in one folder to make it easier to grab them all. I've been told this is a custom function on 1-series cameras, but I can't find that setting on my 20D. Can it be done?

Why does Canon do this?

Why not use Image Capture to import them? Wouldn't that just import all the files on the card without you having to muck about with folders?

[cmr164]

I tried to search the forums to no avail. I don't think this has been asked yet, but apologies if it has.

The Canon 20D puts images on the CF card in folders based on image number. The first hundred go into 100CANON, the next hundred into 101CANON, etc. I want them all to be in one folder to make it easier to grab them all. I've been told this is a custom function on 1-series cameras, but I can't find that setting on my 20D. Can it be done?

Why does Canon do this?
Wow. I do not see a way to do that in the manual (pdf) or the FAQ both of which are on the 20D support page (http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SupportDetailAct&fcategoryid=215&modelid=10464) My canon mount dslrs have all had flexible schemes for this.

[mercphoto]

Why not use Image Capture to import them? Wouldn't that just import all the files on the card without you having to muck about with folders?

Using Finder to copy from my FireWire CF card reader is fast and easy. Sometimes I just launch iPhoto and have it import, which automatically traversing the folder hierarchy.

Yesterday I was a second-camera for a dirt bike race. The primary photog uses a 1DMkII, which puts all files in the root directory. His assistant/saleslady/computer operator was not sure how to easily deal with this multiple folder scheme of my camera, and there was no time to deal with this easily.

Since I copied all my images to my PowerBook before handing them over to him, I contemplated a short unix script to move the files on the CF card before giving it to her. I might do this next time. File move is pretty fast anyway.

Maybe Canon can fix this in a firmware update. I'm not sure the rational for doing things this way is.

[DavidTO]

Using Finder to copy from my FireWire CF card reader is fast and easy. Sometimes I just launch iPhoto and have it import, which automatically traversing the folder hierarchy.


How is using the finder easier than Image Capture? Especially if you've got the folder problem? And why use iPhoto just to import when that's what Image Capture is there for?

[cmr164]

Wow. I do not see a way to do that in the manual (pdf) or the FAQ both of which are on the 20D support page (http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SupportDetailAct&fcategoryid=215&modelid=10464) My canon mount dslrs have all had flexible schemes for this.
Ok just looked at the 1DMII support page and manual (http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SupportDetailAct&fcategoryid=215&modelid=9808) and it is almost as broken as the 20D. You can have multiple folders but there does not appear to be a way to set the camera to just do it. You have to create them manually on the camera or in advance on the computer and while there is a function for setting the max files in a folder it appears that you have to manually switch folders when you hit the limit.


Canon should never have broken the deal with Kodak. The Kodak workflow and features from 1998 are largely superior to Canon's today. Just think how good it would be with the best of both companies in a camera.

[mercphoto]

How is using the finder easier than Image Capture? Especially if you've got the folder problem? And why use iPhoto just to import when that's what Image Capture is there for?

For one, Finder is always running. Its already launched. Two, if I'm going to use iPhoto to review, sort and tag my images, and categorize them into different albums, they are going to end up in iPhoto at some point, right?

Lastly, I seldom take more than 100 photos in a day, so the folder issue wasn't a big deal before. Yesterday I took 1400 photos, which meant I had to deal with 14 image folders, and that became a pain. iPhoto can deal with it, but my usual Finder approach was problematic.

[cmr164]

For one, Finder is always running. Its already launched. Two, if I'm going to use iPhoto to review, sort and tag my images, and categorize them into different albums, they are going to end up in iPhoto at some point, right?

Lastly, I seldom take more than 100 photos in a day, so the folder issue wasn't a big deal before. Yesterday I took 1400 photos, which meant I had to deal with 14 image folders, and that became a pain. iPhoto can deal with it, but my usual Finder approach was problematic. Couple of points: Finder leaves hidden directories on your CF card and if you are deleting images from the card and not emptying trash can actually take up space on the CF/SD/etc card until you reformat it. I always have 3 xterms running but what I do can work in a Terminal window also and that is to use the UNIX 'cp' or 'mv' commands to copy or move images. In your case with multiple files it would look like either:

cp /Volumes/xxxxx/DCIM/*/*.jpg ~/your-foldername/.

or

mv /Volumes/xxxxx/DCIM/*/*.jpg ~/your-foldername/.

with the diff being that the latter also clears the card. (Danger Will Smith)

[BBones]

So is there a best solution to this? I commonly shoot over 1000 pics in a full day motorcycle race event.

[mercphoto]

So is there a best solution to this? I commonly shoot over 1000 pics in a full day motorcycle race event.

Personally, I'm going to use a unix command or script like was mentioned above. This works great for us Mac people. But I don't know what Windoze people will do.