Dealing with 2 bodies and file numbering. CANON

JohnBiggs · January 12, 2009

Ok, It has bugged me enough to post. I sometimes shoot with 2 bodies to save from switching lenses all the time. Well, The file numbering will get out of sync because the card I slap in may have been used in the second body. This causes the file numbers to jump forward or backward and I end up with files with the exact same numbers. I also end up with gaps in my numbering.

How do you all handle this?

I guess I could dedicate some of my cards to body one and some cards to body two, but on the days where I only use one body I'll run out.

Richard · January 12, 2009

Try renaming your files as soon as you upload them to your computer. Many programs (including Bridge and LR) let you add a serial number to whatever else you want as a base name and you can even set the starting number. I use yymmdd_nnnn as my naming convention, where the date is tied to the upload date. I have never had a naming collision.

Kulla · January 12, 2009

maybe you can set on one camera that it creates new folder for every day and on the other one leave it on default value (all pics in same folder)

rwells · January 12, 2009

If your using two bodies, I'm assuming your using a card in each, not shooting some pics with one, then taking the card out and putting it in the second camera, right?

If your shooting an event and using the cards "round robin" then simply reformat whatever card you are going to re-use. It won't transfer the previous cards file numbering scheme to this body.

Are you manually resetting the counter when you finish the shoot? If not, how would your two camera bodies be that close, file name wise, to conflict?

EX: Camera 1 --- IMG_4158.jpg

Camera 2 --- IMG_14301.jpg

JohnBiggs · January 12, 2009

rwells wrote:

Are you manually resetting the counter when you finish the shoot? If not, how would your two camera bodies be that close, file name wise, to conflict?

EX: Camera 1 --- IMG_4158.jpg

Camera 2 --- IMG_14301.jpg

I download the cards, then pop them back into whatever camera and have the camera format them. That causes both cameras to have very similar numbers. I will try to get the cards right back in the original cameras.

I never reset my numbers, I am used to dealing with the numbering in 10K blocks.

John Mueller · January 12, 2009

As mentioned number the files when downing them or format the cards in the computer 1st
Formatting in camera will not change the # filing.

rwells · January 12, 2009

JohnBiggs wrote:

I download the cards, then pop them back into whatever camera and have the camera format them. That causes both cameras to have very similar numbers. I will try to get the cards right back in the original cameras.

I never reset my numbers, I am used to dealing with the numbering in 10K blocks.

OK, call me confussed...

Unless you have your camera(s) set to automatic reset, when you format the card in camera it will not change the file numbering system.

So, when you state that you format whatever card in whatever camera body, that causes both camera's to have very similar numbers, I don't understand. How would that happen?

I've used a lot of Canon bodies, multiples at an event. When I take cards out to have them downloaded to the laptop, I just pick up another card that was previously used and format in my camera. My image file numbering doesn't change.

The only 3 ways I know of to change image file numbering in camera is:

1) Take a card out of one camera body and place it in another body without formating.

2) Have your camera set to "auto reset" when formatting a card

3) Manually reset the numbering from your camera menu.

Just tested this with 5DMkll, 5D & 30D.

Shot a pic with 5D - IMG_8429 --> took card out. Put in 5DMkll --> formatted card --> shot picture --> IMG_4211

Same thing when I took this same card out and put it in the 30D. Same process, same results.

That's why I don't understand your statements... Check to make sure your camera in not set to auto reset upon format.

Hope that helps...

ChatKat · January 12, 2009

Dpp
Canon's own software - DPP will ask you on download if you want to rename the file on download and when you do the second card it will continue the number sequence. I use "Smith...001 and it just goes forward. I shoot RAW and JPG and the RAw will be odd numbered and the JPG will be even numbered.

rwells wrote:

OK, call me confussed...

Unless you have your camera(s) set to automatic reset, when you format the card in camera it will not change the file numbering system.

So, when you state that you format whatever card in whatever camera body, that causes both camera's to have very similar numbers, I don't understand. How would that happen?

I've used a lot of Canon bodies, multiples at an event. When I take cards out to have them downloaded to the laptop, I just pick up another card that was previously used and format in my camera. My image file numbering doesn't change.

The only 3 ways I know of to change image file numbering in camera is:

1) Take a card out of one camera body and place it in another body without formating.

2) Have your camera set to "auto reset" when formatting a card

3) Manually reset the numbering from your camera menu.

Just tested this with 5DMkll, 5D & 30D.

Shot a pic with 5D - IMG_8429 --> took card out. Put in 5DMkll --> formatted card --> shot picture --> IMG_4211

Same thing when I took this same card out and put it in the 30D. Same process, same results.

That's why I don't understand your statements... Check to make sure your camera in not set to auto reset upon format.

Hope that helps...

JohnBiggs · January 13, 2009

rwells wrote:

OK, call me confussed...

The only 3 ways I know of to change image file numbering in camera is:

1) Take a card out of one camera body and place it in another body without formating.

Hope that helps...

If this is the only way... then I must have clicked the shutter before remembering to format. I've heard it's best to format in camera but maybe I'll format on the computer.

I'll do more tests to narrow it down.

Thanks,
John

Art Scott · January 13, 2009

JohnBiggs wrote:

If this is the only way... then I must have clicked the shutter before remembering to format. I've heard it's best to format in camera but maybe I'll format on the computer.

I'll do more tests to narrow it down.

Thanks,
John

Always re-format in camera......it keeps the corruption at bay..........I use 3 cameras at times all are set to start a new file each day and since all were purchased clsoe together the files come out numbered very close some times with same numbers.....so I place in a file on my "c" drive and then as I run thru LightRoom2 .... I renumber my files and also keyword so I can find easily the next time I want ....In light Room my files are named with date shot+sequence number and with keywords and some get titles also so I can easily find what I need the next time.

JohnBiggs · January 14, 2009

Art Scott wrote:

Always re-format in camera......it keeps the corruption at bay..........I use 3 cameras at times all are set to start a new file each day and since all were purchased clsoe together the files come out numbered very close some times with same numbers.....so I place in a file on my "c" drive and then as I run thru LightRoom2 .... I renumber my files and also keyword so I can find easily the next time I want ....In light Room my files are named with date shot+sequence number and with keywords and some get titles also so I can easily find what I need the next time.

I use LR as well, but due to my crazy way of managing digital files, renumbering is not much of an option.

I use linux as my primary os and I run a virtual windows machine for LR2.
1. Copy all files onto my desktop on the computer.
2. Copy these folders over to my network storage (raid 5)
3. Run a back-up process immediately on the network storage to an external USB
4. Import the network storage folder into lightroom.
5. Delete the original folder off my desktop.
6. Format the CF card.
7. Periodically backup the network storage to DVD. (with the intention of moving the DVDs off site)

It works but I don't get to use the features lightroom and many other tools give me for renaming. I'm so paranoid about my files I don't think I would let automated software handle that anyways.

I have about 50K pictures and this method is working.

Scott_Quier · January 14, 2009

When I shoot weddings, all cameras have their clock synchronized to the clock on a single computer - thus the clock in the cameras all have (nearly) the same timestamp.

Then, when I download the photos, I rename the in the format hhmmss_Name - this allows me ability to sort the images in chronological order and, at the same time, doesn't give the client any idea of the number of photos I've taken nor of any gaps that may exist in the delivered product. I've found that what clients don't know doesn't hurt them. When the become aware of a gap in the images, they always think they are missing something.

Art Scott · January 19, 2009

Scott_Quier wrote:

When I shoot weddings, all cameras have their clock synchronized to the clock on a single computer - thus the clock in the cameras all have (nearly) the same timestamp.

Then, when I download the photos, I rename the in the format hhmmss_Name - this allows me ability to sort the images in chronological order and, at the same time, doesn't give the client any idea of the number of photos I've taken nor of any gaps that may exist in the delivered product. I've found that what clients don't know doesn't hurt them. When the become aware of a gap in the images, they always think they are missing something.

AAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhh Bach!!!! ................ ooops had a Radar moment there:D .......... I like this......if I could have done that with film....oh that would have been great.

Thanx Scott!!! You da man........

thumb

mercphoto · January 19, 2009

JohnBiggs wrote:

I use LR as well, but due to my crazy way of managing digital files, renumbering is not much of an option. ... snip ... It works but I don't get to use the features lightroom and many other tools give me for renaming. I'm so paranoid about my files I don't think I would let automated software handle that anyways.

Wow, now that is paranoia. Seriously. The best thing to do, by far, is to let software rename your files in a manner in which you will not get any name collisions. 50k images, you're going to have multiple images with the same names. That's rarely a good idea....

Scott_Quier · January 19, 2009

Art Scott wrote:

AAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhh Bach!!!! ................ ooops had a Radar moment there:D .......... I like this......if I could have done that with film....oh that would have been great.

Thanx Scott!!! You da man........thumbthumbthumbthumbthumb

Don't for a minute think that this was my idea. I'm not that smart. I am, however, smart enough to copy if from someone on another forum.

Dealing with 2 bodies and file numbering. CANON

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