Dumb Question about Digital Files

I'm sure there is a simple answer here, but I'm at a loss to figure it out. I've been shooting with an original Digital Rebel for about 5 years, and recently switched to the XSI, which I loved... right up until I broke a fall with it this weekend. Anyway, it's off at Canon to see if its fixable, and in the meantime, I figured I'd better solve this dilemma.

All my old files went something like this when I imported them to my computer from the 300D. IMG_1232.CR2. Great. No sweat. Trouble is, when I'm shooting with the XSI, the files are named the same, except the numbers have started over again! What I'm worried about is ending up with 2 files that have the same exact name... Will the new one overwrite the old one and delete it from my computer?? I haven't been able to prove it one way or another yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few older pictures that have been overwritten by the new ones.

Does anyone have an easy way to handle this, or is it even something to worry about? I would love to be able to start my XSI counting files at some arbitrary number, like you can when you order a book of new checks, but it can't be done that I can see.

Thanks!

If they are going into the same folder, they will be overwritten!

cap, yes, files of the same name and extension will be overwritten, but usually there is a dialogue box asking you if you want to do this. Some Canon bodies do allow you to change the numbering sequence but I am not sure about your model. Also, some software will allow you to append the downloaded names. Or you can download to a new folder.

good luck

mm767cap wrote in post #7378158
I'm sure there is a simple answer here, but I'm at a loss to figure it out. I've been shooting with an original Digital Rebel for about 5 years, and recently switched to the XSI, which I loved... right up until I broke a fall with it this weekend. Anyway, it's off at Canon to see if its fixable, and in the meantime, I figured I'd better solve this dilemma.

All my old files went something like this when I imported them to my computer from the 300D. IMG_1232.CR2. Great. No sweat. Trouble is, when I'm shooting with the XSI, the files are named the same, except the numbers have started over again! What I'm worried about is ending up with 2 files that have the same exact name... Will the new one overwrite the old one and delete it from my computer?? I haven't been able to prove it one way or another yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few older pictures that have been overwritten by the new ones.

Does anyone have an easy way to handle this, or is it even something to worry about? I would love to be able to start my XSI counting files at some arbitrary number, like you can when you order a book of new checks, but it can't be done that I can see.

Thanks!

You can easily fix this problem by copying the files to a different folder each time you upload the files to the computer. For example, all my folders where images are stored start with the date or dates the pictures were taken followed by a one- or two-word description of the pictures. The side benefit of doing this is that searching for a particular image becomes much easier and faster.

I use separate folders for each of my cameras, works great...

snowrdr wrote in post #7378322
I use separate folders for each of my cameras, works great...

I do the same.

My Lightroom file structure is almost always:
-Date
-Event
-40D
-5D

snowrdr wrote in post #7378322
I use separate folders for each of my cameras, works great...

I do exactly the same thing. Each camera gets it's own folder.

Yeah, it sound like you are ready to begin DAM 101 (digital asset management). Think of downloading files not as dumping them into your generic picture folder, but into a managed library with discreet folders and files using a naming convention of your choice. Like others said, I often break up a shoot between cameras as well, but if not I have the camera designation in the filename along with date and shoot.

If you use EOS utility to download your files, you can specify a different folder as a default location. This will ensure that no earlier files are overwritten. You should also copy all of your 300D files to a differently named folder as a backup. In case of hard disk failure, it is wise to have them all backed up on another drive or on DVD's/CD's. All a bit of a pain to start with, but worth the effort in the long run.
Ian

But was your old 300D files not called CRW_1234.CRW? 300D used the first revision of Canon Raw (CRW) , XSI used the second revision (CR2)

I'm almost certain your computer will ask you before it overwrites a "same name" file. I'm not even sure if there is a way to deliberately disable the feature. You certainly couldn't have done it by accident, to get rid of the warning you would have to go through at least a few deliberate steps to do it. You're probably ok.

use a card reader and DIM, you'll never have another file name problem again

There is another option that you have that everyone else has missed.

This is only a bandaid fix as you will run into the same problem when you have shot over 9999 photos.

Copy the highest number photograph onto the media card that you put into your camera.

ie. If you had IMG_1232.CR2, copy that file onto the media card.

Then put it into the camera, and start taking your photographs. The camera will start to take photographs starting with the next consecutive number after that file.

The problem with this is that when you get to photograph IMG_9999.CR2, it will restart at zero again.

You are probably better to use a better method to copy the files off your media than what you are doing. I use Adobe Bridge to copy, and let bridge rename all the files as it copies them. I use <date>_<camera>_Img_#####.CR2

ie If I shot a photograph today, I would have a file named: 20090222_50D_IMG_0532.​CR2.

I also let bridge put the files into their own subdirectory based on date. I have created a directory tree for each month and year. Then when I start to get low on drive space, I can archive the files off to duplicate DVD disks for storage. Any photograph that I have printed, has the filename encoded on the back, so I know exactly what date the photograph was taken. I can then go the the correct DVD to retrieve the original RAW file if I ever need to reprint or reprocess it.

As I put in the Camera name into the file, it doesn't matter if I have multiple cameras, and the IMG number can have duplicates becuase I know what camera it was from.

Matt.

use the date as part of the file name such as 2212009-ing_4434.cr. Odds are, you won't mix up your cameras and your files are always available by date. Just a suggestion.

Thanks for all the replies folks! Good stuff, and I'll probably try a few to figure out which ones work best for me. I appreciate the timeliness, because if I have to replace my camera with a new body, I'll need to get this figured out ASAP, as I'll be starting this whole process again!

I use a card reader and import all my pictures into Aperture 2; they all go into a Review Import folder, where I go through and edit. Then I move them around to folders that are more appropriate. To rename the files as Nanboh suggested, do I just do that manually in the information tab?

Thanks!