4 digit file numbers too short?

I am running an EOS10D and an EOS20D together and am taking so many pics that the file numbers are overlapping leading to big confusion on my hard drive. I have reset one camera to start from 0000 but they overlap again pretty quickly (really). And even if you keep similar file names separated on the disk Sods Law says sooner or later they end up in the same folder.

Long filenames are the answer, preferably a text line prefix in camera (Canon please note). One way is to put a differentiator (e.g. a prefix) on the file name. The 20D allows the folder name to be changed (say 100CANON to 200CANON) using Windows Explorer, which helps slightly, but the 10D recreates the 100CANON folder name whatever you do. In any case the folder name does not get copied onto the PC.

I do all copying by transferring the flashcard. Is there an in-camera way to differentiate? Or which can transfer the folder name too? Or something which allows me to add further info automatically, such as the day/time/session data?

I know this can all be done later in Photoshop but that means sitting down and thinking. My photo sessions (conferences, football matches, carnivals) seem to demand rapid transfer of large numbers of files on the spot, so thinking is not good ... and losing files due to duplicate filenames is even worse!

Not sure about the 10D and changing on the spot but as for offline, I had ran into this problem 2 years ago and since then I had been using a date convention. What I would do is rename the IMG_xxxx to let's say this month to 0505xxxx (x's are the file number).
I keep the digits to 8 digits becasue incase of compatibility issue. As for naming per month, the chances of duplicating within a month is minized unless you take more than 9999 a month. In this case, just add extra letter to end. With my S230 camera, i have over 30000 photos on it and you can imagine if I had to search for a unique number.

Personally when I do it onsite, i generally use different CF cards and when after a session I backup onto my PD7X which creates a new folder for every transfer.

Hope this helps.

Batch renaming in photoshop really isn't all that time consuming. I mean, hell, you give the files a name, select the numbering order and the software does all the work in seconds.


Mike

I use batch rename in BreezeBrowser right after downloading the files to the computer (I download them with ZoomBrowser, which is configured to create folders according to shooting date). I have configured BreezeBrowser to prefix the shooting date to the said four digits, but one can configure it to form the file name from many different system variables or constants, including those from exif, like aperture value or ISO.

Just to add, to batch rename for canon files can be done straight in command mode.
for both Win98, Windows 2000 and XP, you can copy using explorer into a directory. let's assume c:\temp
click on Start and select run
type in "command" or "CMD"
in dos prompt, you change directory to the temp folder.. "cd \temp"
from there is where all the files are located. You type in:
rename IMG_????.jpg 0505????.jpg
this will almost instantly rename all files leading with IMG_ to the year and month you specified. This is much more direct approach than using any fancy applications.

hope this helps.

Don't know if this is applicable or not, using ZoomBrowser to dowload, it asks you to give a prefex. That's why I prefer ZoomBrowser for downlaoding.

You obviously need to upgrade just for that.

My 1DsMkII has a unique file name coming out the camera that I can't change if I wanted to until it gets on my computer. "VI0S_####" for trivia (although if in Adobe RGB it will be "_I0S_####" )

It is actually both good and bad and I personally would prefer to be able to change it as needed, but on the other hand it does prove RAW pictures are from MY camera.

For file naming convention, I personlly don't like the way Canon had created it. What is worst is that if you use the same flash card and put it into another canon camera, it would reset the filenumber on the other camera or vice versa. I run into this problem quite often and is fustrating. (Don't share flash card between Canon cameras).
I haven't really experienced too much with higher models of Canon but with the Nikon D70 don't seem to have this problem. They can create a folder within the camera and place photos as they take them within that ONE folder until user chooses to create another one. Wished Canon would had thought about that option. Unless somebody can come up with a new firmware hack that can incorporate this function.

How curious... Apparently there haven't been enough heavy shooters complaining about this, as I'm sure Canon could fix that in a second, say, add another #, or while tey're at it, two ##.

I know that I am criminally insane. But I have a file naminq system that I use that not only stops overlap but also makes image identification easier.

It is made of a 13 digit alpha-numberic system based on:

• Purpose of the photo (i.e. personal, stock, sale, online use etc.)
  
• Category of photo (i.e. Horse and Rider, Architecture - General, Arcitecture - Interior, Commissioned City Project etc.)
  
• Camera used (300D, RB67 etc.)
  
• Location (Name of Ranch, Houston - Downtown, Houston - Zoo etc.)
  
• Format photo was shot in (Raw, JPEG)
  
• Subject (Client name, Project number)
  
• And finally a four digit image number

Try my free utility that I wrote for my use and have shared with others. It will put files in separate folders by camera model and can prepend photographer's initials to file names.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=43292

Hmmm... I generally create a directory with the subject (e.g. "San Diego" or "Beach" or "Milliways") and dump all the xxxCANON directories in there -- I never worry about file overlap because they can't.

As for the numbering system, CF cards (most NV RAM media for that matter) work on FAT, which is limited to the 8.3 naming convention. If they're gonna call it "IMG_" you only have 9999 numbers to use (since they don't use 0000). I suppose they could call it CA (for Canon) or DG (digital) and add a dash, that'd give us 100,000 numbers (CA-xxxxx.JPG); surely more than enough?

digital prophet: Wow, so.. you're off your pills for over a year?

I wanna be insane too, but the tutorial you provided doesn't help. Requesting detailed instructions. What's C31?

Also, I have a similarly insane idea for those who don't shoot for clients: go through all your photos, pick out the best, copy them in one folder (or two if numbers are naughty and overlapping), go through them again, force yourself to dump 50% of the not-so-good ones. If you're like me, you'll have a pretty thin folder and no trouble renaming every file to a text description.

Like many others, I rename mine in batch. Format's aaa-bbbb_cam.*, where aaa is the camera's folder number; bbbb's the file number from the frame, and cam is 20D, D60, A80 as appropriate. So a typical file would be 160-6023_D60.JPG.

Get yourself a copy of BreezeSystems Downloader Pro, it'll do it all for you.

Once setup you just plug a CF card into the card reader and away it goes.

I currently only have the one camera, so Downloader Pro is currently configured to name mine as follows:

\Year\Month\Negatives\​Day\yyyymmdd_hhnn_seri​al.crw

E.g.

\2005\05\Negatives\12\​20050512_1752_9678.crw

File name is year, month, day _ time _ serial number

Downloader Pro even creates the directories for you as it goes along. I've even got it configured to create my other working directories for me at the begining of each month, e.g.

\2005\05\Negatives\
\2005\05\PrintReady\
\2005\05\WebReady\

For your problem it can also tag each image with a unique reference based on the camera body.

Worth a look

Cheers

Ian