I need the DPC knowledge base for this one...

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

07/04/2005 01:37:32 PM · #1

Last night we shot a wedding and my partner's cards go from 200-698 then 1101-2100 in file numbers. We did NOT lose a card, she did NOT reformat a card - why the heck did the camera skip 400 shots?! I truly do not understand. Here are the facts:

She only had 4 cards in her possession. I have all four today. 2 are full, 1 is half full and a fourth was an unused half gig card.

The first full card: 200-698
The second full card: 1101-1753
The third half full card: 1755-2114
The unused half gig card has nothing on it.

Also - 698 was taken at 5:01pm at the very end of bridal party formals. We had a golf cart ride back to the clubhouse and a wait for family - by the time I shot MY first formal, it was 5:21. 1101 was taken at 5:23.

See the problem? Image 698 is the shot right before 1101 pretty much. My cards are fine and I have 4 shots in between where she took 698 and I took 1101. She MAY have changed batteries.

What the heck happened????

M

deapee

Kodak V803

07/04/2005 01:39:34 PM · #2

Probably just a Canon thing. I hear they can't add right. lol, just kidding, sorry, I had to.

07/04/2005 01:40:33 PM · #3

Was the second card ever used in another camera? It may have picked up numbering from there.

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

07/04/2005 01:44:20 PM · #4

Wait, wait...

Does the camera impart the next number? Or does the card?

If I take a memory card, put it in MY rebel (at file 1000 say) and click a shot and it goes to 1001. Then I move the card to her camera at file #0, it MAY start at 1002?

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

07/04/2005 01:46:19 PM · #5

Originally posted by mavrik:

The camera, as far as I am aware, but I wouldn't swear on it.

Message edited by author 2005-07-04 13:46:35.

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

07/04/2005 01:48:38 PM · #6

I figure it doesn't matter as long as the shots themselves aren't missing. Right? Unless you use the automatic counter for some other purpose that's going over my head since I never look at it.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

07/04/2005 01:50:13 PM · #7

It's both--we've been through this, and I was a doubting Thomas at first.

If we could search properly the forums, I'd find the real answer, but it's something like this:

1) If the card has photos with a higher count than then camera, then the camera picks up the count

2) If the card has photos with a lower count, the camera keeps it's internal count

I can see why they might have done this as a special 'reset' count, to get back to where you were, say on a memory loss. But since it's uncontrollable, I think it's really stupid. But who am I to say ;)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/04/2005 01:51:02 PM · #8

Originally posted by mavrik:

Yes, one camera can pick up numbering from a card that's been used in another. The camera writes info to the card regarding what the next number should be. This info survives reformatting.
AFAIK, it's an attempt to ensure that those using multiple cams don't end up with duplicate file names. It leads to more confusion than it solves, IMO.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

07/04/2005 01:51:27 PM · #9

I'm pretty sure the camera tracks the number. If I switch cards in my Canon, it picks up numbering from there it left off the previous card. If I put the card into another camera, that camera will make its own folder and number the photos with its own system.

I've switched CF cards between a Canon and a Kodak, and SM cards between an Olympus and a Fuji, and they all behaved this way.

I'd archive the cards first and then inquire of Canon, because it sounds more like an internal software glitch -- there probably can't have been 400 exposures made in 20 minutes, unless you were riding along with your finger stuck on the shutter button and no card in the camera ...

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/04/2005 01:54:37 PM · #10

Originally posted by GeneralE:

What Neil posted is the behavior of most recent Canon cams. Different cams (at least different manufacturers' cams) prolly have different, incompatible exposure-tracking information, so I would not expect a Canon cam to pick up numbering from another manufacturer.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

07/04/2005 01:58:52 PM · #11

Neil posted while I was writing ... and it makes some sense -- and a good reason not to pass cards around from camera to camera (or reformat them in-camera).

I've had somewhat the same thing internally with my Oly; if I erase some earier photos, it doesn't go back and "fill-in" the missing numbers, but adds sequentially after the highest-numbered one.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/04/2005 02:04:03 PM · #12

This all makes sense to me, in a somewhat "why didn't I think of that" and yet "omg that's annoying" way. lol

Goldberry - I was just doing a check to make sure we had all of our cards, all of our files. We have never had a gap like that, so I wanted to check the reason. I think all her files are there, but I couldn't be sure.

Neil's answer makes sense and I AM talking about recent Canon gear, so it double makes sense for me. I always reformat in camera, but I don't think that was it - I probably took a test shot or even checked in one cam if I had an empty card and that gave me the wrong file numbers.

Good lord, DPC DOES know everything. I thought this would be too much!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

07/04/2005 02:25:01 PM · #13

As long as we're on numbering, a few eeks ago my nikon 5700 stopped doing sequential numbering and starts over again at 0000 every time I insert an empty card in it. So all my dumps to the hardrive are repeats of the same numbers, just in different folders. It's annoying. Anyone have a fix?

Robt.

Kavey

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

07/04/2005 02:30:19 PM · #14

This is all definitely worth knowing, thanks for the info...

07/04/2005 02:33:53 PM · #15

Originally posted by bear_music:

File numbering: The seq. numbers menu

The camera assigns each picture a file name consisting of "DSCN" followed by a four-digit number assigned automatically by the camera (e.g., "DSCN0001.JPG"). This option controls how files are numbered.

Option Description
On The camera assigns all subsequent file and folder numbers sequentially in ascending order, starting from the last number used. If the memory card is formatted or a new card inserted in the camera, file and folder numbering will continue from the last numbers used.
Off The camera does not store the last file and folder numbers used. When a new file or folder is created, numbering starts from the lowest number available.
Reset Clears the current file and folder numbers from memory. Sequential numbering begins again from the lowest numbers available.

Your camera may have reset this option? Did you check that to see if it's still on SEQ numbering?

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/04/2005 02:34:02 PM · #16

Originally posted by bear_music:

Robert,
Couple things to check:
- Did your menu options get reset to default by any chance?
- Is is possible the internal battery is dead? BTW, in that case, check the time/date, it should get reset if you remove the main battery.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

07/04/2005 02:45:42 PM · #17

I'm not aware of any file numbering options in the 5700 menu, but the camera's at home and I'm housesitting. Mavrick, is that a quote from Nikon or a quote from your 20D's manual?

Kirbic, the battery's fine, the date's fine.

I'll see if there's a menu item I missed when I get home.

R.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/04/2005 03:14:16 PM · #18

Both my Canon and Olympus cameras have the option of "perpetual sequential" numbering, and restarting from 0 when a a card with no stored images (in the proper folder) are present.

I have my Canon set to nmber continuously from the beginning (currently about 5600), and I believe that re-sets after 9999.

My Olympus is set to re-number when there's an empty card -- as a result I CAN have duplicate file numbers when I change cards. It does prepend the date to each number, so that helps keep them sorted out.

My recommendation to camera-makers would be a hybrid of the two systems, with manufacturer, sequential numbering (up to 99,999) plus the date (yymmdd) prepended:

C050704_00103.jpg