Numbering your photos: How do each of you keep track of your individual photos. I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001 How can I...

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.
I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001
How can I continue to shoot DSC file name and automatically keep the numbers increasing instead of rolling over.
If I change the DSC file name does it do anything to the camera settings
Thanks for your input.

Bmarsh Loc: Bellaire, MI

Don't change anything in your camera. I had the same thing happen with my 7100 and I just renamed all older DSC files to be DSB and kept on trucking.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You can't. In fact, the cameras don't even perform as you've described. They go 0001 to 9999 to 0001.

Some more advanced models let you control the first four characters. Less advanced cameras do not. No cameras can count higher than 9999 in the file name.

Q: How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.

Possible Answers:

a) rename the files when copied off your camera card

b) use a library manager and add descriptive and searchable keywords

c) use descriptive folders and / or virtual collections

Real Nikon Lover Loc: Simi Valley, CA

This is an excellent question. Naming conventions in computer (digital) files is just as important in photography as it is in saving important documents you want to find later. (Sorry I got cut off..)

Solution: When I do a shoot I rename the photos with shoot name an let the numbering remain in place. Sample: DSC001 to DSC500 becomes OregonTrip2019-001 to OregonTrip2019-500.

The photo name then acts as a Keyword when I search for OregonTrip2019.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

JimBart wrote:

How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.
I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001
How can I continue to shoot DSC file name and automatically keep the numbers increasing instead of rolling over.
If I change the DSC file name does it do anything to the camera settings
Thanks for your input.

FWIW: the file names from the camera only ever go to 9999 then revert to 0001 starting over.

When I import my images using Lightroom, I discard the camera file name and rename my images with my initials adding the date & time captured. Never a duplicate to worry about, and never run out of numbers.

On initial import every image gets a keyword or two that describes the shot or general subject. On editing, every shot gets as many keywords as possible from my hierarchy of used keywords.

Any searches or filtering I do is based on metadata, including keywords, file names mean nothing in my system.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

CHG_CANON wrote:

You can't. In fact, the cameras don't even perform... (show quote)

I will do (a) when the time comes, using an interim directory.
I made a batch file to add a "1" before the "0001" to make all the files read IMG_1xxxx.
If and when I hit (1)9999 again, I'll change the batch file to add a "2".
Then I will move them to their appropriate directory.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

CHG_CANON wrote:

You can't. In fact, the cameras don't even perform... (show quote)

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

For me, the file names are meaningless. I do have two copies of the same camera model, so there is meaning that both cameras do not create the same file name if I happened to be out shooting with both together. Thankfully, they are models that include the feature to have one create 'a' files and the other 'b' files. But, I do not rename the files as created by the camera, except when exporting from Lightroom; and only then, when sharing files with someone for whom descriptive names will be helpful to their needs.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

JimBart wrote:

How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.
I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001
How can I continue to shoot DSC file name and automatically keep the numbers increasing instead of rolling over.
If I change the DSC file name does it do anything to the camera settings
Thanks for your input.

Why do you need to worry about this? Unless you're keeping all your photos in a single directory (without subdirectories), it will not be an issue. If you must bulk-rename files, it can be easily done in Lightroom.

fjrwillie Loc: MA

I own 2 D7100's. I set the first camera's 3 digits to D7A and the other to D7B to distinguish between the 2 cameras. I copy a days worth of RAW files to a folder named YYYY MM DD NEF or in today's case 2020 02 16 NEF. When files numbers reset to 0001 they don't interfere with previous numbers that cross over.

Willie

BebuLamar

I never shoots 9999 shots of something that related to each other. So when I change to another event I copy all the shots to a folder on my computer. Format the card and reset the counter to 1 again.

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

JimBart wrote:

How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.
I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001
How can I continue to shoot DSC file name and automatically keep the numbers increasing instead of rolling over.
If I change the DSC file name does it do anything to the camera settings
Thanks for your input.

I simply go by the file date or the modified date.
I separate my shoots into folders named with the date and place I shot the batch.

Charles

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

DWU2 wrote:

Why do you need to worry about this? Unless you're keeping all your photos in a single directory (without subdirectories), it will not be an issue. If you must bulk-rename files, it can be easily done in Lightroom.

I don't file by date, I file by subject. Correcting the file name will keep them in filename sequence and prevent any possible file name contention when adding to existing files in a given directory. But I could always sort by date taken.

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

JimBart wrote:

How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.
I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001
How can I continue to shoot DSC file name and automatically keep the numbers increasing instead of rolling over.
If I change the DSC file name does it do anything to the camera settings
Thanks for your input.

There is no need to stay with the DSC designation. My camera also offers _DSC. These are just arbitrary letters, maybe the initials of some Nikon employee. I think people tend to shoot a high number of pictures in groups. When I go to Scotland I change the name to SCT. When I go to Greece I use GRC. If I shoot a show I find some combination of letters to represent that show. I have six thousand pictures that start with GRC. It only takes about 30 seconds to change this. All this being said, finding pictures out of many is mostly done with Keywords not file names. I never change file names. I have never had a need to do it. Let DSC go. Get creative.
...Cam

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

JimBart wrote:

How do each of you keep track of your individual photos.
I have a Nikon 7100 and just hit DSC 9999 my next shot reverted back to DSC0001 not DSC10001
How can I continue to shoot DSC file name and automatically keep the numbers increasing instead of rolling over.
If I change the DSC file name does it do anything to the camera settings
Thanks for your input.

I just rename my images on import - I keep the camera's numbering, but add the serial number and date from the metadata. It's a custom preset in Lightroom that I set to run on every import.