PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

I am approaching this magic number with my current camera, an EOS 80D. I would like to do a batch rename of all my previous photos from img_xxxx to img_0xxxx to accommodate this (add the 0). I have Canon's DPP4 which I think can do this. I want to do this so various software programs will sort them properly.

Does anyone have experience doing this? Can DPP4 do it properly? Do I need to use a wildcard like the x I showed above?
If not, what can do this?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Personally, I think this is a really poor decision. Your images should be properly 'foldered' by shooting date. If you want to see / sort 'across' folders, use the embedded shooting date in the EXIF.

In a command window, the rename command should do this simple change. Test first.

ren IMG_* IMG_0*

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Command window - wow - DOS! Does this ripple down to sub-folders?

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

I was unable to go to (change directories to) the sub folder I wanted. Perhaps I made the name too long. But I like the suggestion of simply using shooting date. I'm not sure all programs use the time of day to fine tune the date sort.

Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK

The Date and Time will show in your EXIF data.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

you can easily do it from the Windows command prompt. However, are you a Lightroom user? Renaming outside of LR will cause LR to lose track of the photos.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I ALWAYS rename my files on download and essentially throw away the camera name. It's useless, in my opinion. While IMG_10000 might be easy to remember, it's a special case. What is the subject of IMG_4839?

MUCH better to rename the files with meaningful names. They will help you find things later.

If you use a good organizational program (e.g. Lightroom) the file name is meaningless anyway. LR doesn't care what the name is. If you have two files named IMG_0000, there's no problem as far as LR is concerned. The problem comes with your computer OS, which doesn't like to have different files with the same name in the same folder. The simple solution is to place the files in different folders.

When I rename my files, I include the date and time as part of the file name. That ensures that I will never come across duplicate file names. To accommodate high speed bursts, the time is included down to 0.01 second.

In your case, you might simply import the files to a folder based on the year of capture. Unless you take 10K or more photos a year (not that uncommon for some of us) you will not get duplicate file names. I believe renaming with meaningful names is a better solution, and fits no matter how many photos you take in a given time interval.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I never rename my original files (no longer, like in the past decade). But, I use LR and use all the search and sorting to find / filter images. The images in the original file names are loaded into date and subject folders, but rarely do I have to access them via their folders. When I export, I add an LR suffix to recognize an export file, but only if I'm sending to someone an exported file do I ever use a name other then IMG_0000-LR.

When I was renaming files from vague memories of long, long ago, I remember is was useful to include the original file number. So a file like IMG_0123 might become 20210821-Glenn-Falls-0123. That way, I just need a simple date without a timestamp for uniqueness. But in a folder like \20210821-Glenn-Falls, I don't have to worry about any collisions on file IMG_0123. For multiple camera that use might use the same original prefix, I customize their prefix within the camera so they're unique within my inventory. But, that custom feature isn't universally available for all EOS models, where renaming might still be needed for many photographers.

talborough Loc: Bellingham, MA, USA

With all of my heart, I would urge all, to leave the d**m batch renaming alone. Just change the file names, as needed, one at a time.

talborough Loc: Bellingham, MA, USA

So a computer keeps it's programs, data and photos in files (with names), in folders (with names).

There are (Mac and PC) simple system utilities for doing singleton and "group" operations on the files and folders. Some folks know how to use these utilities. They are pretty solid tools as computer people need them every day to move files around and the like.

The "big boy" photo-editing apps (to my knowledge - I'm not gonna' research them at this time in my life) have proprietary "overlay" systems that map what you see on their user-interface to the file systems mentioned above.

This mapping gives you the opportunity to really mess things up if you go about renaming the files in the basic file system. So rule one: don't go finger-touchin' the files in your L/R or Photoshop install unless you want to become a Computer Professional. Either use the big-boy editing apps as-is or learn the "Photos" app in Windows/Mac.

And another word there, both Windows and Mac are leaning into the Cloud. You will find multiple copies, or what will seem like multiple copies, of files in places that will surprise (me and you). If you really want to use Windows/Mac OS learn what a file is and keep your files, to start, on a thumb drive. Yes, thump drives will fail. Use two - they are cheap. All things will fail, so you had better be prepared for that. But at least if your photos are on a thumb drive you can see the d**m thing, touch it, toss it, fill it, empty it, save it. If you want to go to the cloud, contact a priest.

Ed Walker Loc: Eclectic, Alabama U.S.A.

If you finally decide to rename files then a batch renamer program can help. I use Advanced Renamer. It's free. www.advancedrenamer.com.

jlocke Loc: Austin, TX

I use Bulk Rename Utility. It's for Windows and it's free. It will allow you to do just about anything you want with your file names. Inserting a '0' at a specific position is easy. It can use photo EXIF data, too.

https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

You can’t touch a file - it’s simply an array of ones and zeros and the only advantages of being able to touch their HW container is immediacy and (for you) a “feel good” moment. I completely disagree on thumb drives for storage and the utility of the cloud. If you were to plot a continuum of the reliability/availability/safety of storage devices, thumb drives would be at the low end, just ahead of CDs, and cloud storage from a MAJOR provider and MDisks would be at the high end.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

For the sake of curiosity, I tried both of these. I had immediate success with the "bulk rename utility" but not "advanced renamer". However, adding file names to rename was limited, I could not just identify a folder and rename all in it, including sub-folders. Or, at least, not so far.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

I do not use Lightroom but I do use the Smugmug website to organize photos.