Pentax Numbering System

Having just traded my *istDS2 in for a K100D I am faced with a dilemma. I took approx. 3600 images on the DS2 and now the K100D is going to start over at image 00001 again. Does anyone know of any routine I can use to prevent the duplication. I can't find anything in the manual or my book on the K100/110D to prevent this.

Has anyone else solved this when upgrading or using more than one Pentax digital SLR. I am using Photoshop Elements 5.0

Thanks,

Mike

Hi Mike.

No garantee but you could try this, transfer your last DS shot (say _IGP3000) back onto the SD card, load the SD card into your K100D and take a shot. If all goes well your K100D shot should be numbered _IGP3001.

If that's worked format the SD card and take another K100D shot, hopefully this will be _IGP3002, if not I suggest a batch rename of your existing files.

A point to note doing this (if it works) is you are registering 3000 more shots on the K100d than it actually has taken, might affect the resale value.

Brian,

Thanks for the suggestions

I've already taken a few shot on the K100D testing it. Sounds like a good idea regarding the card but as you say it could affect the resale value (I never thought of that).

If I rename the existing files it will mess up the links in the Elements Organizer - reconnecting over 3600 files is a real pain - it already dates back to versions 3.0 & 4.0.

Version 5.0 allows for renaming of files on import and you can save them in date folders with a sequential serial number (there are several alternatives). My hangup was that you cannot change the date so the folder always takes the date of import not the photo date, which of course is on the exif. Hope this makes sense.

Anyway thank for the prompt help.

Mike

Brian et all,

The answer was staring me in the face all the time. Under "Process Multiple Files" in Elements 5.0 there is the option to use one of several selections followed by another selection when renaming files. I saw "Document Name" under the first drop down and didn't realize that you could over type with your own desired prefix. Therefore I have just used "K100D" and then sequential "four digit serial number" as the second selection.

So my new files are K100D0001.jpg etc., and will not conflict with the previous 3600+. Just need to keep track of the last # used.

I need to pay more attention to what I am looking at.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Mike

Glad you found a better work around Mike, I'll have to do this when I get my K10D.

Does anybody know of a window prog that will do batch rename, I know the old XTREE Gold was ablr to do this but I've never had to do it since Win95 (or was it Win 98 ) allowed long file names.

Mike, glad you found a solution. (off topic) I have a question - do you find Elements 5 much better than 4 - is it worth the upgrade?

I think I will probably just rename my existing "Pentax Digital" folder to "istD" which is divided into sub-folders for different shoots/locations/subjects etc. then when I get the K10D I will start a new folder with that name and also use sub-folders.

Images I have worked on and (sometimes) printed off are stored in a seperate sub-folder simply called "Saves" with the original file intact in its relevant folder, I also usually rename these files with a title for the shot. I will probably also keep my K10D "saves" seperate from the istD files.

I also keep files that I am working on but not finished in a seperate sub-folder.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Gwyn,

So far yes although I haven't delved that deeply yet to try all the new features. I picked up a Jumpstart Guide To Photoshop Elements 5.0 DVD but haven't watched it yet. I thought that when I retired I would have all this time on my hands - right! I didn't like 4.0 as much as 3.0 but so far so good with 5.0

impotentspider

I have now set up separate files for the *istDS2, the K100, and my wife's digital. My main concern was duplication with the files already catalogued in the Organizer which I like. Many do not like the organizer but it has been fine for me. The only chore was reconnecting the files when Wondows changed the drive letter of my external drive.

Mike

IrFanView will (as well as a whole host of image work too)

Brian,

I've used 'Bulk Rename Utility' and this gives loads of options, preview of new names and undo etc, does what it says on the tin!

It's free, and I've just seen on the 'Features' page that it does bulk change of date created too (although presumably not the EXIF data, I was thinking of Georges(?) problem with the incorrect date set on the camera when using Silkypix). Might be of use to Mike and his Organiser gripe though?

Dan

According to the FAQ's (I have an older version of the program, which doesn't seem to do this) you can extract the EXIF data to use to rename your files, but you need to enable it in the options somewhere as it adds to the processing time.

Dan

There are two that I've used:
EXIF Renamer
and
RenameIt! (although primarily for MP3 files)

HTH!
Matt

I've used 'Bulk Rename Utility' and this gives loads of options, preview of new names and undo etc, does what it says on the tin!

Hi Daniel

Thanks, I actually found it last night, downloaded it from Tucows, lots of different option to waid through but will do me fine.

Incidentlly I discovered WinXP can do a basic batch file rename, select a batch of files, rename the first one and it wil rename them all the same but put an incremental (1), (2), (3)...... before the extension dot.

The key is to make a system that makes sense to you! I use Adobe Bridge to rename my files, and the system is:

My initials
Underscore
yyyymmdd (keeps the files in chronological order)
Dash
HHMMSS

This pretty much avoids duplicate names, since rarely do I shoot more than one frame per second.