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I've just been reviewing some images taken on a trip recently and have noticed a strange numbering/sequencing anomaly.

I took some shots at Brisbane's Riverfire on the evening of 30 Aug, and the last shot that night was DSC_1271. The first shot I can find from 31 Aug was taken just after midday - and the file number is DSC_6318. I'm fairly sure I didn't sleepwalk that night and take (and delete!) oh, 5,000-odd photos!!

The camera is a D300, but I have been using several different CF cards, mostly 4GB and all previously used (ie in my now R.I.P.-ing D70). I am fairly sure I swapped CF cards after Riverfire, so I'm guessing that somehow "restarted" the frame counter....? (ETA: It's quite possible that the card had not been reformatted since using it in the D70, and *may* have even had a couple of older photos left on it. In case that's relevant.)

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm more just curious than actually bothered, seeing as it doesn't really affect me at all, but if I were planning to sell my body at some point (CAMERA body!!!!) then the inaccurate frame count might be an issue.

Cheers

I believe you can reset those file numbers and their prefix. You shouldn't have to worry about the inaccurate frame count. There should be a total picture number / shutter actuation number in the EXIF.

Exactly: the correct frame count is in the EXIF for Nikon bodies.

And if you're using cards that have been in different bodies, each of those bodies will have a "memory" of the last used number within that card, and this is the result of that behaviour.

You are correct to not be at all concerned about this.

Thanks for the reassurance. As I said, not concerned at all, but ever curious as to reasons/causality.

gstark wrote:And if you're using cards that have been in different bodies, each of those bodies will have a "memory" of the last used number within that card, and this is the result of that behaviour.

For some reason, I always thought that the file numbering was "controlled" by the body. That is to say, whatever card I would use, the body itself would know what count it was up to, and would continue the numbering system accordingly. I guess that's why I was somewhat surprised to see this. Fair enough, though - now I know.

Rae,

Check out page 283 of the D300 manual. It is all explained there. Custom menu d6 has 3 different settings which will change how the body deals with the file sequence number.

Thanks for the page reference, ATJ. That helps me make sure I don't screw up again!

I had specifically selected "ON", since I thought that would mean my file numbers would reflect the frame count, regardless of what cards I (re-)used. I now realise my mistake - ie, that I'd left other, older (but higher file number) photos on the same card. Well, perhaps my error will help someone else avoid a similar situation.

I've reset the file number counter now, so I just have to remember (for my own interest) that I've taken about 2000 shots MORE than the file counter says. :

Many thanks, all.

You aren't the first one to make that mistake - I made it the day I got my D300. There is an easy solution:

Resetting File Number Sequence on a Nikon D300

Oh, that's a great link - thank you for posting it.

I've now reset the counter to 2000, so I'm at least in the general ballpark of shots taken so far.

And wherever possible, it is good practice to format the card in the camera (I always format the card immediately
on inserting it into the camera)

cyanide wrote:I've now reset the counter to 2000, so I'm at least in the general ballpark of shots taken so far.

You could actually get exact* if you wanted to.

In the Exif data of every shot is the "Total Number of Shutter Releases for Camera", so you could set a file on a CF card to that number and then use the "Reset" trick.

* Note that the "Total Number of Shutter Releases for Camera" reflects all the shutter releases, not just successful photographs. For example, if you press the release without a CF card in the camera, the count will include that but it won't increment the file sequence number. If you set up some Preset white balances, it counts as a release but doesn't increment the file sequence number. For example, on my D300, the last image taken was DSC_4935.NEF but the Total Number of Shutter Releases for Camera = 4947, which means I have had 12 shutter releases without storing a photograph for those releases.

Greg - a good habit, one with which I must be more diligent.

Andrew - I have only very basic software on this computer so I don't think I have anything that will read EXIF, but I'll look around for a freebie version (I'm sure they must exist). I've reset to close enough to satisfy me, but it's been something I've been meaning to do (get an EXIF reading software, I mean) anyway. Good reminder, thanks.

There are at least two free programs that will let you read Exif data, ExifTool and IExif, both work for your purpose.

See: Total Number of Shutter Releases for Nikon dSLRs

Greg B wrote:And wherever possible, it is good practice to format the card in the camera (I always format the card immediately
on inserting it into the camera)

I do the same, my cards spend time between the D300 and the S5 Pro, no probs with either POST #500 that is an achievement for me!