All Models More than 4000 images in a single folder on the card

[AlphaWorld]

One of the features listed in the recent firmware updates (so A1, A9 III, etc) was the ability to have more than 4000 images in a single folder on a card.

I have very occasionally seen the camera start a new folder because it hit the 4000 image limit - it's not a common occurrence, because it's not easy to fit over 4000 images onto a card, especially with the A7RV or A1; moreover, depending on your starting image number (ie: anything over 6000) you may well hit 9999 and start a new folder with 0001.

I wasn't expecting to "test" this particular new feature, but I did, yesterday. Using the A9 III with a 160GB CFeA card, I shot a bit over 4600 images, and yes, they all went into a single folder.

So that feature is working. Not a thrilling piece of news. But I thought it might be of interest.

(BTW: I do wish there was an option to say "This is not a question thread")

 

[Richard A]

moreover, depending on your starting image number (ie: anything over 6000) you may well hit 9999 and start a new folder with 0001.

Just out of interest, is there any way to turn this off? I have an A7RV and to have the file count restart after 9999 would be very annoying for me!

 

[AlphaWorld]

Just out of interest, is there any way to turn this off? I have an A7RV and to have the file count restart after 9999 would be very annoying for me!

Yes. You can change it so that it resets to one every time you change the memory card - you'll only hit a problem if you get to 9999 on a single memory card (possible on a 320GB or bigger with smaller files).

ILCE-7RM5 | Help Guide | File Settings

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Is/was it 4000? I was thinking it was 999, extended to 9999. But I don't think I ever took more than three or four hundred pics in day, usually more like 50-100. I'm not a birder or a sports guy, so no bursts

Using the A9 III with a 160GB CFeA card, I shot a bit over 4600 images, and yes, they all went into a single folder.

Oh good grief! Going home with 4,600 images . How on earth do you cull/process: I'm bad enough with a hundred!

Amazing!

 

[AlphaWorld]

Is/was it 4000? I was thinking it was 999, extended to 9999. But I don't think I ever took more than three or four hundred pics in day, usually more like 50-100. I'm not a birder or a sports guy, so no bursts

Oh good grief! Going home with 4,600 images . How on earth do you cull/process: I'm bad enough with a hundred!

Amazing!

No, it was definitely 4000 per folder, which I have hit a few times. I don't know if it was ever 999. I don't know if it was 4000 on other brands, because I don't think I've ever put that many images on a card using another brand (prior to Sony, I think the highest frame rate I owned was a Canon 1D mark IV, at 10fps with a LOUD mechanical shutter). All of them overflow to another folder when they hit 9999 though - that's a part of the DCF standard.

If I have breaks in shooting, I'll go through bursts on the A9III. It has some nice tools for culling - rolling forwards and backwards in a burst, and hitting C3 to put asterisks on images that are worth investigating is easy. Upload to computer and filter on asterisks in Adobe Bridge.

Otherwise there's a LOT of scrolling

This particular day I must admit I had put the camera into Hi+ rather than Hi unintentionally, and didn't notice it for quite a while. That's one of the reasons I got more images than I expected.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

it was definitely 4000 per folder, which I have hit a few times. I don't know if it was ever 999.

I guess I'm thinking of the 9,999 limit on the file names. Which my a7iv just hit at 6 months.

 

[AlphaWorld]

I guess I'm thinking of the 9,999 limit on the file names. Which my a7iv just hit at 6 months.

Very likely.

I am approaching 99999 - should pass it in 4 months, but that’s on the insane A9 III.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I know people who barely process any images, so what they would do with 4000 in a day is beyond me!

 

[AlphaWorld]

I know people who barely process any images, so what they would do with 4000 in a day is beyond me!

If they are the kind who barely process any images then:

1. maybe they spend all their time getting the image perfect in the viewfinder, then press the button once - they wouldn't be getting 4000 images in a day
2. maybe they take long bursts at high speed, then work through the images looking for the perfect composition - wings in exactly the right sport, beak in the right direction - they might choose to process just a few images selected carefully from thousands - I'm more like this

Different people, different approaches to shooting. I like that we can use the same (or different) cameras in different ways.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

If they are the kind who barely process any images then:

1. maybe they spend all their time getting the image perfect in the viewfinder, then press the button once - they wouldn't be getting 4000 images in a day
2. maybe they take long bursts at high speed, then work through the images looking for the perfect composition - wings in exactly the right sport, beak in the right direction - they might choose to process just a few images selected carefully from thousands - I'm more like this

Different people, different approaches to shooting. I like that we can use the same (or different) cameras in different ways.

Maybe, but you can't do that with wildlife!

 

[AlphaWorld]

Maybe, but you can't do that with wildlife!

I sure can’t get the perfect shot from one shutter press (I suspect that’s the province of the landscaper shooters). So I come home with thousands of frames.

That’s also why my favourite wildlife cameras are the A1 and A9III - high speed bursts in utter silence. I won’t be disturbing the wildlife with a machine gun shutter (I remember the Canon 1D III - that was a crazy loud shutter!).

Oh, I just had a thought. I haven’t mentioned that I still use Adobe Bridge to go through my images and mark the ones for close attention, and those are the one I open in PhotoShop. I guess if I were using something like LightRoom I’d be “processing” all the frames (and I’d be waiting ages for it to do so.

Is that why you were asking about not processing lots of frames?

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I sure can’t get the perfect shot from one shutter press (I suspect that’s the province of the landscaper shooters). So I come home with thousands of frames.

That’s also why my favourite wildlife cameras are the A1 and A9III - high speed bursts in utter silence. I won’t be disturbing the wildlife with a machine gun shutter (I remember the Canon 1D III - that was a crazy loud shutter!).

Oh, I just had a thought. I haven’t mentioned that I still use Adobe Bridge to go through my images and mark the ones for close attention, and those are the one I open in PhotoShop. I guess if I were using something like LightRoom I’d be “processing” all the frames (and I’d be waiting ages for it to do so.

Is that why you were asking about not processing lots of frames?

Not specifically. While I completely understand people not wanting to spend ages editing, I also find it strange when they spend thousands on expensive gear and waste so much available detail shooting jpeg only. Yes, cameras process jpeg well now, and can look great, and, no question that there is less need for adjustment if you have the kind of gear I mean (fast primes etc), there is so much more you can do to really make images stand out. I guess it ultiamately comes down to what you are going to do with them.