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2.0 firmware and old SD cards funkiness


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I'm having problems with the file naming being reset unless the SD card is formatted in the M8 before use.

 

Firmware: 2.0

Cards: 2 gigabyte Sandisk Ultra II and Transcend 150x

File Numbering: Continuous

Quality: DNG only

 

I had grown accustomed to putting the card in my computer's reader, letting Aperture import into it's library, then clicking "Yes" when Aperture asks if I want to erase the card. But if I start shooting with this card without first formatting it again in the M8, I'm back to picture #0001. I have not made any changes to Aperture recently. Usually the folder number is retained, but not always.

 

The fix for the immediate problem is to manually rename the last photo to whatever arbitrary number you wish to start after and, if you wish to change the first 3 digits as well, renumber the folder as well (101LEICA or whatever), then take a picture.

 

I don't know why it should make a difference whether the card is formatted in the M8 or by the computer: Aside from the DCIM and XXXLEICA folders, there's no obvious difference: Nothing that looks like a Leica-generated hidden file, etc.

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I'm having problems with the file naming being reset unless the SD card is formatted in the M8 before use.

 

Firmware: 2.0

Cards: 2 gigabyte Sandisk Ultra II and Transcend 150x

File Numbering: Continuous

Quality: DNG only

 

I had grown accustomed to putting the card in my computer's reader, letting Aperture import into it's library, then clicking "Yes" when Aperture asks if I want to erase the card. But if I start shooting with this card without first formatting it again in the M8, I'm back to picture #0001. I have not made any changes to Aperture recently. Usually the folder number is retained, but not always.

 

The fix for the immediate problem is to manually rename the last photo to whatever arbitrary number you wish to start after and, if you wish to change the first 3 digits as well, renumber the folder as well (101LEICA or whatever), then take a picture.

 

I don't know why it should make a difference whether the card is formatted in the M8 or by the computer: Aside from the DCIM and XXXLEICA folders, there's no obvious difference: Nothing that looks like a Leica-generated hidden file, etc.

 

I am having similar problems. I updated succesfully to the 2.0 firmware and managed to get the numbering to contine where it left off before by renaming the file to the appropriate frame number. If I delete all the images on the card in the camera and take a new picture it continues with the next frame number as it should do. If I transfer the images to the computer using the C1LE transfer wizard (and delete the files on the card after transfer) then the next picture I take is set back to L1000001. This is extremely irritating compared to the old firmware where it just continued numbering.

 

After finding this problem I did all the magic steps to reset the numbering as discussed elsewhere (set to standard, format the card, reset the folder, take picture, set to continuous, rename file nr., take next frame (works OK), transfer to computer with delete, next frame taken is #0001. So the continuous numbering mode DOES NOT WORK (unless I am doing something wrong).

 

Any suggestions? Is this a bug in FW 2.0? Should I reload the FW 2.0? I haven't tested with on of the old SD cards yet to see if they give the same behavior. The above symptoms were with an original brand new Sandisk 4GB SDHC card.

 

For the time being I am very depressed about this as I apparantly should not revert to FW 1.201 or whatever it was. So for the moment I am stuck with this.

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I am having similar problems. I updated succesfully to the 2.0 firmware and managed to get the numbering to contine where it left off before by renaming the file to the appropriate frame number. If I delete all the images on the card in the camera and take a new picture it continues with the next frame number as it should do. If I transfer the images to the computer using the C1LE transfer wizard (and delete the files on the card after transfer) then the next picture I take is set back to L1000001. This is extremely irritating compared to the old firmware where it just continued numbering.

 

After finding this problem I did all the magic steps to reset the numbering as discussed elsewhere (set to standard, format the card, reset the folder, take picture, set to continuous, rename file nr., take next frame (works OK), transfer to computer with delete, next frame taken is #0001. So the continuous numbering mode DOES NOT WORK (unless I am doing something wrong).

 

Any suggestions? Is this a bug in FW 2.0? Should I reload the FW 2.0? I haven't tested with on of the old SD cards yet to see if they give the same behavior. The above symptoms were with an original brand new Sandisk 4GB SDHC card.

 

For the time being I am very depressed about this as I apparantly should not revert to FW 1.201 or whatever it was. So for the moment I am stuck with this.

 

Not sure if your following the correct steps so I'll post them one more time. Seems to me you are adding one step that shouldn't be there or you are omitting one.

There is NO GOING BACK TO A OLDER FIRMWARE ONCE YOU LOAD V2.

PLEASE DO NOT TRY IT.

 

1. Set the Picture Number in the menu to "Standard".

2. Format the SD card in camera.

3. Reset the File Number in the menu. It actually says “Reset fold. No”, that is the one you want.

4. Set Picture Number back to "Continuous"

5. Take one image

6. Shut off camera, remove SD card and place in card reader attached to a computer.

7. Access the image in your Finder or Explorer (Mac or PC); rename the image number to whatever file number/image number you want. I would suggest Lyyyxxxx, with "y" being your preferred folder number (See Note Below) and "x" being the frame number you want to start with. (You are making these changes to the file name on the card in the card reader.)

 

NOTE

 

If you want to change the first or second digit of the L100 (Lyyy above) in the file name, like to L200 or 120 or 220, then you have to change the folder name also.

The directory/folder structure on the card when in a card reader is [Drive Letter]:\DCIM\100LEICA\. You need to change the 100LEICA to whatever you want the file number to start with. Like if you want it to be L200xxxx then you need to rename that folder to 200LEICA. If you want L120 then you need to change that folder name to 120LEICA. It would look like this [Drive Letter]:\DCIM\120 or 200LEICA.

 

8. Properly remove card from card reader and return to camera.

9. Turn the camera on and press "Play". The file will now display with newly renamed folder and file number. (Use "Info" to see this data.)

10. Expose another image to confirm and check file numbers.

11. Format SD card, and you are good to go from that point on.

 

One thing I think you are doing wrong is DELETING the images from the card after transfer. Could be you are deleting evrything on the card, the DCIM and the L100xxxx folders.

Try just formatting the card in the camera after you transfer the files from it, Don't delete them on the computer.

I just got a brand new M8 as a replacement and have updated the firmware to V2. I then stuck a card in it that had one image on it from the old camera, numbered something like 4984. Viewed the file on the cameras LCD, took another shot, actually 2 shots, and viewed them on the LCD, formatted that card in that camera and numbering has continued from that count. Image count now reads L200(I've changed my black M8 to start numbering at L200)49?? and shutter actuation count reads somewhere just over 100.

This image count resetting has been around for awhile and is not new to V2 FW. It just might be you have to go through all the steps listed above to get it to stop.

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Thanks Shootist, I will try again this evening to make sure but if I remember correctly I did do all the steps you posted. After formatting the card (step 11) OR transfer with delete it set the numbers back to 0001. Steps 1-10 worked as expected.

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No I can't beacuse it starts renumbering from scratch every time which is a major PITA

I suspect if you follow the steps I listed to the letter, not that you haven't already, _"AND"_ you STOP deleting images from the card in your computer it should work correctly.

If it doesn't then you may have some other problem.

It is NOT a V2 FW problem. It has not happened on my chrome M8 or the new black M8 I got on Friday. If it was a V2 FW issue you would see this board filled with threads about it.

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I suspect if you follow the steps I listed to the letter, not that you haven't already, _"AND"_ you STOP deleting images from the card in your computer it should work correctly.

If it doesn't then you may have some other problem.

It is NOT a V2 FW problem. It has not happened on my chrome M8 or the new black M8 I got on Friday. If it was a V2 FW issue you would see this board filled with threads about it.

Ok thanks to Shootists help I have etablished that (for me at least) FW 2.000 behaves differently than FW1.201 & previous.

 

First I reformatted an SD and reloaded FW 2.000 from the Leica website & installed. Then I went through all the steps 1-11 as mentioned above. The camera numbers continuously also when swapping cards etc. so long as you delete the files using the camera (or format the card in the camera). If you delete the files in the card reader either manually or via the C1LE transfer wizard then abandon hope, the number becomes L1000001 when you take the next frame.

 

Using an SDHC or SD card makes no difference and they can be used interchangably.

 

What I do not understand is how this can possibly be the case. Formatting the card in camera somehow retains the file nr. while just deleting in card reader (nominally a less aggressive card operation) resets the frame nr. info.

 

So - exective summary:

delete/format in camera - continuous numbering is OK

delete in computer card reader - numbering is lost and resets to #0001

 

Can anyone confirm that this is the new standard mode of operation? If so I am not at all happy with this. Delete after transfer is a much more robust way of preventing mistakes with the file transfer process and the file numbering should be genuinely continuous regardlesss of how the files are transferred or removed.

 

Is there anyone at Leica that I should contact about this?

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Are you or IS the program you are using to delete the files from the card on the computer also deleting the DCIM folder along with it's subfolder 100LEICA? And after that are you formatting the card in the camera or just taking picture with it.

I'm going to transfer some files right now and I'll give this a check.

 

Ok, IF I delete the files from the card on the PC and then do NOT format it in the camera I get the file numbering starting back 0001. If I delete the files from the card on the PC and then FORMAT in the camera the numbering continues from where it was. With both of these processes, deleteing and NOT formatting and deleting and formatting in the camera, when I turn the camera on for the first time I get the wrong shot count, 546 for a 2GB card that would be JPG and 99.999999% I shoot DNG only. Once I take a picture without formatting the card it goes to the real/normal shot count. If I format the card in the camer after deleting the count goes back to normal.

Not sure if it was ever like this before, you're saying it wasn't (OK), as I never delete images from the card and always format the card in the camera before I take any shots for the day.

So I would suggest that you stop deleting the image when downloading them and just format in the camera once you reinsert the card. Or continue to delete but always format in the camera before you take another shot.

Certainly a glitch as I never remember the shot count going to a JPG count when the camera is set to DNG only.

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Shootist, thanks for checking what your camera does.

 

Re the questions:

Are you or IS the program you are using to delete the files from the card on the computer also deleting the DCIM folder along with it's subfolder 100LEICA?

No the folder structure remains intact. After upgrading to FW 2.0 I just continued using ths C1LE transfer wizard with delete after transfer enabled. That worked fine previously. The DNG files were removed from the card and the last frame number was memorised by the camera independent of which card was reinserted - that is what I would call continuous.

 

And after that are you formatting the card in the camera or just taking picture with it.

The file numbering problem occurs if I delete the files in the card reader, subsequently formatting the card in the camera or not & just taking a picture does not change the resetting of the frame nr. to #0001. I.e. it is independent of in camera formatting.

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Oh ok. So ther is no problem with ver 2.0 FW then?

I have never formated cad from my mac. Only when iphoto asked me to delete original or not. But every time I take photo(new subject or project) I always format card before I start taking photos. Because SD card can not be trusted 100% It might some how corrupt during in-out of camera and reader.

 

SO SHOULD I UPGRADE MY M8 to ver 2.0???

 

I need more people doing guinea pigging Ver2.0:D :D :D !!!

 

Thank you all. My M8 is in Germany at the moment, I hope they do`nt update it!!!

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Greetings all.

 

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is John and I live in London. I have owned my M8 since March 07 and I would describe myself as a keen amateur.

 

All my SD cards are 1 gig Sandisk Extreme 3's and my experience with the new firmware is as follows.

 

A freshly formatted (by the camera) card shows the number of jpg's I could shoot even though the camera is set for dng. Release the shutter once and it then shows "92" i.e. the correct number of dng files.

 

Every time I re-format the card the numbering returns to "L0000001" even though it is set to continuous.

 

I know the new firmware resets the menu to default, and I have changed everything back to the way I want it. Also, I have only ever deleted files or formated the card in camera and everything has been fine until now.

 

I feel this is definitely a bug in the new firmware. Annoying, but the camera still works perfectly in all other respects and I'm sure Leica will sort it out in the next dot release.

 

Regards

 

John

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John I suggest you follow the steps I've list above in this thread to get the camera to continuously number the images. These steps seem to work 100% as long as you don't delete images on a computer and that you always format the card in the camera once you have gotten image off it.

There have been other M8 users that have had the camera always resetting the image count back to L1000001 long before the new firmware arrived and following those step cleared it up.

Yes I do think the new firmware has a bug in it.

 

Oh, and I always forget to do this.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM.

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Not I my case - the problem persists. I want the old system back where I can delete the files in the card reader and it just keeps numbering consecutively.

Well sorry for the change in your workflow, I know full well how change can be difficult to deal with.

But I was referring to others that had the resetting of the image count before V2 of the FW.

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First I would really like to know if the change in operation/workflow is the same for everyone or if it is a weird 'bug' in my specific case (e.g. a persistent installation error of some sort).

 

At present the only option I see is to not use the consequetive numbering at all (just switch to standard) and rename the files on my computer after transfer. If you are using multiple cards this is not going to be very convenient. Why should I have to do the admin manually if the camera should (and previously could) do it for me?

 

Am I the only one using the C1LE transfer wizard? I would find that surprising.

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SJP, it has always been wise to format in camera, especially if you share your SD cards over several camera types. Otherwise you could get ane error message when attempting to shoot. Another reason is image security. If you delete images as you copy them to your comptuer, an error can occur when copying and then you have lost all versions of your images. My practice is to copy to computer and them restore the card to the camera. Not until I am satisfied that the images are successfully copied do I cosider deleting the images on the card. This is best done simply by formatting in camera.

 

Regarding you numbering concern. I don't understand what difference it makes. Surely you have established a numbering/naming system that suits your archiving rather than using the numbers allocated by the camera. I have no idea what numbers my camera uses. As my files are copied over, they are automatically numbered by C1 to the numbers I devise. Maybe I have missed something in your needs of course, which is quite possible.

 

Edit: Just read your post that went up while I was typing. I use C1 Ver. 4, much better than C1 LE which is OK anyway. Set the file numbering to your desired system before copying. Files then move over and are renamed during the process. I frequently use multiple cards and loading subsequent cards simply continues the number sequence. Yes, I do have to set up the number where I start from but I would not want that flexibility removed. I remain in control that way.

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