C100: File Numbering

B

bclighting

Well-known member
So apparently I'm being told that when our C100 rolls over to the next SD card the file numbering is restarted. I've checked the menus and file numbering is set to continuous. However, when you read about the file numbering in the manual it seems to say that those setting only pertain to SD movies and photos. It's on page 141 of the manual if you are interested in checking it out.

So has anyone else seen this or had this happen? From what I'm being told it is really screwing up things in editing when there are two files with the same name. I'm hoping there is something else that I'm missing that can fix this.
 
Same issue here & every time I do a new shoot numbering starts over. I find it hard to believe that a camera of this price doesn't have continuous file naming. The only thing I haven't tried yet is the EOS Utility software, maybe there is an option?
 
I don't like it either. I've been creating a new directory for each project and dragging the PRIVATE dir into it. Yes there are duplicate file names but at least they are in separate directories. What I really dislike is when I clean an SD for use in the same project the next day...subdirs in the same project dir with PRIVATE dirs and several duplicate file names. I do rename them in the Premiere project, so it isn't as confusing as it sounds...just a bit of a bother jumping through the hoops.
 
I have been using Shotput Pro to dump the cards so each card has a different name but I guess that doesn't help in Premiere. I was using old firmware so I just updated to 1.0.1.1 so I'll see if that changes anything, wondering if it is a bug.

On another note, has anyone actually tried to use the EOS XF Utility software for anything? I have never been able to get it to work. It will never recognize the cards.
 
Slightly off topic: Can anyone tell me how to start each take at zero on the counter? Clients are always asking me "how long was that take?" and I have just been mumbling at them. ;-)
 
On Mac my solution to this is using ClipWrap to pull the files from the cards/private folders, and then using a batch file renaming application to rename my clips to something more manageable such as: PROJ_01_0001.mov, PROJ_01_0002.mov etc. The "PROJ" tag changes to whatever makes sense, the "01" denotes the day or camera, and the "0001" is the file number which I make continuous for the entire project with no duplicates. It takes a few minutes of manual work, but worth it when wrangling and archiving large projects.
 
I have done something terrible...so be aware. I was working on the same project and cleaning the SD each day. Log and transfer in FCP7 from the C100. The clips with same numbers overwrote the other ones ! So I had a lot of clips offline. They just disappeared !
Other problem with log and transfer, some clips didn't want to transcode, i had to do it manually on 5dtoRGB and they didn't have the same clip mumber. Very confusing.
So finally I installed Data Transfer Utility, bought ClipWrap so I can have clips with different numbers.
And copy all my MTS on a separate hard rive for archives.
 
The numbering system is annoying. In addition to the danger of overwriting previous clips, I also find there is another issue with the Data Import Utility software. The only options with the Canon DIU software are "import clips that have not been imported" and "import all clips". I'm working on some projects that involve recording lengthy interviews, though I often have two or more interviewees on the came SD card. The DIU imports them all stitched together as one clip. In contrast, the ru_util software with my Sony HVR-Z5U was very flexible. It permitted you to specify which clips you imported. Much more useful. Has anyone found a workaround on this?

Having said that, you gotta love the C100. The ergonomics are a joy. Vastly superior to the "bricks with buttons" out there.
 
on pc, its just one step to rename everything which for me isnt a big deal

but on Mac its a pain, Ive been using a sofeware called "a better finder renamer", which is pretty easy to use.
 
What does renaming the MTS files do to the automatic stitching when importing via CS6 Media Browser on a PC? I've always been afraid to mess with anything in the PRIVATE directory.
 
Importing through device explorer in sony vegas works well. It joins takes larger than 4 GB to one MTS file and appends date and time of take to the file name. It also allows to select which takes to import.
 
As I've been uncouth enough to use FCPX for AVCHD rushes, I've not been unduly worried about this issue recently. But...

This is all down to the AVCHD format.

AVCHD 'wants' to be a sort of image of a BluRay disk. The idea being that, with AVCHD, you can go off and shoot your kids at DisneyWorld, return home, shove the SDHC card in your BluRay player's slot (it does have one, doesn't it? Or what about that USB port?), and it will 'just play automagically'.

Therein lies the rub. AVCHD is actually really really good, but it's organised for 'the hoi polloi', the great unwashed, peopl like us (but that's the 'us' us, not the us that are here).

BluRay players need a sequential numbered bunch of files in a private directory in order to play. Thus, we shall never have uniquely numbered clips direct from rushes. Not never. Ever.

There also seems to be a problem in that all AVCHD cameras have a big problem in displaying DURATION of a clip. I think this too is a problem with AVCHD. I don't know of ANY AVCHD cameras that do clip duration whilst shooting.

Importing direct to FCPX (using the copy-to-event option) labels each shot (in the finder) with a time & date stamp, therefore making it pretty unique, if not user friendly.

I've taken the controversial decision to back up and archive the FCPX versions not the disk images - this loses me the metadata that was shot on the camera (shrugs - nobody seems to care about UserBits). I'd prefer to have proper labelling like I did with the old XDCAM Transfer workflow which was awesome - even more so now as I can't easily replicate it.

The truly horrible nature of AVCHD, and why it is a despicable format, is not with the technical quality (which is really quite good), it is with the long term workflow. It truly sucks rocks through straws.
 
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